If you’ve been searching for office design ideas, you’ve probably come up with a few on your shortlist. Before you jump in and start painting, wallpapering and moving things around, there are some things you need to consider.
First things first, changing your office design is not a small job. Even if you simply choose to repaint, you have to move things out, do the painting (or get someone else to do it preferably) and then ensure that the space is adequately ventilated afterwards. This might mean paying a painter and decorator to do the job out of hours or at the weekend, to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with your employees, doing their regular work at their office desks.
In addition, you need to be sure that you actually have the cash for the project you’re planning. sure, office design is vital if you want to create a productive and comfortable space, one which is impressive to visitors, but that doesn’t mean you have to around ripping out walls and changing everything to within an inch of its life!
Before you make any moves, consider these 6 questions.
- What is your budget? - How much can you realistically afford to spend? It’s no good throwing money at a project like this if you really don’t have the cash to spare. Think carefully, identify what you want, shop around and come up with a realistic budget that you can afford and use for redecorating and changing your office interior design.
- What are you aiming for? - Do you want to completely change the office or do you only want small parts changing? Is it a renovation, a redecoration, a restoration? What are you trying to achieve? Answering that question can help you to come to a realistic budget, but can also help you put together a firm plan.
- Do you really need to change your office? - Of course, you should also ask yourself whether your office is in need of change in the first place. If it’s been a good few years since any changes were made and your office furniture is starting to look less than attractive, then go for it. If however you only changed your space last year then it’s probably a little premature!
- What do your employees think? - Before making any changes to your contemporary office, it’s a good idea to talk to your employees and find out what the think. Do they have any ideas you can work on? What suggestions do they have? By asking your employees, you’re showing that you value their opinions and this will boost morale, whilst also helping you to hit the right notes when you weigh up the various office design ideas on your shortlist.
- Is the sign you’re looking at going to stand the test of time? - Are you opting for a fad design or one which is going to still look great a few years later? Avoid designs which are far too colourful or over the top and go for something sleek and professional instead. This will be far more cost-effective as a result. You should also ask whether the design you’re looking at sums up who you are as a business - it has to reflect your brand identity too.
- What are the additional benefits? - Are there any other benefits to the type of design or arrangement you’re going for? For instance, if you opt for biophilic office design, you’re looking towards health and productivity benefits. If you opt for ergonomic office furniture, you’re working towards improving health and wellbeing. Make sure that the benefits add up to enough to justify the cost.
Answering these six questions will help you come to the right conclusion, before making any moves to change your modern professional office design. Weighing up the pros and cons will allow you to create a look which gives your employees a safe, comfortable, supportive and attractive place to work in, whilst also ensuring that visitors to your space are impressed for all the right reasons.