How To Improve Your Office Space

Do you find it depressing how much time you spend in the office each day? It’s important to create a comfortable yet productive environment for your employees. A happy workplace equals happy workers after all.

You might want to consider how best to utilise the space you have in your office. It doesn’t matter the size of the space but it’s important you make the most of what you have. An office doesn’t have to be depressing, bleak and uninspiring. There are ways to turn your office into a positive and productive workplace in which you and your colleagues will enjoy spending your time in.

There are a few changes you can make around your office which will have a noticeable impact on your working environment. Here’s how…

Assess your current space

Take a look at your current workspace and at how the office is being used. Things to look out for are if a certain area is always empty or an area is constantly full. These are tell-tale signs that the space is not being used efficiently. It may just be that you need to switch a few desks around or move the printer to a different location.

If there is equipment that is being left untouched and others that people are queuing for then chances are you could be making better use of your equipment. Try trading in the unused equipment for the equipment that is more in demand.

If you’re pushed for space, you should consider your storage options. Go for tall cabinets and corner units to give you more floor space. Instead of desks, use ‘benching’ as it takes up less room giving more storage space underneath. It's a more cost-effective method for creating space.

To avoid your office feeling claustrophobic and closed in, you should use bright and light colours around the workplace. Dark colours will only make your office seem smaller and give a gloomy effect.

Seating plan

A lot of the time, your employees will not be sat in the best possible place in terms of productivity. For example, a manager should sit within easy reach of their employees so that they can keep an eye on them and troubleshoot any problems quickly. It may sound like a minor factor, but the seating plan in an office can make or break the successful working relationships that are formed in the workplace.

Ask your employees

Seeing as it’s your employees that have to spend most of their day in the office, it’s worth asking them directly what they would like to change about the office. Each person will have a different answer depending on where they are situated. Although you want to take everyone’s demands into consideration, you will need to be realistic when dealing with each individual’s requests. Not everyone will be happy with your redesign so compromise and understanding is needed.

Goals

As there will probably be quite a few changes that need to be made, you might want to set a list of goals so that they can be prioritised. These can be the main changes that you want to implement and which will have the biggest impact on your office. Things you will need to think about are productivity, collaboration and use of office space.

Image

Remember, your office should also represent your company’s image. If you have clients coming to visit, the last thing you want is for them to see an untidy and unorganised office. Impress them with a vibrant and professional workspace.

Additional features

A coffee machine can help up productivity in the workplace and will enable your employees to get their caffeine fix without having to leave the office.
Having an area where your employees can sit down and eat or take a break could also prove beneficial. You could include sofas and a water machine. Your employees will feel more comfortable around the workplace and will not be desperate to escape at every given opportunity.
If you don’t have any natural light in your office then invest in some effective lighting which avoids being harsh and spreads the light around the room. Plants will also help brighten up the office bringing an element of the outdoors inside.
Posters and whiteboards on the wall add dimension to the office. It means your employees are less likely to drive themselves crazy by looking at blank walls all day. Whiteboards can also be used to motivate and set reminders.

Here are some examples of creative and inspiring offices:

Now that you're feeling all inspired, how about having a go at creating your own website...

How to improve your office space