It’s the goal of every office manager to create a workspace that is attractive and practical. The needs of today’s offices significantly differ from the offices of yesteryear. The modern office needs to be outfitted with all the latest devices and design trends that will make it more attractive to employees. Here are a couple of things your office has to have this year.
A comfortable lounge area
Rest is the most important factor that influences productivity. When an employee is well-rested, they are prepared to tackle the difficulties of the workday with ease. It’s important that employees are given the opportunity to rest during the workday.
Spending eight hours at a desk won’t do you any favors. Even the most dedicated employee won’t be able to stay focused for the full duration of their workday. Getting a quick rebreather every once in a while is essential for optimal productivity.
The modern offices of today are made with resting in mind. When employees go for their coffee or lunch break, they are greeted with a relaxing space or two which accommodate them. Lounge areas are particularly popular right now. All it takes to create a comfortable lounge area is a nice couch and a couple of speakers. Play some relaxing music in there and you can be sure that employees will enjoy spending their break times in the lounge.
Desk lamps
While offices might be famous for using overhead lights, these aren’t exactly something to brag about. Fluorescent office lighting has proven itself to be a very ineffective way to keep your office well lit. It harms eyesight and it can make it difficult to focus on things on a computer screen. If your eyesight is deteriorating, try hydrogel contact lenses. They also aren’t very good at providing visibility to every part of the office.
Desk lights, on the other hand, are slowly becoming an office favourite. They let employees control how much light they need for work. When you work with documents and stacks of paper, a desk lamp would be the preferred lighting option.
Best of all, they are a great stylish detail for the modern office aesthetic. There are tons of designs to choose from.
An open work area
Today’s office isn’t so individual-centric. Instead, the employees are seen as team players that work together to achieve their goals. Projects require coordination and cooperation in order to be finished before deadlines are up. The old cubical type of office arrangement is an outdated relic of past offices and it’s being replaced.
Offices now have open workspaces where team members can freely communicate with one another and help each other out. These types of spaces also help employees from feeling isolated during the workday. They have desk-mates that they can talk to and exchange ideas with.
This type of design makes offices feel less like a sterile environment and more like a lively workplace. The bustling and energetic atmosphere boosts morale and makes employees feel like they’re contributing to a whole.
A bunch of sticky notes
It’s hard to argue against the effectiveness of sticky notes. On one hand, you have the internet and various mobile phone features that can help you remember certain things. On the other hand, it’s very hard to miss a sticky note that is stuck right on top of your laptop. People still don’t see digital technology as the best tool for the job.
Instead, they prefer the ease and simplicity of a sticky note. Sticky notes allow employees to leave messages for other people as well. They’re pretty easy to set up, which is probably why they’re rising in popularity again.
Different work environments
Not everyone is a desk-type of person. A lot of employees might not want to start off their workday while sitting at their regular work desk. Perhaps they find that a different atmosphere gives them a particular boost in productivity. It could just be a nicer way to start off the day.
This is why a lot of offices are making many of their spaces work-compatible. If you want to hit the kitchen with your laptop in hand, why shouldn’t you? Might as well spend a bit of time there while you drink your coffee. A café style of the kitchen helps employees have a change of pace when they decide to prepare some food.
Your lounge area doesn’t just have to be for resting. You could add a couple of stylish tables and allow your workers to chill on the couch and do their work. It doesn’t really matter where they work, as long as they stay productive.
A touch of plant life
Greenery has always been a common staple of modern offices, but it’s slowly becoming a necessity. Plants are a great way to introduce some interesting colors and shapes in the office. There’s no style that they don’t go well with. This means you have more than enough choices available when picking them out.
Plants aren’t just an aesthetic detail, either. Did you know that an increased number of green plants in the office can boost productivity? Workers that have a direct view of plants in the office will be calmer and more productive than workers that don’t. It has something to do with the natural vibe that plants give off. Their colors, shapes, and scents remind us of a more natural environment, which relaxes.
If you want to give employees a cute gift, pick out a small potted plant for every desk in the office. It should be a plant that requires little to no maintenance, while also looking nice on their desk. It’s going to give them something to look at and take care of, making their desk feel even more special.
Bold colours galore
The modern office aesthetic is constantly shifting. One day it’s all about being chic and another day you’ll see vintage making a comeback. It’s not uncommon to find the occasional wacky and crazy office, either.
Right now, it’s all about colours. They need to be bold, brash, and everywhere. People want a bit of spice in their office. An interesting and unique colour scheme might just do the trick. You first need to consider the personality of your office. How would you describe it in a couple of words? The type of office you have will play a very big part of the colour scheme you pick out.
If you’re looking for something that screams “fun”, you might want to go with yellow. A calmer and more relaxing office might go for blue instead. It’s never as simple as picking out just one color, so you should keep that in mind. The colour combinations you pick tell a story, so make sure it’s the story you intend.
Advanced ergonomics
Employees in the office don’t get a lot of fitness opportunities during the day. Most of the work is done through a computer, which is why employees sit around for hours every day.
This sedentary type of work is not very good for their back muscles and joints. This is especially true if their seating isn’t well-designed. Improper seating can lead to a host of back problems on its own. Coupled with long periods of being seated, it’s a recipe for health problems of all kinds.
The ergonomics of seating and computers are very important for a modern office. High-quality seating will help employees avoid problems with their back and neck. An adjustable seat will allow them to change their position as they please. This can help when working on a computer at your desk.
A high-quality coffee machine
Most people can’t get through the morning without a good cup of coffee. It’s an essential part of the morning routine for millions of people around the world. You’ll rarely find an office that doesn’t have coffee ready and available. Employees appreciate being able to get a nice cup of tasty coffee in the morning without having to bring their own.
Manually making a cup of coffee takes a while. Employees would prefer not to spend a big part of their coffee break just waiting to make the coffee. This is why offices often get coffee machines for their kitchens. They allow employees to make a quick cup of tasty coffee before getting back to work. Outright buying a coffee machine might be a bit of an unnecessary expense for some offices. This is why a lot of offices opt for on loan commercial coffee machines instead. This allows them to choose the coffee machine of their liking without investing too many funds into it.
Compact storage solutions
Every office has to make the most of the space that they have. It’s a limited resource that must be allocated carefully. There’s no need to waste space on inefficient storage solutions. Modern offices need extra space to introduce interesting rooms and features to their workspace. This is why they are coming up with creative storage solutions which use only a minimum amount of space.
A great example would be bookshelves that double as bike storage. They are a practical and simple solution. Keeping a bicycle leaned on a wall in the hallway is going to take up a lot of space. Hanging it from a mount on the wall takes up less room and it’s pretty easy to set up. Not to mention, the amount can double as a bookshelf and hold documents and stacks of paper.
Employee lockers are a great way to reduce the clutter around the office. Briefcases and bags take up a lot of space on the floor and next to employee desks. Instead of having them keep all of their stuff at their desk, you should give them the opportunity to keep some less important things in a locker.
Conclusion
Keeping your office up-to-date with the latest in modern office additions is crucial if you want your employees to feel like they’re part of a modern workspace. The design philosophies that go into the modern office are all about making it a comfortable and active environment. If you introduce some of these changes into your office, you’ll be able to retain employees and keep them happy for quite a while.
Article was written by Stella.Ryne.
