Designing an office can be daunting. Get it wrong and your business could suffer a host of adverse effects, from loss of business through to low morale among employees.
However, if you get it right, you stand to add value to your company and make work a far more enjoyable experience for your staff.
Whether you’re designing a new office or giving your current one a makeover, here are some of the most common office design pitfalls and how to avoid them.
1. Not having a budget
All too often, office design falls short due to a lack of budgeting. Sure, it’s easy to get carried away when flicking through a glossy interior design magazine or scrolling through an online catalogue, but if you want to avoid blowing your budget, it’s important to be realistic about how much money you are willing to spend.
To avoid succumbing to impulse buys and being left with items you don’t need, having a budget is a must. As office furniture specialists Furniture At Work™ note, it’s important to have a financial plan in place before you purchase furnishings.
2. Failing to space plan
Another all-too-frequent mistake is failing to space plan. Ok, so measuring may not be the most exciting task, but having a clear idea of scale and proportion can save you time and money in the long run. With accurate measurements, choosing appropriately sized furniture will be a much easier task.
Careful measuring will also help to free up more space for office extras, such as break-out areas. Don’t forget to ensure that there is enough room for walkways and foot space too.
3. Shunning your employees
Going ahead and choosing a design without talking to your staff can be a costly mistake. If you want a happy and productive workforce, your space needs to reflect your business needs. For example, open plan offices are a popular choice for creative industries that require a lot of collaboration, but they could be disastrous for jobs that need more privacy. With this in mind, make sure that you ask your employees about their preferred work style before you finalise your design.
4. Not calling in the experts
The idea of saving money and designing your office yourself can be tempting.
However, some things are better left to the experts, and office design is often one of them. By trying to cut corners, you could end up forking out much more money than you initially planned. To prevent this, it’s a good idea to enlist the help of an office design specialist. A trained designer can help to maximise space, provide effective branding and take into consideration crucial details you may have overlooked, such as plugs, air conditioning, lighting, and foot control traffic.
