Designing Offices for Growth

It’s very easy when you’re starting out in business to imagine it’ll just be the three of you working from hammocks in your tiny, perfect Soho loft. If you need more office space you can just stick a mezzanine in or hold meetings in the local hipster cafe, right?
However, growth inevitably brings with it additional headcount and all manner of ‘stuff’ that cannot be gotten rid of, and so office space should feature heavily in any business plan. The word flexibility is never far from earshot when it comes to talking about business and premises and office space should be no exception.

 Office Design, Growth & Flexibility

When you’re designing your office with growth in mind, it’s important to look at ways in which space can be reconfigured to accommodate differing team sizes. OK, so you may be outsourcing your IT for the foreseeable future but what if that changes? Where are you going to house your eager app developers? Perhaps you only work on small projects at the moment and never need to have more than five people in a room at any given time. When the opportunity for a huge contract lands are you going to say no because you haven’t got enough chairs to seat everybody?At the same time, if it is just you and a few other guys knocking ideas around every morning, you don’t want to be paying for a whole lot of extra office space you may or may not need in the future. This is why it’s important to have a good space plan, one which looks at the potential savings of creating more space earlier on.
Your workplace strategy should reflect your needs now and in the future. Who knows? If you design good workable space early on that you don’t need immediately, you can always rent it out to a like-minded smaller company. It’s crucial to incorporate adaptable, flexible spaces into your present office design. These spaces can be used for ad-hoc meetings or general relaxation areas for existing staff but can also be repurposed as more formal workspace when necessary or for events and presentations.

 Office Furniture

Think carefully about your office furniture too. Once you have invested all your money in your latest technology or spent a fortune on the best talent, it might be tempting to skimp on the furniture budget. But if you go for adaptable shapes (such as desks and seating that fit together in different ways) then you can ensure that however your space grows, your furniture can grow with it. Simply put, don’t buy a huge boardroom table that can only be used for one purpose and only fits in one space. A better option would be modular touchdown benches that can double as project spaces or lunch tables as well as being used to divide spaces.

 Technology & Growth

When you’re planning for growth, it’s also important to ensure your IT will support the kind of work you’re likely to be doing in the future. It’s not always possible but detaching your infrastructure will mean your workforce can be more flexible and if the space changes, the IT setup can change too. Though it’s an up-front cost, investing in mobile devices for staff will mean they – and you – can be more easily moved when the time comes. Future proofing your office design and technology needs with growth in mind is of paramount importance, so if you have growth aspirations, start planning for tomorrow today.

Why company culture should influence office design

To quote Steve Jobs: “Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it's really how it works.”

Office design and office culture are so inextricably bound up that it’s almost remarkable that an office would be designed before a business moves into it. It’s no coincidence that memorable companies also have memorable premises (think of Google and you think of Google HQ, think of Innocent and you think of Fruit Towers). An organisation’s culture does and should impact office design and its culture should manifest itself through design.

But this culture doesn’t have to mean a super-trendy tech start-up manifesto or a beards-for-all philosophy. The notion of culture encompasses everything from processes to work practices and flows and interactions between teams. The crucial thing is that how a company works is reflected in where it works. If your teams constantly communicate, work with each other and there is a constant interaction, it makes no sense to have tiny cupboards separating everyone. Similarly, if your organisation is carefully and deliberately siloed, then you don’t want a large, open-plan space where nobody can get a moment’s peace or there is no privacy. If you have a workspace that just about fits your staff and their desks but you have to leave the premises to do the work you’re renowned for, then that culture gets eroded.

Hi Design knows this and works hard to understand the culture and objectives of our clients before the design process has begun. In many cases, our workplace consultants will gain a deep understanding of your business, from its needs and goals, to its people, culture, existing systems, policies and technology. We monitor how your current space is being used as this helps us to fully understand the needs of the business and also reveals important data about how much and why a particular space is being used.

In-depth interviews with key stakeholders determine a company’s needs from the perspective of its leaders. These conversations, along with staff surveys, help build a picture of what employees want from an office and how they work. This also builds an accurate picture of future needs and overall vision, crucial for effective office design. Putting employees at the centre of workplace design means the space will inevitably work better for them.

