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Although they do not change as rapidly as fashion or home styles, office design goes through trends and phases of popular fads too.

Whether it is the layout, the colour or the size, the design of an office can influence the productivity and morale of staff and a memorable office design could keep you in the minds of prospective clients.

I have put together a guide to the office trends that we are currently seeing and how they affect the way we work as individuals and as a team.

Open work spaces

It is thought that people tend to work more productively and creatively when they can engage and bounce off other people. This is why open work spaces are becoming more popular for teams, so that people feel comfortable and not so boxed in. Although some jobs may require higher levels of privacy and lower levels of noise, people generally work better in an open environment.

Collaborative work spaces

An open work space can be further enhanced by a collaborative work space, in which colleagues and separate teams can work together and get involved in one another’s work, therefore enhancing creativity, productivity and awareness. Low panels and glass tiles are commonly used within this layout, so that people can see one another and engage.

Small work spaces

Due to the economic downturn, many people are being forced to purchase smaller offices or downsizing their current space. This means that there is less space for individual employees to work, therefore many businesses are designing their smaller offices in a way that uses every inch of space and can be quite cosy and quaint in their design.

Integrated technology

Because open plan and collaborative work spaces are becoming more popular, the need for integrated technology within teams is an absolute must. Because people are not separated into different offices, there now needs to be one single technological system in place for a whole work force.

Integrated staff

More and more senior staff are choosing not to sit in their own office, but to be among their staff so that they are more available to their employees and have a further understanding of what is going on on the ground level. This is not only great for productivity, but is a wonderful way of saving space that could be used for collaborative areas like a staff room, meeting room or touchdown room.

Becky recently redesigned her company’s office and was looking for a company that offered an office fit out in London, she found Metre Squared Interiors.

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