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The most productive workforces will make conscious efforts to design their offices to maximise collaboration. Research shows that collaborative problem-solving leads to better outcomes for businesses, as it leads to a higher share of ideas and solutions that can push forward a company's sustained growth. With this in mind, it’s important to think about your office layout and improve it so collaboration becomes the focus.
Many variables can be changed within an office to enhance collaboration, such as the size and shape of the office, seating layouts and technology integration. It can be worthwhile to experiment with different office layouts to see what works best for your team, as every set of colleagues will collaborate better with different environments.
Throughout this article, we will explain why enhanced collaboration within an office is so important for a business and how you can change up the layout of your office to achieve these results.
Why You Should Focus on a Collaborative Office Design
There are several reasons why focusing on a collaborative office design is great for a business such as:
● Efficient Problem Solving: Team members should be able to solve problems at a much quicker rate with the right kind of office layout, as it can help them communicate and share ideas more effectively.
● Flexible Environments: Flexibility within a work environment is vital for the continued success of a business, as it can make everyone feel more comfortable. Having workstations for dynamic collaboration that also allows more concentration.
● Stronger Sense of Community: Having a strong sense of community among employees can be crucial to an improved work environment. Changing your layout so that it strengthens the bond among team members should be the main concern.
● Agile Work Principles: Designating areas for specific tasks can create a space that channels agile work principles. This ensures that each colleague has the right type of environment to complete their work to the highest standard.
● Organic Company Culture: Creating a warm office culture can make a team work better and this can be achieved by laying out the office that encourages more interaction.
How to Design a Collaborative Office
Tweaking the design and layout of your office can have a very positive impact on the collaboration efficiency. You can tailor the design to best suit the team you are working with to ensure that everyone is satisfied with the changes. Let’s explore some of the design changes that you can make within your office.
Furniture
The type of furniture you have in your office can be a huge difference in how well employees work together and communicate. Circular tables, modular furniture and comfortable desks are all perfect for collaborative tasks within the office as they help to generate a communal atmosphere and can accommodate different needs. When furniture is moveable, it allows people to feel more free and comfortable which can help make them more willing to work as a team. You also want furniture that makes people feel relaxed, but not too relaxed as you need to ensure that they’re engaged throughout the collaboration process.
Lighting
There are many ways you can choose to light your office space, whether that be through natural lighting, LEDs or even by candlelight. The type of lighting that employees are exposed to can have an impact on their mood, which can have an effect on productivity and creativity. Energy-efficiency is currently at the forefront of people’s minds and this has made LED lighting a very popular choice in offices around the world. This lighting choice can also be beneficial to office workers, as they can usually be dimmed to match the time of day and the season so employees will feel better as a result. This can help enhance collaboration, as a happy workforce are more likely to try harder to achieve a collaborative goal.
Acoustics
Minimising distractions is very important for having healthy collaboration within an office environment. Office acoustics play a big part in this, as reducing background noise as much as possible will allow clearer conversations which can help with improving team collaboration. Meetings and brainstorming sessions in particular will be greatly improved if the acoustics in the office are right. Acoustic panels and sound masking systems can be the ideal inclusion within your office design.
Office Size
The size of your office is a great factor in how well employees work together. You need to have enough space for team gatherings and group work tasks, so having a large office will give you adequate space for all of this. Open layouts, flexible seating and designated collaborative zones are easier obtained when your office is larger. At the same time, small offices can bring employees closer together so it depends which side of the fence you want.
Collaborative Zones
Having areas within your office that are dedicated for collaboration can improve how well everyone works together, as they are in a setting that is specifically designed for that. If you try to get your team to collaborate in their usual office seating, it can make them not feel as if it’s important as opposed to them being in a specific collaborative zone. These zones can be optimised with good acoustic management.
Technology Integration
Technology can help curate an environment that enforces active collaboration, but you need to be careful with what type of technology you include in the office as you don’t want to overexpose your employees. Conferencing technology like Zoom has become a big hit with businesses, as it can enhance collaboration with clients and other companies. This eliminates the need for travelling to other offices, which can be time consuming and reduce collaboration time.
Final Thoughts
Creating a collaborative office space is not just about aesthetics; it's about understanding the unique needs and preferences of your team. By prioritising human-centered design principles, incorporating flexible furniture, optimising acoustics and strategically integrating technology, businesses can cultivate an environment that fosters creativity, enhances communication and ultimately drives innovation and success.
Designing an office that enhances collaboration can be a very fun project to do, but it can take a long time to get the perfect layout. The process can be made easier by using telehandler hire to help with moving furniture and other elements within an office.
Author bio: Darcy Fowler
