The Importance of Office Design
Is your office design bland and generic? Perhaps it used to be effective, but now it's obsolete. Either way, your office design doesn’t feel right - it's not the right style. If this sounds like you, you're not alone. This is very common. You're likely wondering what the different office design style options are, and which is best.
Unfortunately, the answer is "it depends". No one office design style is better than the others. Which is right for you depends on your culture and working style. In this article, we'll go through the 4 main office design styles. We'll also explain the 2 key factors to help you make the right choice for your company. By the end of this article, you'll know about the key options, and you'll be equipped to make the right choice for you.
Popular Office Design Styles
Modern
Modern office design is sleek and uncluttered, with a minimalist approach. This style tends to feature open floor plans with an emphasis on natural light and clean lines. While it is a popular and flexible design style, it can be bland if it doesn’t reflect your company’s personality. This will dampen creativity and innovation. With a muted colour scheme predominantly featuring cool, neutral shades along with a pop of brand-based signage and furniture, this is an undistracted design that enables focus and clear thinking.
Industrial
Featuring exposed brickwork, concrete and bare metal, industrial office design has a utilitarian style. This style fosters a creative and casual atmosphere. However, it can be harsh if it’s not softened by plants or feature colours. This style is especially popular in refurbished old buildings that use the original steel and brickwork as features.
Traditional
The warm brown woods, ornate panelling, and leather of traditional design give office spaces an elegant style. This could appear overly elaborate in a large open plan space and is generally used for smaller boutique spaces and executive suites. The classic combination of dark leather, warm wood, and ornate detailing gives an impression of luxury and quality.
Rustic
Rustic office design is warm and worn. These designs feature a natural colour palette of creams, greys, and browns. They also use natural leather, aged wood, and soft brick to warm up space and set that comfortable but professional tone. With a welcoming rural feel, this design trend can recreate a domestic atmosphere. It makes your people feel comfortable and secure.
How to Choose Your Office Design Style
No two companies are the same, so your office design should be unique to your company. The right office design style for you will likley be a combination of 2 or 3 different design styles. There are 2 key factors that are crucial to consider when choosing your office design style: culture and working style. Here, we'll walk you through each and why they matter.
Culture
The most important factor when choosing your office design style is your culture. Your office is the home of your company, so it needs to suit the personality and style of your company. You need to consider the entire experience your people have whilst they are in your office. This includes the finishes and furniture, right down to the coffee. By choosing a design style that reflects and enhances your culture, you can make sure your office is unique and effective. As a result, your staff engagement, productivity, and retention will improve.
Working Style
When choosing your office design, an important consideration is the way your people use the office, and how that will evolve in the future. If your staff work mainly independently on focused tasks, you will have very different requirements than a company more reliant on collaboration. This will affect your design style choice because you will need your workspace to reflect and enhance the way you want your people to work.
Choosing Your Office Design Style
Choosing your office design style is a crucial piece of your project that will have a major impact on the overall success of your workspace project. You now know about the main different office design styles and the key factors that affect which is best for your company. As a result, you're ready to make the right choice for your company.
Office design isn't all about style. The layout of your workspace is just as important, if not more so. To learn which office layout is best for you, read this article.
Of course, choosing your office design style is just one part of planning an office redesign. To learn about the rest of the process, download your copy of The Definitive Office Design Guide. By the end of this guide, you’ll be ready to decide if you need an office redesign, and if so, where and how to begin. You’ll be much more educated about the office design process and all that is involved. Download your office design guide here.
