Designing your office isn’t as simple as doing it once and never revisiting your initial thoughts, unfortunately. Technology has completely transformed workplaces across the country, and the only thing that is certain about the future is that there will be more changes to come! That being said, how can you create an office design now that is future-proof, without knowing what the future holds? With these simple tips!
Who Uses Your Office? How Do They Use It?
One of the most critical parts of creating any design is watching the people that are going to be using it. Who works in your office? What tools do they use as part of their workday? It’s important to keep them at the forefront of your future-proof office design planning. Ask employees what they need and what they want. How do they like to work? If you are able to properly collect feedback from them and create a functional office design, your employees will notice (and boost their productivity as well!).
Create Space for Engagement
Even as technology continues to change the way that we use our offices, it is certain that we will all still need to collaborate. Future-proof your office design by allowing plenty of flexible space for engagement with each other. Everyone knows about the water cooler or coffee pot, but why not use flexible table and seating arrangements to encourage employees to collaborate more? These places play an important role in very office, as employees can bounce ideas off of one another quickly and easily. A future-proof office is one that allows plenty of space for talking to each other, even as we use the internet more and more.
Use Furniture That is Flexible
We’ve talked about flexibility a lot when it comes to making your office future-proof, and that’s because flexibility is a critical part of being able to adapt to the future. Your employees should be able to easily move things around to suit their workplace needs (and move them back just as easily). A future-proof workplace is one that isn’t just designed for the people that are sitting there now, but also the people that will be sitting there in 5 years.
Future-Proof Office Design from American Design Associates
American Design Associates, Inc. is a furniture dealer and design firm serving clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. We strive to ensure that every customer ends up with the office design and furniture to help their business run for years to come. We have the expertise and resources to help you get your move off to a great stress-free start. Visit us online to see what we can do for you, or give us a call at (410) 823-5500. To see examples of our work and get more advice on furnishing your office space, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+.