Offices are an integral part of any workplace. As your business and workforce grow and your office needs change, an office redesign is often required to accommodate these changes. When first thinking about an office redesign, it may seem like a straightforward process of just adding a few extra pieces of office furniture into the space, but it’s not that simple. An office redesign can often be a difficult process and is one that you must get right to ensure that your office efficiency and productivity remain high.
When people attempt to complete their office redesign themselves this often results in missed steps and mistakes. Below are 7 common mistakes that you should avoid when redesigning your office.
Not considering their storage needs
Not having enough storage space in your office will lead to a cluttered office. If your office is cluttered, not only can it make your office look unprofessional, but it can also affect your productivity. In a cluttered office, more people will focus on the clutter rather than the tasks they must complete, which will lower their productivity. When you have a cluttered workspace, you have less space to work meaning that you are fighting the clutter while trying to complete your work. It also means that when you need a document or another piece of working equipment, you will spend more time searching for what you need rather than completing your tasks, meaning that you will get less work done in the day.
Office storage is essential to help eliminate clutter and ensure that your workplace remains tidy. Adding a pedestal to your desk can provide storage for any items you need frequent access to helping to make room for more working space on your desk. You can even place storage cabinets or filing cabinets around the office for important communal items and files to ensure they don’t get misplaced or lost.
Following trends without thinking of how staff work
The layout of your office is an essential part of any office redesign. The layout you choose can affect and influence the productivity of your employees. Nowadays, most people will opt for an open plan layout as it may seem like a simple solution, but it’s not always the best option. An open plan office can often mean there is more noise around the office as there are no walls that can act as soundproofing and with no walls also means that there is no privacy for your employees. It’s essential that you loop in your employees and find out what office layout will allow them to be most productive. In any office layout, you should ensure that you have space that will allow people to work both in private and collaboratively to ensure that everyone has a workspace that is suited to their working style.
If you want to take advantage of an open plan layout but want to add semi-private spaces, adding screens and partitions into your office is a simple solution. The screens and partitions will allow you to give your employees a more private and quiet space that will help foster productivity.
Cramming too much into one space
No matter what size your office space is, it can easily feel cramped if you load it up with people and unnecessary office furniture. Ensuring that each person has their own space and breathing room in the office is essential to ensure that everyone can stay relaxed and focused at their desk, which can help increase productivity.
Giving employees distance at their desks from other employees can make collaborative tasks more successful as people will be more willing to work with others when they are not constantly on top of each other.
Using workstations over straight desks in your office can give you that extra bit of space and make your office feel less cramped. The L shape of the workstations allows you to place the workstations next to each other without each person feeling like they are right on top of each other, allowing them to have the breathing room they need.
It’s also necessary to leave room in your office layout for expansion as you don’t want to redesign your office space only to have more staff join and there not be enough room to expand.
Utilising the wrong lighting type
Lighting can have a great effect on the way people feel. With most people now spending the majority of their day indoors, it’s important to think about what type of light your office has and how much there is.
Natural light is the best kind of light for office workers. Natural light helps to increase energy levels making people feel less tired which can result in better productivity. Natural light can also help you create a more welcoming environment for employees and visitors. The warm natural light in conjunction with a feature wall can create a desirable office space that doesn’t look dull and entices people to come in.
To ensure you have plenty of natural light in your office, it’s important that you don’t cover up any windows to ensure you let in as much natural light as possible.
Underthinking break rooms and areas
Everyone needs to take a break from their work at some point to help ensure they remain focused and productive throughout the day. In some workplaces, the breakroom may be a stock standard table with a couple of not-so-comfortable chairs, which may not seem very enticing to some. A bad break room like this can lead to lower employee productivity and less work completion. Therefore, it is essential to have a comfortable break space that will allow people to relax and take a needed break.
An essential part of every break space is the chairs. It’s important to select break room chairs that will provide your employees with a comfortable place to spend their break, ensuring everyone returns from their break in a productive mood.
Forgetting your reception area
Your reception area is the first thing potential clients/customers see when they walk in the door. If your reception area looks untidy and unprofessional, it will give your potential clients/customers an unfavourable impression of your business. As most reception areas are not part of the main office, most people forget about the reception area when completing their office redesign. You should always include your reception area as part of your office redesign. Not only will it allow you to create a cohesive look throughout the whole building, but it will also allow you to ensure that your reception area remains presentable. This includes everything from your reception desk to the reception chairs for your clients/customers to ensure everything remains cohesive and accurately represents your business.
Not speaking to a professional
When most people start redesigning their office, they are often in a rush to get it done. Due to this, they end up not speaking to a professional and trying to complete the redesign themselves, which can be difficult and time-consuming. Your first step when redesigning your office should always be to speak to a professional. A professional will have the knowledge and experience to help you create the ideal office space that will allow everyone to work as efficiently as possible.
As office fit-out experts, the All Storage Systems team can help you design and create the perfect office space. We can help you create a space that will not only allow you to remain productive but will also allow you to maximise your office space and utilise as much space as possible without making your office feel small or cluttered.
Avoiding these common mistakes when redesigning your office can help ensure that your office remains as efficient and productive as possible.
At All Storage Systems, we stock a wide range of office furniture fitout solutions, check out our range today or alternatively give us a call.