How to design your office for productivity and purpose

Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Value determines the future. –Robert L. Peters

When was the last time you thought about office design?

Are you proud to introduce your office to family and friends?

Are you comfortable in your workplace?

The average full-time office worker works 8 hours a day in the office so businesses need to think about how office space impacts employees. That means everything from adjustable desks, modern chairs, updated layouts and new technology needs to meet the needs of employees.

As we begin to design we need to start addressing the question “How do I design my office to be productive and purposeful?”

Join Thien Nam Building to learn about the issues that need to be taken care of when designing your office!

What is office design?

Simply put, office design is about creating a space that has all the right conditions for work to bring maximum efficiency while still leaving space for creativity, flexibility and imprint. individual.

Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent.- Joe Sparano

This may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but design has a huge impact on individual behavior in the workplace. You may not have thought about it or cared about it, but your workspace silently affects your productivity.

Think about your current workspace. Are you acting as a guest or are you part of it?

Nếu cảm thấy giống như một vị khách, bạn sẽ cảm thấy không thoải mái và bạn sẽ không thể tập trung để mang hết khả năng của mình để làm việc.

On the other hand, if you feel like a part of that space, you’ll feel more balanced and ready to enter a “flow state”. Ask yourself, when was the last time you were so absorbed in your work that you didn’t care about the time?

Use job characteristics and employees to your advantage

There are many interior design elements that contribute to a positive workspace, enhance productivity and purpose: light, color, plants, art, food, seating… With design suitable for everyone’s needs so that employees can work effectively, because a better working environment will lead to better labor results.

Office design often involves the study of both employees and work processes. That is, work processes must be tested to make everyone happy because the physical workspace has a strong impact on many factors, such as health, morale, inclusion, creativity, collaboration, productivity, and so on. capacity and purpose.

After analyzing the job and determining how it works, the overall design will be built according to the workflow to ensure the job runs smoothly without any problems.

Let’s focus on two factors:

Productivity – The characteristics of the job and the employees are important factors in the design of the office. An office with an intimate atmosphere stimulates employee self-expression and maximizes their productivity. Many studies in offices and office buildings have shown that discomfort, workplace clutter and a whole host of environmental conditions are the culprits of reduced productivity, and most employees find All of them think that the working environment makes them uncomfortable.

Purpose – When we serve others, we become better. Purpose is an incredibly powerful motivator, and you can encourage it through the design of your workspace. Show employees that they care, that their work is appreciated, and that they are making a positive impact on the lives of others.

Balancing the common purpose with the individual activities being performed, balancing the right to belong and the need for autonomy. It acknowledges the duality involved in modern collaborative office work; it allows organizations to define the type of environment that is right for them and build around that environment.

– Sam Grawe, Global Brand Manager at Herman Miller

Think of it this way: The less time you spend thinking about your work environment, the more time you spend working and feeling fulfilled. Great office design will help reduce mental pressure and facilitate focus on work.

Plan before you act

Before designing any space, think about what you are trying to accomplish:


What challenges do departments in your company face?

How can the space serve their needs?

How will the space change by department?

Notice how people use the existing space and think about how it will need to grow. Observe behavior, discuss future plans, research options and ask what is needed. Plan a survey to understand more about people’s requirements for each space, then review your results to determine next steps.

Before you get started, realize that sometimes what people want isn’t necessarily what they need. You may not have everything you want, but make your team members feel included in the office building process and feel heard.

Know the working personality and working style of the members

The personality and nature of each person’s work is different, some people need a quiet space, some people need an area to collaborate. Your job is to create a balanced workplace.

Think about providing rooms filled with natural light for active meetings but also have nooks and crannies for those in need of quiet.

Your budget

When planning your office design, have a reasonable idea of what you should spend and where you should spend it. You will need to work with your team to determine the focal point.

Depending on your budget, you may need to prioritize over a period of time, starting with the essentials and slowly adding the rest.

You will also want to understand the shelf life of the piece of furniture. For example, do you need that chair to last 2 years or 20? If you have an idea of the future of your company, take that into account with your office design.

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