The work environment has always been essential for employee productivity and company’s success. That’s why entrepreneurs always tried to find the perfect office design that will allow their employees to focus on their work, share ideas with their colleagues and take part in the office brainstorming sessions.

History of office design started in Larkin Administration building in Buffalo NY, which was the first purposely designed office environment. Back then, the open plan was the office design of choice, because it allowed managers to closely overlook their team. After one hundred years and several discarded office layouts (including the depressive cubicle mazes), office designers came back to the open plan layout and enlivened it with biophilic patterns and comfy furniture. In this article we’ll share some ideas that will help you to turn your office into a highly productive environment.

Employees need more privacy

Several big surveys conducted by the office furniture manufacturers showed that employees are often dissatisfied with their workplace. For people who work in an uncomfortable offices, every day is a rainy Monday. We’ve mentioned that many new office design solutions support collective thinking, but some of the contemporary office layouts leave no privacy to the employees. If you’ve just upgraded your office with a new open plan layout, try to secure at least some personal space for each member of your team.

One way to solve the privacy issue is to create a new type of office layout that will include different types of work spaces, from open space to regular offices and cubicles. These complex office layouts are quite common in big companies. In most cases, the individual offices are occupied by the higher management, cubicles by the middle management and all other employees are working in a huge open space.

Complex office layouts can be highly effective, but they’re also highly undemocratic. You should abolish the hierarchical office division and allow low-level employees to have their day in a big office. Since many startup companies apply BYOD concept, this kind of dynamic arrangement wouldn’t cause any technical problems. Constant change of workplaces, will encourage team spirit and promote positive work culture.

Promoting positive work culture

Alternative office settings are great for promoting positive work culture, but if you want to make your employees even more productive and engaged, you’ll need to dig a little bit deeper. Employers mainly focus on work hours, and they usually don’t show too much interest for employees’ free time. This forces employees to spend their short lunch breaks in over-crowded restaurants and fast-food joints.

When it comes to company culture, breaks are equally important as employees’ working hours. Employers should add lunchrooms and chill-out zones to their office setting. They should enliven these spaces with relaxing wall colors and various fun features that will encourage employees to socialize. Your company’s chill-out zone can include: foosball, pool table, various social games, coffee machine, table tennis etc.

Turn your office into employees’ safe haven

The biophilic design is a necessary feature of every successful corporate office. Employees need to feel comfortable at their workplace, and you can boost your office comfort by choosing the most comfortable office chairs, adding warm rugs and installing better air-conditioning and lighting systems. Natural design elements and colors turn offices into relaxing and inspiring spaces. Making your office more comfortable will improve employees’ productivity and decrease absenteeism.

Unfortunately, many employers don’t pay attention to the work culture and their team’s morale. They don’t understand that millennial workers are only loyal to companies which show a strong sense of purpose. On the other hand, employers who understand these principles, can drastically increase their team’s productivity use their office design for building their brands and for attracting top industry talents.