Designing for change

The concept designing for workplace change is simple. Create a more pleasant space, integrate features that influence innovative work practices, ensure your staff enjoy being at work and feel appreciative of their workplace fit. Consequently employees are more motivated to perform.

A recent survey by the International Interior Design Association found a direct correlation between office design and the bottom line of an organisation.

So what design decisions can you integrate into your new workplace design or refurbishment project that will help you to influence positive workplace change and more effective ways of working.

Creating neighbourhoods for better productivity

When thinking about your office interior refurbishment think of the layout in terms of ‘neighbourhoods.’ Neighbourhoods are areas where workers with similar needs are accommodated.

Carefully consider how each department is spread amongst your floor plan, allowing those who need to collaborate to be close by to each other.

Furthermore by positioning work stations, collaborating groups and equipment in logical locations each employee can save a few seconds or even minutes on everyday tasks.

Create better communication flows through hot-desking

While the concept of workplace change in the form of hot-desking might seem scary, in workplaces where collaboration is key, hot-desking allows project teams to come together and work on projects together for the duration of the project. Thus allowing for easier flows of communication.

It can also help to improve your workplace culture by allowing departments to mix, helping employees learn what others around them do. Building on understanding the company wide goals and realising how each team can help one another.

Additionally hot-desking can result in cost reductions in space, having said to reduce space requirements by up to 30% in some instances.

Create accountability through open plan environments

Issues concerned around work ethic can often be ironed out by introducing more open plan ways of working.

Not only does this allow the employer greater control and insight in the way their team is working but creates an air of accountability. Given the simple fact everyone can see one another. By bringing the office walls down in a workplace the space gets filled with accountability.

In a workforce where people work autonomously the concept translates – when surrounded by hard-working people, most will change their ways of work and perform better.

It also eliminates opportunity for other distractions such as social media or phone calls to take place. In an environment where people can see all and hear all, your staff should become more conscious of their outputs.