Office Design Challenges
Do your staff regularly complain to you about the lighting or the layout of your office? Perhaps your company executives are worried that your office is not good enough, and is causing your company problems.
If so, you're not alone. Every year, we speak to hundreds of office and facilities managers who know their office isn't good enough. However, they're not sure exactly where it's falling short and the impact those issues are having, much less how to fix them.
In this article, we'll go through the 7 most common problems we uncover when speaking to companies about their office design. These include a mix of complaints commonly raised by staff and executives. By the end, you'll know how to identify if you have any of these issues, and how to fix them.
Poor Lighting
One of the most common complaints from employees is poor lighting in the workplace. This includes both a lack of natural light and poor-quality artificial light. This is crucial because poor-quality lighting can reduce staff productivity by up to 20%. It also puts them at a much greater risk of health issues such as headaches and eye strain.
To improve the lighting in your office, first make the most of the natural light you have by reconfiguring your office to place the most used areas near windows. Boardrooms and executive offices should be moved toward the middle of your space to allow breakout and collaboration areas access to natural light.
You should also ensure your lighting system is LED, has a daylight-balanced colour profile, and is sufficiently bright (300-500 lux). By optimising your lighting, you are taking one of the most important steps to improve the wellbeing and performance of your people.
Poor Acoustics
Another common complaint staff make about their office is the background noise and distractions. This is usually due to poor acoustic design. Such distractions can also be a huge performance issue. Employees are 15% less productive when they can overhear others’ conversations. Over half of high-growth companies believe minimizing distractions is a top priority.
To improve the acoustics in your office, you should first identify the issue. Is it poor partition specification? is it very echoey? Are staff too tightly packed? The issue will dictate the solution. If necessary, you could upgrade your partitions with sound-blocking plasterboard. You could also increase soft furnishings throughout your space.
You could even install a sound-making system to automatically detect background noise and play deadening white-noise frequencies. Poor acoustics are a huge frustration for your people, so improving them should be a priority.
Poor Air Quality/ Temperature
It is important that your office is at an optimal temperature. If it is too cold or too hot, your people will struggle to concentrate, reducing their performance. The quality of the air is also important. If your air conditioning system does not add fresh air and filter the recycled air, the quality of air in your office will decrease. This will lead to increased illnesses, and could even cause respiratory issues for your staff over time.
The first step to improving your air quality is to ensure your HVAC system is properly maintained. Aside from maintaining your air conditioning, adding plants throughout the space will improve air quality.
While it may be impossible to please everyone, various studies have shown that the optimal temperature is 21-22oC. To maintain it at this temperature, your system should be centrally controlled, rather than having a controller that anyone can use.
Unergonomic Furniture
If your furniture is of poor quality or unsuitable design, your staff will struggle to focus and their productivity will diminish as a result. If your furniture is not ergonomic, it can cause serious health issues, such as neck, back, and wrist pain. Unergonomic furniture can reduce productivity by 15-20%.
To avoid the health issues caused by uncomfortable furniture, you will need to ensure that all furniture within your space is commercial grade. Commercial-grade furniture is designed and manufactured to a much higher standard than domestic furniture, as it is used a lot more intensively.
You should also conduct a survey of how your people work, and if they have furniture that supports that. If not, then you should look at updating your office furniture. While it may seem like a big expense, the resulting improvement in productivity will soon create a good return on your investment.
Poor Space Utilisation
Poor space utilisation is a concern we hear about often from executives looking to maximise the return on their real estate investment. Their office seems cramped but they are reluctant to invest in a bigger office. We also hear from executives who are worried they are wasting huge amounts of capital on office space that sits mostly empty.
In many cases, a relocation can be avoided by refurbishing their office using a more efficient layout. An open plan layout based on how your staff actually work can often reduce space requirements by 25-35%. If you have too much space, you could relocate to a smaller office or create a sublet space.
Too Bland
One issue we also notice in many offices we visit is a very bland and generic design. Such spaces don't reflect the unique culture and brand of the company. As a result, it creates a dry and generic experience, which gives staff little incentive to stay. This leads to low staff satisfaction and high staff turnover.
To avoid this, you should create a workspace that is tailored to your culture. This goes much further than a logo in the reception and a few walls in the brand colours. Your entire office, from the location and layout to the finishes and furniture should embody your culture. By creating such an office, you will maximise staff engagement and retention.
Improving Your Office
Now you know the 7 most common office design problems, you know how to identify if you have any of these issues, and how to fix them if so. Addressing these common pain points in your office can make a big difference to the job satisfaction and productivity of your people. By creating an office design that enables them to perform to the best of their ability, you’ll see a big improvement in staff engagement and team performance.
If you're thinking about redesigning your office, download Your Definitive Guide to Office Design. There, you'll get answers to all your questions about office design and why it matters, before you speak to any designers.
To learn more about common office design issues, read about the Top 7 Office Design Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) and 5 Ways to Optimise Your Office Design.
