Good office design should be comfortable as well as functional. Group employees together based on the functions they perform and near equipment they frequently use. It makes no sense to put an attorney’s office assistant on the opposite side of the building – that ensures inefficient practices and frustration. Similarly, asking a receptionist to travel to another floor in a building to access a frequently-used copier should be avoided if possible.
Be sure that each employee has adequate space in which to work. If an employee’s job calls for working with large blueprints or design files, they should have sufficient available space to spread those documents out. Comfortable chairs that support proper ergonomic positioning can help reduce aches and pains. Ergonomics is the science of improving products and processes to help people avoid injury.
Studies have shown that colors like green and blue help employees perform more efficient, focused work. Red is typically believed to induce feelings of intensity or alarm, while yellow creates feelings of optimism.
Consider the work that you do and how you want to be perceived among office visitors when choosing colors that work best for your space. Let color guide your decoration choices as well, and choose pieces that represent your work or image: playful pieces for a start-up or savvy marketing firm, or more subdued choices for a corporate office or law firm.
