An open office design is a ground plan which centralizes a large open space with limited enclosed offices. Also, the open office layouts are flexible, economical, and, it is the most essential thing for highly collaborative teams. We can see from studies that, poorly design offices reduce employee satisfaction and productivity. So, open office ideas can help you to make your office effective. The key is to making a successful open office is to keep a balance between privacy options and openness. So, from in this article, you will know about the options for planning an open-space office. Also, here we will help you to realize the pros and cons of an open office. Here we focus on the most effective open space office concept design to help you to make your plan.
What is an open office?
An open office design is a workplace that uses enough open space rather than enclosing the employees in a cubicle or office. In an open office space, there is no division, and you can see a long row of desks. Also, an open office has a place where the employees gather, change up their environment, have relax for some time. And, these places are such as a lounge with couches or kitchen.
If you are planning for an open office you have to ensure that your workplace is trendy and there are places for recreation and entertainment. Also, you can add ping-pong tables or craft places. It will help to encourage creativity among the employees and keep them connected with each other. And, if you follow open office design ideas you can make all those things properly.
Some open office ideas you can follow
If you are planning for an open office, you have to follow certain ideas. So, here are some essential steps you can follow for an open office layout. These ideas will help you to decide the perfect layout for your office.
1. Select work environment
The first step for planning an open office is, you have to understand what kind of environment your employee needs to maintain productivity. For example, if you have a boisterous creative team, it can thrive in an open place. So, you need a highly collaborative space. Besides, the same setting makes a background hum which is unprofessional and distracting for sales. So, the employee can’t make important calls. Also, accounting staff, legal, human resources deal with details and sensitive information. So that, the employee needs both visual privacy and sound.
The study of employees in an open office space shows that security, privacy, noise, and control, are top of the list of workspace complaints. Most people follow these closely for tech connectivity issues. Also, it gives access to a common area like a break room or conference room. You have to know which types of these are more effective for your workplace.
2. Sketch out the open office ideas
After completing your employees’ needs, you have to explore different open office design ideas for selecting a layout. And, start this process with the hard copy of your present office floor plan. Also, you can make different copies or you can affix them on a poster board. And, use the tracing paper overlays, for sketching the layout options. If you want more than the paper sketches, or you do not have a copy of the existing floor plan, use it online. You can choose plenty of layouts online.
3. Stay flexible
Sometimes your layout, choosing experience pushback from employees or managers. Maybe your design is too cavernous or open, and they don’t like it. So, don’t try to solve the problem immediately with walls or, adding static. Rather, try to solve the problem in a flexible way. So that, the delivers separation doesn’t lose the spirit of the open space.
You can explore the options like sound dampening fabric panels or attractive whiteboards. It will also make the privacy of the areas. Also, you can add double-duty office furniture such as large file cabinets. So, it creates demi- walls and keeps storage.
Above all, ensure that your plan or layout solves the inherent problems in an open office atmosphere. Mostly, privacy, security, and noise are the main problem in an open office. So, here we will help you with effective solutions to these problems and other essential open office layouts.
4. Select perfect surface
In an open office space, floors, walls, and ceilings all things play an essential role. So, for your open office, you can use whiteboards as a wall. It’s helpful for a brainstorming or huddle room. Also, you have to use enough lighting and brightness to differentiate places from each other.
For example, a little space does not need much lighting or brightness. But a collaborative and open space needs proper lighting and surface brightness. It will create interest among people and engage people more.
If you change the height of the surface and go from the open surface it may bring the scale down. So, your mind obviously understands that there is something different about that location vs. this location you are walking through.
Also, we will suggest you use finishes or flooring to set spaces apart. The textural and visual variations will help to the users know that they are entering a new space.
5. Consider office culture
Organizational culture is one of the best open office ideas. It’s an important part of an open office. If you know what your employee needs according to their culture then you can add stuff properly. Also, you have to keep in mind what’s essential for your employee or what they want. You can make conducting an organizational survey with your employees to ensure your modern office design pattern. So, the employees will have a chance to discuss the design. A successful open office design depends on the company’s willingness to tie with the new space.
Always choose those designs that will fit with your office culture and the employees are comfortable with this layout.
6. Focus on acoustics
In an open office space, you have to concern about noise and privacy. Excess noise can disturb you when you are working. The poor acoustic design will make it hard to concentrate on your work.
If you do not have any acoustical separation in your office, you will face an acoustical problem badly. The thing is employees have to adjust to this acoustic. Sometimes they put on headphones, make their calls in other areas, and talk slowly. Because there is no barrier in front of them. They adjust with this, but it’s a problem.
So, here are a few steps you can follow to improve your acoustic performance in an open place. Such as:
- Make a small enclosed space for meeting room.
- Try sound masking.
- Create a privacy pod or phone booth for private phone calls.
- Use acoustic retrofits like a baffle and panel
- Use light fixtures that are made with acoustic material.
7. Hide the wires
One of the best open office ideas is to organize your desk. All of the computers, monitors, phones, mice, chargers, and laptops decorate our typical office desk. So, the number of wires before us may quickly get out of our hands.
Reducing your visible clutter will help to reduce stress, and hide all the essential messy wires. Also, you can use binder clips to bind the wires together and can put them out of sight.
8. Label everything
It’s essential to label and organize everything besides you. You can use stuff like labeling cabinets. It will save your time and help to limit the number of barriers you get on the day. You can use a label in every little thing or big stuff like printer paper labels. So, people will stop asking you where is printer paper is ten million times in a day. In your cabinet or, the desk you can use the right label. So that, you can find stuff easily and people won’t bother you asking about stuff. Don’t stop organizing your desk. So, dive deep into your essential computer files to enhance your productivity to the high label. You can sort your essential files with the archive and project draft versus the final deliverables.
9. Make a landing pad
You can name the section of your office desk as your “landing pad”. Also, you can mark the desk area using a cutting board, decorative mat, or tray. Or, you can create a boundary, using some artistic tape. It is the best open office idea for separating your desk.
Now, this is the best place on your entire desk where you can put things on. Anything else stays in a cabinet or drawer. The rest of your office desk stays immaculate and unbroken and even your cell phone or a pencil.
But when your landing pad is full of stuff, you can put stuff back where it belongs before you keep out any more items. Keep the stuff on your desk that you only use once or twice a week. Try some office desk decor to help you free your desk from the clutter.
10. Use less sticky notes
Most people like to stick notes, but sometimes, we can find ourselves abusing them. The feeling of capturing a sticky note and marking something down feels so natural. Also, it is easy to realize why people fall victim to the sticky note clutter. The confusion you feel while you have twelve sticky notes stuck to your computer instead of a full-page list. It’s very essential for an open office space.
So, take a break from the sticky notes to end the clutter. And, return to stick when you are ready to devote yourself using a few each day. Also, your workspace may feel way little cluttered, and you will appreciate the sticky notes more than ever.
Bottom line
There are many open office ideas on trends. You may pick 1 or 2 of them, or you can try them all. If you can decide that this design is right for your open office, you are going to enjoy getting rid of the booth and making an open space office plan.
