Guest post- Workplace Design Trends!

This article is provided by Tara Simmons.




Designing workplaces today is much more interesting than it has been for decades. At Custer, the design team works the latest trends into
customer solutions - which often inspire new, thought provoking applications
for their spaces. 



We begin by examining the customer’s use of their square
footage. Older workplaces frequently have larger individual workstations/offices
and few team spaces. Reducing individual square footage and reallocating all or
some of that to shared spaces is very common in today’s workplace. These shared
spaces can include a variety of individual areas for focus work, very open
collaborative spaces, or any combination thereof. Designing a wide range of
individual to group settings frees employees to move around the office and work
in the areas that will best support the projects they are working on at that
time.



Encouraging employees to collaborate is a stated goal of
many of our customers, and a properly designed environment can help them
achieve this. Collaborative spaces include a variety of seating types, from
lounge to stand-up height - which allows a change in posture throughout the day,
minimizing stress on the body. Incorporating technology into these
collaborative areas is important in making the workplace successful. Outdated
offices often lack technology, which can make collaborating difficult and
inefficient.



Employees respond positively to inviting environments.  Natural light and views play a big part in developing
a more enjoyable working environment which is why glass walls are frequently
incorporated into the workplace. Worker
satisfaction is very important to us at Custer. 



Individual workspaces have become more compact partly
because technology has drastically changed and does not require larger work
surfaces. Technology has also allowed workers to become more mobile and less
tethered to a specific workstation. Unassigned benching stations are becoming
more common for mobile workers and really assist in lowering square footage requirements
for workspaces. They can be made available on a first come first service basis
or placed on a reservable system depending on the customer’s needs. Those
workstations that still incorporate panels or walls tend to have them lowered as
it allows for natural light to enter the space and encourages improved
communication among employees.



When our customers plan to make large changes in their work
environment, we encourage them to have plenty of employee involvement. The more
input employees have, the more buy-in they will have for the new workspace.
Communication is a key factor to a project’s success. Once implemented, we
encourage our customers to orient employees to their new space. Communicating
the intent of a new space and all the benefits it brings to the employees will
help them understand that the new office furniture
and the office itself have been designed specifically for their use. Designing
a proper environment and open communication can result in happier employees!