In the business world, your office is not just your workspace; actually, it is so much more than that. An office space represents you as a business owner, your staff members and the overall vibe that’s going on in your work environment. So, an office space that’s meticulously designed to be functional and look beautiful indicates a healthy, creative collective, where people feel comfortable and inspired during work hours.
On the other hand, your employees are not the only people who should be comfortable in your office space. If you have clients and even potential partners visiting your office from time to time, you should make sure that the design of it speaks volumes to them as well. If you are looking for suitable office space (and you want to be based in California), we recommend Bishop Ranch. They have amazing office space for lease. The fact is that any client that visits your office space will form an opinion about your business based on its design, so you want to make sure that you impress them and that the opinion is a positive one. Here’s what you can do.
Make your space visually appealing
The only scenario where stuffy and overcrowded offices were ever considered to be okay is in those old detective movies, where that was the only way to portray just how hard the individual was actually working. So, first and foremost, you need to see to it that your office is clean and visually appealing.
Simply put, you need to get rid of all the possible clutter – going paperless will help you out immensely here, and store away any potential files that you can’t get rid of but that contribute to the visual mess. You can achieve this “clean” aesthetic by investing in interesting storage solutions that will seamlessly blend in with your office design. Also, make sure that your office is being cleaned and maintained on a regular basis, to avoid having your clients “surprise” you before the cleaning day.
Allow your employees to customize their workstations
While it is true that by allowing your employees to customize their desks will potentially diminish the cohesiveness of the office space design a bit, it is still advisable to do so. First of all, a bit of customization will make your employees feel more relaxed at their workspace, which will help them reach their full potential more easily. Additionally, some randomness design-wise is actually a good thing as it will make your office space appear less sterile and more as a welcoming working environment, which is something both your employees and your clients will greatly appreciate.
Invest in quality statement pieces
Furthermore, the majority of people tend to focus mainly on the office layout and walls when designing office space and forget all about the flooring. This, of course, may leave you feeling like there’s just something missing in your office design, without being able to put your finger on it. That is why you should make sure that you treat your floors with a beautiful design solution as well, to tie the entire design together. Contemporary commercial carpets, although very versatile, may make your office appear too bland and impersonal. Therefore, invest in something along the lines of statement vintage rugs and elevate your office design and style to a whole new level.
Avoid design clichés
Finally, even though it might seem counterintuitive at first, avoid including the design clichés in your office design. Some of the most prominent ones include the all-time-favorite and commonly overused motivational quotes and inspirational messages. While these may make your office space appear motivational to your clients, they can potentially have a really negative effect on your employees.
Additionally, break areas that feature gaming consoles or other gaming equipments have been heavily popularized in the past, but the fact is that they don’t make any sense in the office design. Simply put, your clients shouldn’t be under the impression that your employees are spending their work hours playing games because it can come off quite unprofessional. Finally, your office – while undoubtedly relaxed, should still feel like a corporate surrounding, so avoid implementing any silly features such as hammocks, slides, or swings.
So, when designing an office space, aside from considering how it will affect your employees, you also need to think about the impression it will leave on your clients. While a relaxing and inviting atmosphere is definitely something you should be aiming at creating in your office space, be careful not to go too overboard. As someone once said “too much of a good thing is still bad”, so avoid coming off as unprofessional simply because you wanted to showcase just how flexible your business is.
