When it comes to business remodeling, some owners may feel that keeping up with trends in office design is unnecessary because looks don’t matter. But the truth is that there’s a clear link between how an office is designed and how productive employees are while in the space.
In order to maximize employee productivity, company owners should consider incorporating the following trends into their business remodeling plan:
- Biophilic Design
The big buzzword for office design in 2018 is “biophilic.” Biophilic design is all about incorporating elements of the natural world into your office space. This can be done by bringing in more natural light, creating a living wall, adding water fountains, and using furniture made from organic materials instead of plastic.
Making these types of changes during your business remodeling can have a positive impact on your company. As this study shows, bringing natural elements into the office will improve your employees’ productivity, creativity and sense of well-being.
These dramatic results are possible because biophilic design taps into humans’ innate connection with the natural world, which lifts their mood and makes them feel more energized. And don’t forget to dress-up your business remodeling by planning for greenery with indoor plants as found at our friends from A New Leaf.
- Design that Encourages Collaboration
In recent years, companies have started to appreciate the value of collaboration. Managers are discovering that when employees have a chance to interact regularly, especially with co-workers from other departments, creativity, connection, productivity, and innovation all improve.
Current business remodeling trends in South Carolina reflect these new findings. Companies are now starting to include more spaces designed to allow employees to work together in their office renovation. Instead of using partitions to keep co-workers separated, businesses are setting up communal areas including cozy lounges, small meeting spaces, etc.
- Activity-Based Design
Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all offices. The cubicle has long been out of fashion, and for good reason; managers have learned that their employees need different types of spaces to efficiently complete a wide variety of tasks.
Say, for instance, that a team needs to have a brainstorming session. Do they gather around one co-worker’s desk and risk disrupting others nearby? Or does their small group of four take up space in a large meeting room?
With activity-based design, there would be a station deliberately designed for this task. There could be a small comfortable alcove with a smartboard that allows the group a somewhat private place to strategize.
That’s the idea behind activity-based design, which is one of the hottest trends in office remodeling. Employees are no longer expected to stay at their desks for the duration of the workday. Instead, the office layout is configured based on the types of activities that employees usually engage in and they go to the space that best meets their needs.
- Integrated Technology
There have been a lot of changes in the workplace over the past decade or so, especially when it comes to technology. Technology is now an integral part of the modern workplace. Can you imagine trying to do your job well without using a computer, tablet, cloud computing, productivity software, etc.?
Since technology is such an essential part of productivity in the workplace, it needs to be easily accessed and utilized. No one wants to waste time fumbling around with tech that’s outdated and cumbersome. Imagine how frustrating it would be if you couldn’t easily display the contents of your device, share documents with a co-worker, or find for an outlet to plug your laptop into. Check out this New York Times article that shows just how progressive office design and technology have become.
That’s why integrated technology is currently one of the most popular trends in South Carolina business remodeling. The easier it is for employees to set up and use technology in the workplace, the more productive they become.
Why Business Remodeling Trends Matter
A lot of people have a tendency to just think about aesthetics when the topic of office design comes up. As you can see, there’s much more to these design trends than just the way an office looks.
The business remodeling trends we’ve discussed have very little to do with aesthetics, but are focused primarily on getting results. Incorporating an office design that includes natural elements, fosters collaboration, provides different types of spaces, and makes technology easy to use will lead to a workforce that’s happier, more creative, and much more productive.