Thinking about updating the office? Office design is essential whether you are you moving to a new space or just re-decorating the old. Whether you’re looking for a complete overhaul or small additions and touch ups, keep in mind these latest office design trends to increase productivity, retention, and efficiency.

Add Color to Your Office Design

Adding color into the office will help keep employees engaged and mentally stimulated throughout the day. As a bonus, it is an opportunity to work in some internal branding. Adding chairs, tables, or wall decor in the company colors can be a positive bump to company spirit. This will also help the space become more welcoming for client meetings.

If maintaining a gray-scale design palette is important to your brand, try to mix in different textures to achieve a similar effect to colors, such as fabric, wood, or metal. The goal is to create a visually stimulating environment for your employees and clients, and contrasting textures with similar colors will help achieve this.

All Things Green

Both bio-features and sustainability are increasingly popular trends in modern office design. Green walls or plant features brighten up rooms and make the space more welcoming to work in. Be careful when moving plants between spaces, they need special attention during a move. Using desks and tables made with natural materials like wood or bamboo, as well as incorporating recycled or recyclable materials will help the office decrease its carbon footprint. To fully embrace sustainability, avoid stocking the fridge with one-use water bottles and encourage employees to use reusable cups and bottles for coffee and water.

Another office transition can come from transportation. Providing showers and changing rooms in your office can also encourage your employees to get to work in a more sustainable manner, such as biking or running. Using the office design to accommodate fitness can encourage and help employees incorporate fitness into the workday. Lunch time walks, runs, or bike rides can improve mental well-being, and thus help with productivity. When employees are happy, work becomes more efficient. Committing to creating a more sustainable work place will help not only with global warming but with the reputation of your company.

Dynamic Spaces

When re-configuring your office, think about the type of space you need, both for your hardworking employees but also your clients. Do you hold events to inform or thank your clients? Do you throw annual parties for clients and members of your network? Creating a dynamic and convertible work space is essential for the well-connected business.

Design working spaces so they can be both independent work stations or group collaboration environments. This way people can choose their space depending on how they work best. This will lead to more success and efficiency. It will also help with retention, because allowing people to choose their own work environment helps employees feel respected and accommodated for. Make every space as productive as possible, starting with the layout of the desks. See out post for more about how to Feng Shui your space.

Convertible spaces are also very useful. Create spaces that have day to day operations, but are also convertible into an area that can hold multiple clients for a reception or luncheon. This allows for budgeting as well as allowing the clients to see the headquarters of your company.

Did you learn about office design trends that you want to implement at your company? Once you’re ready to take the next step with your office space, give Olympia a call a  800.222.4744 or fill out our form to schedule your commercial move.