Not many people associate office design with productivity. It seems that the two aren't connected in any way. Productivity depends on the management, the market or the workforce; nobody ever earned a fortune because the walls of his business were painted in a certain color. In reality, this claim is only partially true.
Real businessmen and entrepreneurs know that every little detail can make or break their franchise. Interior design is therefore definitely a factor in the development of any business and the failure to acknowledge it can lead to all sorts of trouble. If you want to improve your office design and see how it will affect your company's day to day operations, we have compiled a list of 5 interior design ideas that are aimed precisely at raising productivity levels.
However, be aware that none of these ideas affect productivity directly, but they require time to show their benefits to the employees and their efficiency.
The lighting
Employers care little for lighting in the office and they simply leave it as it is. If they rent space with bad lighting, they are likely not to complain to the owner to introduce better lighting. However, failure to invest into lighting could backfire on them. Lighting affects not only our mood but productivity as well.
People who work in poorly lit rooms cannot be expected to produce excellent results. That is why during the daytime, shutters and curtains should always be raised to let plenty of natural light in. When night falls, be sure that over the heads of your employees the best possible light bulbs are installed. Also, if an individual expresses the desire to have a desktop lamp, provide one for them. Don't let the people your profit depends on struggle and ultimately develop fatigue, eyestrain, and even headaches.
Air quality and the temperature
It seems trivial to state, but the human brain needs plenty of oxygen to think clearly. If your office space is stuffy, not ventilated enough or full of cigarette smoke, then you're not doing things right. The air inside the office should be as fresh as possible. Since this is not achieved by means of an open window, installing a good ducting system is a must.
It will circulate fresh outside air evenly throughout the room so each employee can get enough oxygen. This system should be cleaned regularly, as well as the AC, that comes in handy during the hottest of days in the year. Air filters and air fresheners are also a neat solution for offices located in polluted urban areas where air quality is generally poor.
It is better to sleep in a cold room than in a warm room. Since work is the exact opposite of sleep, the exact opposite goes for office air temperatures. Workers should describe the temperature inside the office as "warm", since that is the ideal condition for them to work in. Be sure to manage the thermostat well and maintain a pleasantly warm temperature throughout the working day.
Also, turn the heating on at least one hour before the employees come to work in the morning to warm up the room. During the night walls give out the heat they have accumulated the previous day so it takes longer to reheat the office.
Planting plants
When discussing air quality, the best measure you can undertake is to introduce plants into office space. They will purify the air in the most natural of ways. In addition, they pump in vast amounts of oxygen. If they desire so, every employee can be provided with a potted plant of his or her choice to place on their desk.
A bold interior design idea that more and more companies are adopting is growing a full-scale garden inside the office. The benefits are tremendous and save the time and effort for the upkeep. Employees who are green thumbs can be equipped with good quality garden accessories and they can tend to the garden in their own free time. This measure would count as a leisure activity for them since not all employees are happy with lazy bags or free snacks in the office.
Reducing the noise levels
Whether the noise is coming from inside the office or from the outside, it is a major distraction for the workers. They cannot focus on the tasks beforehand and when exposed to noise over longer periods, their stress levels go through the roof. That is why soundproofing the office is important, so no outside noise can disturb your employees. For the noise originating from inside the office, noise cancellation headphones are a good solution. Workers can choose the tune they like working to. Another solution is to introduce ambient music that would relax everybody.
The color palette
The world that surrounds us is full of different colors. Studies have shown that the color green is restful for the eyes and that it can even improve vision. The color blue is traditionally associated with boosting productivity levels. That is the reason behind many offices being painted blue.
However, the office should be a place designed for the employees and their wishes and preferences should take center stage. This is true for colors as well. If they do not ask for a particular color of the walls and the ceiling, you can always go with the neutral ones, such as white or grey. Walls and posting boards can be adorned with multi-colored sticky notes or posters.
Each employee can choose the color of their table as they can bring stuff from home. Some will turn it into a pink paradise and some will put every single color on their desk. Always support the choices of your employees and offer to help.
Conclusion
All in all, we hope that by now you realize how office design affects productivity, mainly through the workforce. If people work in damp, poorly lit rooms without enough oxygen, how on Earth can they be expected to produce excellence? By taking into account all 5 factors listed here while designing your office, you ensure that interior design will work to your benefits and not against your business interests.
Guest Author
Mia Johnson is a freelance writer with a ten-year long career in journalism. She has written extensively about health, fitness, and lifestyle. A native to Melbourn, she now lives in Sidney with her 3 dogs where she spends her days writing and taking care of her 900 square feet garden.