It may seem obvious but it’s surprising how many companies don’t bear this in mind when choosing a new workplace for their staff. Of course, cost is a factor but designing a workplace based just on affordability can have enormous repercussions in the long term. We know that the work environment can affect employee wellbeing and also staff retention, we know that workplace design affects staff satisfaction and we know that staff satisfaction affects profits. Designing your workplace to reflect company culture, company vision and staff behaviour will not only make your life easier but will boost your bottom line.

What the home can teach us about office design

For many people, the home is the place where we spend most of our time. It is a place designed or chosen by us, for us, to meet our many needs. Second to the home, the workplace is the most common place for us to spend our time, but for many that space is imposed upon them, providing a one-size-fits-all location for all people to accomplish all tasks. It’s no surprise that people are starting to hit back at open-plan office design and choosing to take advantage of mobile technologies that allow them to work remotely and from home.

Whilst studies have shown that working from home can boost productivity or make employees happier, it may actually inhibit collaboration, learning and sharing of ideas. Businesses are continually battling this conundrum of productivity versus collaboration with companies like Yahoo famously banning home working in 2013 to mixed reception. Perhaps the answer to this problem is to create a working environment that encourages the productivity and happiness of being at home whilst in an office? With this in mind we look at what the home can teach us about office design.

A Space for Everything

The home is made up of a series of spaces designed for specific activities. You wouldn’t cook your dinner in the bedroom or sleep in the bathroom. Similarly, the office should be designed to accommodate quiet spaces for independent working, open spaces for interaction, break out spaces for people to take a break or have an informal meeting that doesn’t interrupt others.

Also, not everyone wants to work at a desk. How many people prefer to curl up on a sofa when working from home rather than sit at a desk or table? This ‘Activity-Based Working’ approach provides people with a variety of workspaces so they can choose the environment that best suits their task or mood, thus helping them to be more productive. And by providing choice and autonomy over their work, people will be happier, more engaged and consequently, more productive.

Let There Be Light

There are is no doubt that access to natural light in the workplace benefits not only work but also employee wellbeing. We need only look to a typical British home to understand the importance of natural light to people. We would rarely choose to have a living space in the home without access to daylight – so why should the workplace be any different?

The Heart of the Workplace

The kitchen has traditionally been viewed as the ‘heart of the home’ but now it’s increasingly being viewed as the heart of the workplace. They say people come together over food, and having a communal space to prepare and eat food encourages relationships, collaboration and serendipitous interactions. These in turn can all help to fuel ideas and innovations – a valuable commodity in the modern business world. It is also a place to work away from your primary workspace and to refuel your body and mind. It is important to remember that when you rest your mind, concentration is improved and creativity can flourish

A Softer Touch

Office design is about more than just desk space and floor plans, and we are seeing a growing trend for offices designed with a more homely feel. Break out spaces now have comfy sofas, cool rugs, cushions and soft lighting. By creating a more comfortable, ‘homey’ space at work you can replicate the benefits of being at home whilst bringing people into the office.

Financial Benefits – The Bottom Line

The two biggest cost centre’s for any businesses are people and property. Attracting the very best talent is critical to overall success and increasingly we are seeing office spaces being used as a tool to attract and retain this talent. People want to work in a nice environment with the best available tools to complete their work so investing to create a space where people want to work can reap dividends.

This can lead to greater staff retention that will not only lessen recruitment costs but may also lead to increased productivity, decreased absenteeism and the development of a reputation as a great place to work, making it easier to recruit.

There are a lot of things the home can teach us about office design but the main lesson is of choice. When people can choose their homes and surroundings they will be happier, more satisfied, and want to spend time there. And the workplace is the same. If you give people the opportunity to work in a comfortable, flexible space of their choosing, you can create a positive, productive workplace for everyone.

How we can help you reflect your brand into your office interior

Have you ever considered the role that your office interior plays in the brand image of your company? As one of the leading office refurbishment companies in Birmingham, we've seen offices at both ends of the spectrum – those with interiors that really resonate with their brand, and those that are little more than functional spaces in which to get work done.

