Innovations are certainly a large aspect of modern office design. Yet, there’s no point in introducing a new office design element that doesn’t boost employee morale, performance, or help your company increase revenue. Below, we’ve listed the six most important principles of modern office design. While there are a myriad of modern office design techniques, these are the ones all business owners should prioritize.
One of the key principles of modern office design is actually quite ancient: letting in some sunlight! There are a few reasons why this is a smart move.
The first is that natural light illuminates a much wider color spectrum than regular light bulbs. This reduces eye-strain and can make your employees more alert, which not only makes them feel better, but boosts productivity and reduces errors.
What’s more, natural light is, of course, free. Considering that utility costs are only going to rise in the future, planning for more natural light can be a shrewd investment. With this being said, it’s important to have suitable wall coverings so that employees can decide when they want to let the sunshine in and when they don’t.
A prevailing trend in modern office design is flexibility. Professionals love workstations that can play multiple roles –– in large part because they themselves cover a wide range responsibilities. If you ask your employees to complete a diverse array of tasks, then it may be a wise play to prioritize versatility in your office design. You can achieve this by investing in tables and chairs that are easily movable, setting up semi-private work areas, and installing a number of tech-friendly outlets throughout your office.
What does an eco-friendly office look like? In truth, there is no set template for green office design. Rather, business owners across industries can incorporate eco-friendly interior elements within their larger theme. Still, making a few eco-friendly decisions could help a business improve its reputation, win points with employees, save money, and –– of course –– do some good for the environment at the same time.
At one point, the open office design was the “hot option” for business owners who wanted to boost collaboration within the workspace. However, office design has evolved since that time and has become more nuanced. Now, there are multiple ways to encourage collaboration without knocking down all the walls in a workspace. Setting up conjoined desks, removing assigned seating, and creating spaces for smaller “squads” of employees to gather and work are all effective methods to improve group productivity.
Some offices are truly eye-catching in the sense that they employ a bright, neon-tinted color palette. Obviously, this is one way to draw the eye and influence mood, but managers can often produce the same (or similar) effect by integrating compelling artwork into their workspace. In addition, natural light and plants are both cost-efficient measures to invigorate to a drab office atmosphere.
The last key principle of modern office design is simple to understand, but often takes some planning and investment to implement: getting organized.
Indeed, the days of frenetic, messy offices (think old-school newspaper publishers) are long gone. Today’s most efficient and profitable workplaces are a model of clarity and cleanliness. Yes, things can get chaotic. But it’s the kind of “organized chaos” that one sees in hospital emergency departments or air-traffic control towers.
From a design perspective, getting –– and staying –– organized typically involves optimizing traffic flows and deploying furniture and equipment that maximizes space utilization. Light, modular furniture in particular is often part of the plan, since it can be moved or re-purposed as required.
It’s entirely possible for professionals to spend more time at their desk than in their own living room during the course of a regular work week. Still, the harsh truth is few modern workstations boast the amenities, tools, and tech that employees need to operate at their best. What’s more, a poor desk setup can have a major negative impact on mood and productivity. To combat some typical workstation woes, check out these four awesome ideas to upgrade your desk situation ASAP:
It doesn’t cost any money to untangle a mess of wires running around your desk or to utilize some free space under your workstation for file storage. Individuals working in small office spaces can maximize their workstation’s capabilities simply by taking the time to get organized and reduce the clutter in or around their desks.
Ergonomic furniture and fixtures are a godsend to modern employees. It’s unhealthy to sit for long periods of time (like eight hours in a row, for example) so innovations like sit-to-stand desks can do wonders for your staff’s mood and efficiency levels. Never underestimate the value of a solid piece of furniture!
Some workstations function as single-person desks. However, more and more professionals share workstations and tackle projects together. As such, it’s often a good idea to invest in some features to help facilitate teamwork like a whiteboard, smart-board, projection screen, or multiple monitors. Plus, purchasing desks that can expand into larger tables is a great way to encourage creative collaboration among your ranks.
As noted above, modern professionals spend a lot of time working at their desk. With that in mind, it’s key for progressive business owners to give their team members the opportunity to personalize their workstations in meaningful ways. We’ve come a long way from the days of uniform rows of cubicles, so let your employees express themselves. You’ll be amazed at how a few little changes can alter an entire office atmosphere for the better.
One of the best ways to get the creative juices flowing is to see how other companies have handled modern renovation projects. You can learn a lot about your office –– and good office layout practice in general –– by studying some professional examples. If you’ve been struggling to come up with a few modern office design ideas for your company, give this gallery a look:
Stylish, sleek, but not over-the-top, Univision’s office strikes a balance between old-school professionalism and new-school media. Keep in mind that your office design can either work for or against you –– depending on how well it aligns with your values.
How your office looks like on the outside is just as important as the interior design. Remember, a well maintained facade can make a great impression for your company.
Light and transparency are essential to creating an office atmosphere your employees will love. Introducing lots of natural light, then, is often a fantastic way to boost productivity and create an environment conducive to exciting work.
