Office Design Trends: Productivity, Health, and Happiness
The way we work is changing, and what employees want in a workplace is changing. Today, encouraging your employees best work is not so much about salary, benefits, and job security – it’s about the office environment they spend the majority of their week in.
WDI Group is here to help with 4 office interior design tips that will help boost productivity, health, and happiness in your workplace.
Office design trend 1
Movement
In today’s modern office world typically our fingers get more of a workout then what our bodies do. So much so that we can spend an entire day sitting, working away on this device to the next. Our bodies are not meant to be sitting endlessly day in, day out. In fact, in a study by Jack P. Callaghan, PhD, he found that employees long term goal should be to stand more then they sit in a day.
You might be asking why movement is so important in a work space? Easy, not only does the physical activity help with posture, but it’s also a vital ingredient for collaboration. Employees feel more alert after they take a walk, or have an insightful conversation with a colleague. These types of positive interactions can outweigh any negative feelings about a workplace and improve overall happiness.
Office design trend 2
Flexible Layouts
The modern workforce is no longer static. With the rise of remote workers and the growth rate of startups, flexible design is a crucial element. One of the best ways to incorporate this office design trend into your office space is to obviously have spaces that are not static. For example, have things like standing desks, movable walls, and areas that can serve as meetings rooms and lounges. This can also help you redesign your office space as you expand. Keep employee wellness at the front of mind and create privacy as needed. A perfect example of this is Red Bull’s head office. Their entire layout is like a giant lounge, and their reception area can be transformed into an after-hours bar, for a trendy place for workers to wind down after a long day in the office.Office design trend 3
Health
When health and well being of employees are central to office design; productivity, health, and overall happiness increase. Besides promoting a healthy lifestyle, opting for nutrient-rich office snacks, or encouraging walk & talk meetings, one of the best things to put in place for the biggest impact is sit-stand desks. By standing and changing positions, people get a boost of energy, reduce back pain, and improve their posture. You can take health to the next level if your office has a cafeteria, by labeling all the ingredients by nutritional value. Now, this might not seem like a revolutionary idea, but it makes a difference during a moment of mindless snacking. By helping your employees make healthier decisions, your business benefits with reduced absenteeism and more productive energy.
Office design trend 4
Nature
With the typical work day being 8 hours we are deprived of natural elements for a majority of the day. Biophillia, our impulse to connect to nature, increases productivity by 15%. There are also several other studies that have shown plants boost cognition and improve our overall health.
A perfect example of this is tech giant Apple, they designed an “apple park”. They’ve built their office around a central park that is speckled with over 10,000 trees. Employees get tons of natural light, and lots of green around them to help boost their productivity, health, and happiness.
How is your business using office design to help keep employees happy, productive, and healthy?
