A recent Radio Boston report mused, “What’s The Best Way to Design A Workspace?” According to the report, office design is usually dictated by fads. Guests Ben Waber and Jennifer Magnolfi told Radio Boston, “There is no such thing as a new office design. We just take old ideas, put them into a kaleidoscope, and turn.” Waber is the president and CEO of Sociometric Solutions and visiting scientist at the MIT Media Lab. Magnolfi is an R&D consultant focusing on high-tech work environments.
The report goes on to say, “The most innovative work spaces take into account lots of factors, from the very mundane, like where people sit and where the office coffee machine is located, to the more complicated, like whom they talk to during the day and how they use technology.”
Forbes goes a step further with a new list titled “4 Ways To Get Your Office Space Ready for 2020.” The magazine’s list reads as follows:
- Team rooms These are large rooms where employees are grouped by specific work teams. All these employees who are working on the same aspect of a product can interact directly.
- Desks designed for pairing For this you’ll need wide desks that allow you to sit shoulder-to-shoulder so you can work effectively and knowledge-share. The pairs can examine their data in common spaces to influence their decisions.
- Built-in collaboration spaces Team rooms should encourage collaborative work. This can look like a room outfitted with a large whiteboard that will allow workers to diagram their ideas for the rest of the team. Forbes goes on to suggest, “Near each whiteboard is a high-def TV connected to AirPlay. This wireless setup is frictionless, and far faster than fumbling with adapters and cables. Each TV is near a couch, two chairs, and coffee table. There’s even whiteboards in hallways – because sometimes hallway conversations are the most important ones.”
- Rooms that encourage employees to have fun while working Forbes suggest things like embedded speakers in the ceiling for people to listen to music, satellite TVs in each room, and even gaming rooms.
No matter how you decide to design your office space, look no further than Office Space Planners for your office planning, design, and project management needs. When it comes to commercial space planning, we provide illustrations that document every aspect of your room, including structural walls, interior walls, furniture layout, furniture panel systems, filing systems, equipment and phone locations, voice and data connections, electrical wiring and outlets, demolished walls, carpet seaming, reflected ceilings, and lighting.
As we move into the future and everyone’s looking for the best design to get the most productivity out of their offices. To stay ahead of the curve, you need expert designers and project managers who can solve your specific needs. For all of your office space needs, you can’t go wrong with Office Space Planners!