Don’t get us wrong – functional is good. In fact, it’s absolutely necessary. But there’s also much to be said for a company that knows how to communicate its values with the world through well-branded touch-points.

Get to Know Your Brand

Your brand is a living, breathing entity. If defines who you are as a company, and how you would like to be perceived by others. With that in mind, good branding is really about authenticity – about understanding your company and the role it plays in the market.

It’s important to recognise the role that authenticity plays in the success of your company. There is plenty of research suggesting that consumers are thirsty for authentic brands with a strong social purpose. This trend is growing as well, perhaps due in part to the increasingly virtual state of our business affairs. With so much buying and selling taking place over what are essentially anonymous channels such as the Internet, people are eager to find and connect with a brand that they feel genuine and authentic.

In order to appear authentic to customers, your company needs to internalise its brand – make it part of the fibre of its being. When you really succeed at this, your target customers will take notice. They’ll appreciate your company for being true to itself, and for being honest to them.

Opposite this, it’s important not to underestimate your audience’s ability to sniff out authenticity. If your advertised brand says one thing about the company, while its products, representatives and other markers say another, the public is going to smell a rat. And these days, with the speed at which information travels over social media and other online channels, the tides of public favour can change seemingly overnight.

Interior Design as a Branded Touch-point

Your office’s interior design is one of several branded touch-points through which others interact with the company. The colours they see, they textures they feel and their experience when passing through this physical space all contribute to an overall impression of your company.

Most of us readily accept the role that product packaging plays in a brand. A prime example of this is Amazon’s ‘frustration-free packaging’, which is designed to allow customers to open their parcels with minimal fuss and without the so-called ‘wrap rage’ that too much packaging incites.

This branded campaign has become so successful now, that the act of unboxing something ordered online is practically a rite of passage. These days, video reviews of products that are available online inevitably include some ceremonious unboxing, during which the reviewer comments on the order of assembly, the location of various parts or the overall ease of getting started with the new product.

This is a prime example of a branded touch-point – be it an experience, physical feature or interaction – that makes a real impression on customers. By the same token, your office’s design is a form of branded packaging. Just as the act of unboxing a product can reflect on the company that packed it to begin with, interacting with an office space can reflect on the company that inhabits it.

Branding Your Office Interior

Of course, accepting the need to extend branding to your office’s interior is one thing. But actually making that happen is quite another. However, an experienced office refurbishment company will be able to help you with this endeavour – whether that means consulting with you on a primary basis or referring you to an interior designer who specialises in branded spaces.
Along those lines, here a few tips for how to go about branding your office interior:

Begin with the obvious

Your company logo, mission statement and other brand icons are an obvious place to start. These elements play an inevitable, front-and-centre role in the company’s identity, and they’re certainly going to be present in a well-branded office space. Just understand that there’s much more to be done in addition to this.

Think about colours

If your company already has a strong brand image, then there are certainly one or two brand colours associated with it. If this is not the case, then you may want to start by hiring a brand consultant to help flesh out these matters. Your brand colours should be present in the workspace – though they don’t need to be dominant. Instead, look for opportunities to use theses colours as accents. Say, for example, yellow is a prominent colour for your brand, a bit of yellow trim or a bouquet of yellow flowers on the welcome desk will be much more effective than, say, painting the walls yellow.

Move on to more abstract concepts

Your brand colours simplify the decision-making process when it comes to painting, upholstering and decorating, but what about the even less tangible aspects of your brand? Here are a few questions to consider:

What are your company’s values?
What characteristics or personality traits describe it?
What do others think of in relation to your company?
How would you like customers to feel (beyond ‘happy’ or ‘contented’) when they interact with your brand?

The answers to these questions may guide you to some important interior design decisions. For example, a firm that views itself as ecologically friendly may use recycled materials for some of its interior furnishings. Or a fun-loving company may stock its reception area with puzzles or games. Both examples reinforce brand traits.

Office Interiors that Are True to Your Brand

If you’re interested in updating your office interior in order to bring it more in line with the company brand and culture, feel free to contact us. Our extensive experience as office refurbishment means we’re well-equipped to help create a space that resonates with your brand culture.