4 Questions You Need to Ask Before Your Next Office Redesign

Before undertaking any redesign in the workplace, no matter how big or how small, it is important to know exactly what you wish to achieve with your office overhaul. Even then, whether your main objective is to utilise space more effectively or to bring the look of your workplace bang up to date, there will be several questions to answer before any work should begin. 1. What should my workplace say about my business? Modern office design dictates that your workplace should reflect your key values. For example, if your business relies on inclusiveness and collaboration, then larger, open-plan spaces will be key to both achieving goals and reflecting your business ethos. Likewise, if your business offers clients privacy, it is likely that you will want a much more closed layout, allowing confidentiality and ensuring a quieter, more personal workspace for employees to carry out their day to day work. 2. How can I best utilise space? The way your office is designed will need to directly relate to the number of staff you need to accommodate and the amount of space you have to do just that. If you have very little floor space to deal with, you may need to consider utilising cubicles if your employees need peace or privacy, or making the most of collaborative set-ups such as pod working if they need to work together regularly. If you know you are likely to have a good deal of extra space available, ask how that additional square footage can best be utilised. Will your employees benefit from extra personal space, or will it make more sense to dedicate a certain amount of the workplace to enabling staff to unwind more effectively? 3. How much flexibility do I need? Will each member of your workforce be performing the exact same tasks day in and day out or will you need to allow them to adapt to different working methods? Unless your employees only ever need their own space and always work alone, it might be wise to consider how much collaborative space or private space you need to offer in your workplace. If your offices are open plan it might be useful to offer private areas to allow individuals privacy or peace and quiet when needed, while those businesses whose employees predominantly work apart from each other may find that areas dedicated to collaboration are still needed for specific projects. For a number of companies the best solution will be modular working, an option that gives businesses the ability to change the layout of their office quickly, effectively and aesthetically, as needs change from day to day or week to week. 4. Should my offices be green? No matter what colour scheme you opt for, green can be important for businesses across the board. Promoting your use of environmentally-friendly solutions can attract both staff and clients alike, while over time dramatically decreasing overheads for a business. From making the most of natural light within the workplace to utilising smart solutions that better control how warm or illuminated a workspace is, a workforce may be more comfortable and a business more profitable if owners think green before they undertake a workplace redesign.