The best modern offices boast amenities that not only gel with the rest of the workspace, but also help team members feel at ease and cut down on stress. Break rooms and kitchen areas should let your staff unwind and enjoy themselves for a moment.
Professionals in the medical field often face an uphill battle when designing their workspace. That’s because unlike other businesses that can focus solely on creating offices that maximize productivity, medical facilities need to take more factors into account. For one, medical offices need to accommodate any number of patients, as well as other visitors to the facility.
Additionally, medical facilities have to provide an intuitive layout and offer certain creature comforts that have become the norm in our modern society. And of course, good medical office design should boost employee engagement and productivity levels. In short, it takes a lot of planning, foresight, and experience to strike the right balance in a medical workspace renovation. To that end, here are three essential elements to effective modern medical office design:
When most people think about a clinic, they’re probably more likely to picture cold, metallic decor and beige hallways lit by fluorescent bulbs than wooden interiors and plentiful sunlight. Yet, there are many reasons why those in the medical community would be well served to incorporate more natural elements into their facilities’ overall design. Not only will natural design choices like large windows and fish tanks ease visitor concerns, but they’ll also satiate your team members’ innate desire to embrace nature. In fact, simply purchasing a few plants for your office spaces can improve productivity and well-being among staff.
It’s no surprise that most people visiting a clinic value their privacy. After all, no one wants to share their medical issues with others, and they certainly don’t want to feel cramped in a waiting room. As such, many medical facilities are now designed using greater amounts of space and a good number also designate unique areas for “examination,” and “consultation.” By dividing their office in this way, medical professionals can offer their visitors greater privacy and allow team members to move from department to department as needed.
Clinics, like workplaces across industries, function better when designed with the aim of increasing efficiency. “Efficiency,” can mean a great many things, though. Obviously, energy-efficient solutions are climate-conscious choices that can also cut costs at the same time. In a larger sense, however, efficient office design should also strive to reduce any unnecessary rooms or spaces. In order to ensure a clinic is built with maximum efficiency, designers should collaborate with medical professionals when forming initial concepts. By working closely together, they can arrive at ideal solutions to design problems.
As we discussed in the previous section, modern medical facilities differ both from their predecessors and modern “corporate offices.” Dental offices in particular must be both welcoming and warm, while also maintaining an air of professionalism. However, before you start exploring furniture catalogs and looking at color samples, it’s important to take a step back and focus on four fundamental aspects that will help you create a modern, impressive, and profitable dental clinic:
The first step to building a better dental facility is to determine your clinic’s goals and objectives. Do you want to improve the waiting area with respect to size, comfort, aesthetics –– or possibly all three? Or perhaps you want to improve lighting and airflow, which can bolster team morale and assist with recruitment and retention.
Regardless of your unique requirements, the advice here is to start by identifying your goals before jumping head-first into issues like color schemes, materials, styles, and so on. Even though that is a creative and fun process, your business goals should drive your design and renovation: not the other way around.
Space utilization does not mean that you have to use every bit of available space for a functional purpose, such as storing files or housing equipment. On the contrary, the most successful modern dental clinics strategically and tactically avoid over-saturating the environment with “stuff,” since this can impede employee efficiency. Plus it can be an eyesore for patients!
Ultimately, it’s best to keep space utilization top-of-mind when thinking about and planning your modern dental clinic renovation. Both the space you use and the space you don’t use should be a deliberate decision, rather something that “just is that way” by default.
Dentists need to realize that their patients likely have busy schedules and need to be able to work and keep in touch with contacts even while they’re in your waiting room. That’s why fast and reliable WiFi, extra appliance chargers, and numerous outlets are a must for any forward-thinking medical office.
Making design choices that reflect your current clientele –– or the type of customer you’d like to attract –– is a sound design practice for dentists to follow.
For example, if you’re aiming to boost your patient roster with young families, then shifting toward a more relaxed, fun look and feel may be the right concept to implement. Or, if you’re looking to onboard more executives in search of cosmetic dentistry solutions, then adopting a sharper, more sophisticated vibe may be the way to go.
Essentially, you want to look at your dental clinic through the eyes of your target patients. What do you want them to see, think, and feel? The answers will help you make better, smarter design decisions that are based on objective analysis, rather than subjective preference.
In terms of interior design choices, modern business owners have an overwhelming amount of options at their disposal. One one hand, this is obviously a good thing. But it also raises a lot of questions and concerns about how to best create a modern workspace. Is an ideal office setup trendy or classic? High-tech or traditional? Creative or comfortable? The reality is, only you know which design style is best for your business because your company is unique. Indeed, perhaps the biggest mistake entrepreneurs can make in regard to interior design is accepting a boilerplate concept for their office space. Rather than settling for one of a number of cookie-cutter workspace layout plans, make sure to create an office that suits your unique needs and specifications. Contact the Key Interiors team today to see how we can help you complete the office renovation of your dreams! We’ll work with you every step of the way to create the perfect design for your workspace.
