5 Ways Interior Office Design Can Improve Productivity

5 Ways Interior Office Design Can Improve Productivity |

In today’s world of work, people seem to be under more pressure and have less time than ever before: workloads are increasing, managing communications is increasingly demanding and information overload isn’t just a concept from a sci-fi movie. Office design is more critical than ever in creating an environment that employees can thrive in.

We’re on hand to offer some quick-fixes which can drastically improve your working environment for the better; resulting in less stress, happier staff and heightened productivity and creativity.

1. Light Up Your Lives

A study in Britain which was published in “The Responsible Workplace” found that natural light exposure in workplaces led to happier workers, less absenteeism, fewer illnesses and, wait for it, increased productivity.

A study in Chicago also found that those with exposure to natural light slept on average 46 minutes more per night than those with only artificial lighting.

While you probably can’t do anything about how many windows are in your office now, you can use mirrors to reflect the light around the office more to create a similar effect.

2. Use Colour Psychology to Set the Tone

You should think carefully when choosing colours for your office. While there is no single ‘best’ agreed colour within the world of office design, some are definitely better than others at achieving a certain type of atmosphere.

Red – Bright and bold which evokes strong emotions. Shown to increase the heart rate. Considered the colour of passion, intensity and excitement. Tends to be too loud and distracting for working environments, but can work for some creative breakout areas.

Blue – Induces feelings of calmness and serenity. Has been shown to lower the pulse rate and body temperature. Studies argue Blue boosts productivity in schools and workplaces.

Green – Symbolises nature and the natural world. Represents tranquillity, prosperity, and health. Some studies even found that green can improve reading ability. Green is thought to have calming qualities and relieve stress. Pale or light green is ideal for quiet working areas.

Orange – Brings about excitement and enthusiasm. Is claimed to stimulate creativity and innovation making this great for creative and collaborative working spaces.

White – Can be stark and overly institutional, but White reflects the most light making it a smart way to introduce more light into an office. Make sure you use interior accessories to inject some other colours into the mix in order to avoid having a boring, soulless-feeling space.

3. Bring A Little of the Outdoors Inside

Plants will make your office prettier and more pleasant to be around, but there’s more…

Research from Norway (in 2011) and the USA (2014) found that plants not only make a room more oxygenated, but also improve worker concentration and productivity.

When the researchers tested two groups of people in a reading task – the first group with plants on their desks, the second with no plants – the results were massively in favour of those with plants on their desk. Hence, if there was an Office Design Bible, plants would have their own chapter.

4. Create Different Spaces for Different Tasks

The very best offices have a mixture of environments, spaces or zones which cater for different tasks.

We often help to create office breakout spaces with multi-use seating for casual meetings, collaborative tasks and so on. Likewise, we get about as many requests for booth areas designed for acoustic privacy allowing for extra focus and concentration.

Having these spaces is vital for productivity and creativity as not only can colleagues go to work away from the hustle and bustle of the office, they can also go to unwind and de-stress.

5. Stand-Up Desks

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you will probably have read our last post on standing workstations. If not, you can read all about the negative effects sedentary office work can have on our health here.

So, that’s our 5 top interior office design tips. Get involved and share your tips with us on social media!