A few years ago, it was business and usual in corporate offices. Employees came into work five days a week, and everyone was used to this steady routine. Then, the pandemic began to seep in, moving from something talked about on the news to a shattering new reality in everyone’s lives. The steady routine of workers filing into the office was suddenly turned upside down. Instead, work quickly shifted to being done remotely and houses and apartments became the new office space. It was a jarring change, but employees slowly became used to the new luxury of working without having to leave home.
Fortunately, the pandemic finally receded. Everyone started wondering if everything would get back to normal soon. Companies expected workers to come back to the office full time, but employees were really enjoying the freedom of working flexibly and without a commute. During time away from the office, they also had a lot of time to think about what they really wanted and valued in life. As a result, many workers began looking for employers who were going to honor them and treat them right. If they were going back to the office, they wanted to be assured that they would be returning to a well-designed and comfortable space. Companies understood that is was important to upgrade their office environments, and bring in designs that reflect current trends.
Choosing the Best Workstations
Older office designs were often downright depressing, with endless cubicles and no aesthetic at all. To make their office space much more appealing, many companies began opting for new and innovative design approaches that make the office space more visually appealing.
With Open plan workstations for your office, you can bring in a modern design and achieve a sleek and clean look within your office space. There are many options available, all of which provide employees with ample workspace and generous storage and work surfaces too.
Informal Spaces for Collaboration
Working remotely made us feel a bit isolated, and eliminated the free flow of ideas and conversation that would have naturally flowed within the office environment. One of the key current design trends is to incorporate more informal collaboration and conversational areas within the office space.
Features like café-type seating is coming into vogue, replacing standard meeting rooms. These areas, along with open spaces, encourage far more interaction and collaboration. They also enhance the social aspect of returning to the workplace, which was greatly diminished when everyone was working from home.
Green Offices
If you want to attract employees back to the workplace, you want to create an inviting and nurturing environment. One of the ways to do this is to introduce plants into your office design. When you add plants to an office space you get several benefits.
Plants can help increase airflow, turn down noise, clean the air and lower toxins. Other natural elements that help contribute to a more peaceful, green environment include natural materials like stone and bamboo. Design features such as waterfalls or even fish tanks can also contribute to a more welcoming and attractive office space.