Opting for an office renovation is a big decision, and it’s one that business owners should consider seriously before they take action. Office renovations are significant undertakings that require careful planning, orchestration, and execution. Yet, when done successfully, they can offer a company a myriad of benefits. Here, we’ll examine all aspects of a renovation including:
For professionals in most industries, an office is more than just a place where work is done. Rather, it’s a second home: it’s a place to burn the midnight oil and chase your dreams. It’s where you make friends, build connections, and interact with clients, customers, or patients who matter to you. Dental offices are no different. In fact, more so than professionals in other industries, dentists need to prioritize their office design to accommodate employees and visitors alike.
That’s one reason why dental office design presents a tricky prospect for many practices. After all, getting the most out of your workspace, while also satisfying patients’ needs is a tall order. The good news is, we understand this problem intimately; at Key Interiors we’ve worked with dentists for decades, and know what it takes to develop a sound office design strategy. So whether your dental office merely needs a few fresh takes –– or you’re ready to sanction a full-scale overhaul –– we’re here to provide you with the resources you need.
You may be thinking about — and your employees may be yearning for — a re-imagined work environment that embraces an open and collaborative design. This is an approach in which the interior floorplan is geared towards:
However, you may not confidently know whether creating a single, holistic work environment is a strategic decision that leads to ROI — or if it’s an “interesting idea” that is best left to the likes of Google, Cisco and Pixar.
Fortunately, you can get the clear, practical answers and advice you need by downloading our FREE ebook: “Is an Open & Collaborative Office Design RIGHT for Your Business?
In this informative and fast-moving executive ebook you’ll discover:
The ebook is written by leading interior solutions specialists, who have successfully completed over 300 office renovations spanning more than 30 years: from small refreshes to major re-inventions, and for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Instantly download your free ebook by filling in the brief form to the right. It’s an ESSENTIAL resource that will help you clearly see if an open and collaborative office design should be in your business’s future!
Fill out the form to the right and download our FREE eBook “3 Signs Your Office Needs a Renovation NOW – Not Later”.
As you know, your office is far more than a building or an address. It is the expression of your corporate identity, and the place where your employees spend an enormous amount of time.
Yet most importantly – at least where the bottom-line is concerned – your office, and specifically the design, either contributes to productivity and profitability OR impedes success and growth. There is no middle ground.
Now, you can conclusively determine whether your office design is working for your business or working against it by instantly downloading our free ebook: “3 Signs Your Office Needs a Renovation NOW – Not Later”
The insightful ebook reveals the 3 major warning signs that an office renovation is a mission-critical priority rather than an optional possibility:
The ebook is written by recognized interior solutions specialists who have been in business for more than 30 years, and have successfully completed over 300 office renovation projects – from relatively small refreshes to major re-inventions.
Instantly download your free ebook by filling in the brief form to the right. It’s an ESSENTIAL resource that helps you make the clear connection between poor office design and the bottom-line — so that you wisely can put your business on track for success and growth.
An office renovation is more than an opportunity for your business to start a fresh and exciting new chapter. It is also a practical investment that delivers substantial ROI and improves your bottom-line by:
However, in order to reap these important results, it is essential to make the right decisions regarding scheduling, logistics and management. Otherwise, instead of rewarding, your office renovation experience will almost certainly turn out to be regrettable.
Fortunately, you can discover the essential issues you need to address – and just as importantly, identify the traps and pitfalls you must avoid – by downloading our FREE ebook: “How To Renovate Your Office – While Staying On Schedule & On Budget”
This insightful, easy-to-read and practical ebook clearly answers the 3 major questions that you need to address BEFORE launching your office renovation:
The ebook is written by leading interior solutions specialists who have successfully completed over 300 office renovations spanning more than 30 years: from small refreshes to major re-inventions, and everything in between
Instantly download your free ebook by filling in the brief form to the right. It’s a MUST-HAVE resource that helps you ask — and answer — the 3 vital questions that will ensure your office renovation is efficient, stress-free and highly rewarding for years to come!
Current trends in the American interior design industry point total operating revenue reaching an estimated 16 billion dollars by the end of 2019. It’s a large sum that indicates the sustained importance of quality design services within the U.S. market.
But contrary to what some might think such a high number indicates, interior design services don’t have to be expensive and certainly aren’t only for the wealthy. Point of fact: the American Society of Interior Designers believes good design “impacts lives;” thus, it’s only reasonable that all people have access to it via feasible and affordable design options.
Office interior design, in particular, touches all of us in multiple ways, both as employees and as customers, encouraging productivity, stimulating creativity and building community. It can even improve our health and well-being!
Our team here at Key Interiors believes that quality office interior design is a critical part of a business’s success. With this guide, we hope to convince you, too. Here’s a list of the topics we’ll cover:
Corporate Showroom & Design Center
1072 N. Garfield St.
Lombard, IL 60148
877.288.9919
Hours: 8 am – 5 pm
Columbus Studio
81 Mill Street
Gahanna, OH 43230
866.755.9230
All website photos are from real Key Interiors job sites. Click here to see more from our gallery.
Corporate Showroom 1072 N. Garfield St.
Lombard, IL 60148
Ohio Showroom 81 Mill Street
Gahanna, OH 43230
