Four New Design Trends For The Workplace
The vast majority of America’s workforce has spent months working from home. So how has that changed people’s expectations for the workplace?
First and foremost, they want and need a safe and compelling workspace that’s more flexible, inspiring and helps them get work done. People also want more control over where and how they work. As a result, office designers need to create workspaces to fit a diverse set of needs in order to support the new ways people want to work. Here are four different trends that we’re seeing in the workspace.
1. Spaces that equally support individual and team work. It’s hard to have an inclusive work environment when people solely work from home. As people migrate part- or full-time back to the office, they will need office “neighborhoods” that promote both collaboration and individual work spaces.
2. Designs need to incorporate greater flexibility and mobility. In the past, design planning was all about permanent architecture and office settings. No more! Designers now need to create spaces that can morph and change as needed.
3. Both enclosed “me” spaces and open “we” spaces are a must. People who used to do individual work in more dense, open spaces now want more enclosure or shielding to control safety and privacy. Teams who used to work in enclosed conference rooms now want more open settings for a sense of safety and the flexibility to contract, expand and adjust their space depending upon the activities at hand. Designers have to reinvent collaboration spaces that don’t require four walls and a door. Individual spaces need to feel more protected.
4. Enhance the human experience through technology. Now that people and organizations are embracing hybrid working from office and home, remote collaboration is here to stay. To that end, designers need to create solutions for group and individual interactions that aren’t limited to laptops or phone. Sensing technology has to be embedded to support increasing data-driven or artificial intelligence-guided experiences.
We’re Here To Help
The office experts at Desks, Incorporated in Denver, Colorado have been helping Colorado businesses create the ideal workspaces since 1956. As office needs have changed, so have office furnishings and design. If you need to evolve your workspace to post-COVID-19 standards and expectations, talk to the experts at Desks, Incorporated.