Make the Most of Your Serviced Office Space: Setting Up Your Space

When it comes to designing the layout and décor of your office, the process is as much about inspiration as anything else. Here, Proper Office outline how you can set up your space for maximum impact and efficiency.

The first thing to do is identify the main goals you have in mind for the new space. You may want to prioritise collaboration, in which case you’ll want to ensure breakout areas and spaces that encourage and allow working together, such as a space large enough to hold bigger meetings, or somewhere where everyone can eat and have lunch meetings together.

Other possible objectives you may have in mind could be preparing for future growth, increasing productivity, projecting a certain brand and image to workers and clients, or making it a place that attracts and retains workers.

It’s a good idea to look at what other companies in your industry, or even within the same shared office space, are doing, so you can discover any best practices. Not only is this good for design, but for practical reasons, too. This inspiration can work both ways, too – Amazon’s recently built UK headquarters was designed to mirror the sort of flexible, shared office space Shoreditch built its reputation on.

You will also need to take into consideration the practical elements, such as ample space for technology and equipment, as well as enough storage and the security of the storage.

When it comes to the design, every decision can make a difference. The colour of your décor can dictate the mood, the openness of the kitchen can dictate how people move around it, how they socialise, and even effect their moods. Multiple studies have shown that employees based in offices with more creative, inviting décor are happier and more productive as a result.

Next, think about your employees, and how the nature of their roles dictates how they work. For example, open spaces that encourage collaboration are great for designers, but for those working intensely on their own work, having a space that prioritises concentration will be more effective.

One major factor to consider here is sound. It depends on how much leverage you have to design the office, but trying to keep at least one are separate for loud or private meetings, and keeping breakout areas away from desks, are a few ways to design the office with concentration in mind.

The design will also massively depend on the type of office you are moving into. If you are based in a shared office space, for example, you may have the layout already done for you. In this case, you can focus energy and budget on the décor. Do you want the office to be filled with fresh flowers, modern lighting or bookshelves full of books?

Again, this comes down to the nature of the business and what you want to encourage in employees, and how you want the office to make them feel. Regardless of whether they’re based in the headquarters of a large company or the sort of shared, serviced office Old Street has to offer, everyone works better in a space that’s been set up right.