Commercial Office Design to Inspire Your Staff

The right commercial office design can help increase productivity and help your company to make a great impression on clients. Improved design makes an office look better, improves staff creativity and wellbeing and makes people enjoy working for you.

We're happy to support you with making the big changes - here are some great ideas to get you thinking:

Some changes make the work environment more aesthetically pleasing:

Biophilic design means using nature to improve the office environment for staff wellbeing. Plants are always pleasing. They can also be used to reduce background noise in a busy office environment. Natural materials of all kinds make us feel better and less stressed. Potted plants can be hung up, or you can even create a wall of greenery. A tank of fish in waiting areas has a calming effect.

Some design changes also help improve health:

Create a layout that encourages movement

The human body is designed to move, and being still too long is a health risk. Traditionally, office designs have neglected this. Our physical and mental health is helped by movement, as well as our circulation. Regular, frequent, movement also gives us more energy and reduces stress.

Installing ergonomic furniture, like desks where you can sit or stand, encourages us to change position (every 30 minutes is recommended). Company culture also plays a role; we can change our habits in ways that make us move around more. Some companies even include walks or exercises to help improve staff health.

Try changing the old staff kitchen into a more elegant "work café."

The necessary technology, and suitable places to use it, are also important. Technology that adapts easily to each worker's needs, and is also sustainable, will be the most popular. It's always worth consulting those who will be using the equipment before purchasing, through a staff survey or informal chats with a number of staff.

Comfortable furniture encourages relaxation. Less obvious technology might suit these circumstances better, but some workers prefer to work on while they drink their coffee so they will need power points. A quick survey will show how to organise this space to suit everyone.

Such "People First" approaches encourage bonding between staff members and with the company culture. This increases opportunities for innovation and problem-solving. Most of these changes are relatively inexpensive and easy to make, and the results will be worthwhile.