While there are all sorts of elements that can contribute towards a functioning and thriving business space, there is no doubt that the office design should play a central role in your mind. As well as thinking closely about how you can get it right, you should also consider what can go wrong. In this way, it is much more likely that you will be able to successfully design an office that is built for both productivity and enjoyment. After all, this is where both you and your employees will be on a daily basis and you need it to be reflective of your company and everything that you are trying to achieve. So, make sure that you avoid all of these common errors.
Not doing enough planning
If you rush into your office design without a second thought, it is much more likely that you are going to need to redo it somewhere down the line. Once you have started, it is very difficult to change course. With this in mind, you should put in place a plan that you and everyone else is fully happy with. A big part of this comes down to agreeing all the smaller details as well as the bigger ones. While it may be more interesting to think about the broad design features, if you don’t get the smaller elements right such as how many plug sockets you are going to have, this is where you may find that problems are going to start to creep in.
Failing to think about the future
While your office design may work for now, have you thought about how it is going to work in the future? For example, you need to consider how your business can expand and grow further into the space. Not only this, but you also need to bear in mind any future developments at your company. For this reason, you may want to veer towards a modern rather than a traditional office design to ensure that you are doing as much futureproofing as you can. Choosing the right commercial office interiors can be made greatly easier if you bring on board the pros, so make sure you bear this in mind before you go too far one path ahead of another.
Not maximizing the natural light
To begin with, the lighting is one of the most essential elements of an office. If your staff members are struggling to see one another let alone get their work done, this is obviously a problem that you need to do something about. However, as well as looking at the artificial light that you are going to put into the space, you should also make the most of the natural light that is available to you. If employees feel like they are too left in the dark, this is going to have a major negative hit on overall productivity and the mood of the office. If you block too many of the windows early on, this is a problem that is very hard to fix again. You should also consider putting in a skylight to ensure that you are allowing as much illumination as possible to flow into the space.
Making the design too boring
While you need the design of your office to be functional, you also need to think about how you are going to make it stand out at the same time. If you have clients that you show around, you want them to walk away impressed and with a clear sense of what your business is all about. A uniquely designed office space can also help employees to feel like they are working at a place with a clear sense of identity that they appreciate and enjoy.
Not investing in up to date tech
One of the other factors that you need to bear in mind is the tech. All modern businesses revolve around being cutting edge with the technology. Otherwise, they are more than likely to fall behind their nearest rivals. You don’t want to slow yourself down by investing in outdated tech that is going to become obsolete very quickly indeed. You should also think about how you will be able to make updates, ensuring that you don’t create a design that somehow slows you up from doing this. The very best businesses are the ones that continue to evolve and change during the years.
Failing to think about how the space will be used
As well as making the design of the office visually appealing, you should also consider exactly how the space is going to be used. For example, have you put in enough meeting rooms and are they of a range of different sizes? Do you have an area where employees can go to relax and unwind? Have you thought about the flow of the space and how people are going to move around it smoothly and easily? This is why it can be useful to get multiple people on board as if you design the space with only a single person, they are less likely to be able to spot what you could not.
Not thinking about the acoustics
So far, there has been a great deal discussed in terms of the lighting of an office space. However, an often overlooked factor is the acoustics of the area. Nobody wants to work in a space that has too much echoing going on as this makes it much harder to concentrate and can lead to a situation in which everyone is struggling to get done what they need to. You can combat this problem with plenty of carpets and soft furnishings.
All of these are amongst the common mistakes that are more than worth avoiding. This will get you into a situation in which you have a well-designed office that will serve your purpose now and long into the future as well. It should serve your business properly and help you to achieve all of your goals.
