Beyond the visual appeal, there are many things you should be keeping an eye out for when you are designing your new office. For most of human history, we have been unaware of how our environment influences our productivity, our mood, and our thought patterns. Because of advancements made in environmental psychology, we now know how important design is when it comes to creativity, energy levels, and productivity.
Office Design is Important
One of the major goals that come with designing an office space is making sure the environment is satisfying to work in. If it's not you may be losing out on some of your best employees over time. The people who work for you are talented, they need a reason to stay with you and your company over the other companies available to them. On average, someone who works full time will spend one-third of their life at work. If someone has the option to spend one-third of their life somewhere comfortable and somewhere uncomfortable, you can imagine which job they are going to choose.
Furniture That Supports Health and Productivity
Practically, there are things you need to consider as well. The structure of the chairs and the height of desks are two examples of aspects of office design that can influence your employee's health over time. If your employees are suffering from back pain from spending one-third of their time sitting in a position that is bad for their spine, you can expect that the pain is going to affect their ability to focus. At the minimum, you need a chair that feels comfortable, but the desk and computer height are also important. The angle of your computer screen is also something to think about.
Choose Colors With Care
After having chosen the furniture, you need to think about the colors used in your office design. There are dozens of studies that have proven color has an effect on the emotions and mindsets of people. Figure out which mood is most appropriate for the work you will be doing and choose colors accordingly. There are ways to encourage a fast-paced, high-energy, ambitious workspace, and ways to support a calm and collected energy in your office.
Don't Neglect Layout
There are a lot of strange subconscious things that need to be taken into consideration when you're planning the layout of your office. As humans, we've evolved to value survival, which results in us being unable to fully relax if there's some way for something, like a wolf or a poisonous snake, to sneak up on us from behind. We know there's not going to be a wolf in the office, but our programming doesn't. Something like having your back to a wall when you're seated at your desk can produce feelings of calm and therefore focus.
With the psychological and physiological effects of furniture, color, and layout kept in mind, you are well on your way to designing an office space that produces the right mental state for the work you need to get done. Taking into account the emotional wellbeing of yourself, your employees, and your clients when designing an office can have a huge impact on day-to-day productivity.
