When you look into the future, perhaps in 5, or even 10 years time, what do you see? Do you see flying cars and robots? Or, hopefully more likely, do you see something, which has progressed on from today, but still maintains that human feel?
There has been much discussion around what the future of the modern office could look like in a few years’ time. The rise of artificial intelligence may seem worrying for some, but change is scary, and unless we want to be left behind, we have to embrace it and roll with it. The modern office is the same deal.
There are many schools of thought about how a future office desk might look, or how chairs might be designed, but the whole office environment is about so much more than that. The technology we use in the future, if it continues to grow at the rate it is now, is likely to be extremely sophisticated, and probably a lot smaller too. Think about your mobile phone for example. Five years ago, it was a lot bigger than the phone you hold in your hand today! The same can be said for laptops; five years ago the laptop was a bulky and quite heavy item to travel with, but these days you have laptops which are paper thin and weigh almost nothing at all.
A Remote Trend
One trend that will almost certainly make a splash in the future office is remote working. More and more people are choosing to work from home, or from a co-working space. Some people even choose to work from a beach, but in my experience that’s not the comfortable situation you envisage it to be! The rise of freelancing and working remotely has been staggering over the last few years, and more and more businesses are offering staff the chance to work in these different ways.
As a result, the way regular built in office furniture looks is likely to change, to reflect this growing trend. A short while ago, there was a trade show called Orgatec, in Germany, which showcased new office furniture ideas. One of those trends was a sofa in place of a regular desk and executive office chair. This raised eyebrows, but when you really think about it, it’s entirely possible.
Those who work from home or work remotely don’t necessarily have a strict home office setup, and perhaps simply work from where is convenient. Do you really need more than a sofa and a laptop?
When you look into the nitty gritty of it, of course, yes, you do need more than that. What about ergonomics? What about supporting the back? What about office storage choices? There are so many questions, which need to be ironed out with regards to whether we’re really moving towards a more lounge feel office in the future or not. This is also likely to be a very slow change, as for the next few years at the very least; it’s unlikely that businesses will embrace the idea.
What other changes could be afoot? Offices may be more like airport lounges, or regular co-working spaces, to have that more relaxed feel to the workspace. It is predicted that the booths and open plan office look will disappear altogether over the coming decade or so, but what it leaves behind is left to be revealed.
The idea of these sofa-style co-working spaces is that when an employee is more relaxed, they will be more productive and have a higher amount of morale. Whether they’re in a commercial office or not, they will feel the same way as a freelancer does, working from anywhere. That sense of freedom is quite powerful in terms of how much work you get done, but it will be coupled with the social side, e.g. having colleagues around you. When you work remotely, you lose that element. Keeping colleagues around you, but having the same office setup style could be a look we edge more towards in the future.
How long will it take before we reach the future office? Your guess is as good as ours! It could be anything from 5 to 10 years, but even then, we’ll still be reaching for the next future model!
For now, keeping your staff comfortable and productive is key, and if you’re thinking about trying out new office furniture choices, then it pays to be up to date on possible trends, which you can incorporate early. Browse office furniture near me online for some ideas, before you make the final leap.
What is your take on the sofa-style office of the future?