Designing a Collaborative Office Space to Ignite Creativity and Productivity at Work

Designing a Collaborative Office Space SitOnIt Seating Collaboration

The collaborative office space is a growing trend in today’s modern workspaces, with its importance and popularity gaining much momentum especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. These spaces are designed to foster teamwork, communication, and creativity among employees. 

What is a Collaborative Space?

What is the collaborative space definition? Collaborative office spaces are specially designed areas where individuals can come together, share ideas, and work towards a common goal. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of collaborative spaces, the type of office furniture needed, and why it’s important to have in the office, especially after Covid.Designing a Collaborative Office Space Arcadia TOOtheLOUNGE Seating
Photo: Arcadia TOOtheLOUNGE Seating

Both Arcadia TOOaPICNIC and TOOtheLOUNGE Seating can provide great setups for a collaborative area.  Their innovative booth-like designs and built-in worksurface tables offer a haven for small groups to share ideas and work, while minting some quiet and privacy.

Designing a Collaborative Office Space Arcadia TOOaPICNIC Lounge
Photo: Arcadia TOOaPICNIC Lounge Seating

Benefits of the Collaborative Office Space

Collaborative spaces provide numerous benefits to employees and the organization as a whole. These benefits include increased creativity, enhanced communication, heightened productivity and improved employee satisfaction.

Inspire Company Creativity

A great advantage of offering a collaborative office space to your employees is having a designated area for them to brainstorm, exchange information and share ideas.  This cultivates creativity and innovation, which then leads to developing new products and services.

Collaborative Office Interiors that Spark Communication

A collaborative workspace helps to break down communication barriers and encourage employees to share their thoughts and ideas openly. This leads to better communication among team members and helps to build strong relationships.

Designing a Collaborative Office Space OFS Lotive Tables
Photo: OFS Lotive Tables

The Lotive Table from OFS is efficient and streamlined, light enough to transport anywhere.  With many whimsical colors available, workers can easily have their own individual Lotive Table set up in front of them as they work together in groups.

Heighten Office Productivity

Setting up a collaborative area with the appropriate collaborative office furniture can provide a conducive environment for employees to work together towards a common goal. This leads to increased productivity and better performance.

Achieve Improved Employee Satisfaction

Smart space planning and the right furniture selection are important.   A comfortable, well-thought out collaborative office layout can help to create a sense of community among employees, leading to improved job satisfaction and engagement.

Designing a Collaborative Office Space Loftwall Rooms Wall System
Photo: Loftwall Rooms Wall System

Loftwall Rooms Wall System can help carve out spaces in your office, to designate areas for collaboration.  With three space models available and nine standard typicals to choose from, you can configure a set up that’s as private or open as you need it to be.

Collaborative Office Furniture

The type of collaborative office furniture needed in a collaborative office space depends on the type of activity that will be taking place in the space. When planning a collaborative office design, some common furniture items that must be considered include:

1. Office Seating: A collaborative office space design require comfortable seating that can accommodate different people and activities. Seating options may include lounge chairs, sofas, and benches.

2. Office Tables: These spaces require tables that can accommodate different types of collaborative work activities. Tables may include occasional or cafe tables, standing tables, and conference tables.

3. Office Storage: A collaborative office space design requires storage options for items such as books, files, and equipment. Storage options may include shelves, cabinets, and drawers.

4. Office Accessories and Technology: Collaborative spaces require accessories and technology that can support collaborative work activities. This may include large screens, video conferencing equipment, and whiteboards.

Designing a Collaborative Office Space Scale 1to1 MonoLink Space Divider
Photo: Scale 1:1 MonoLink Space Divider

Scale 1:1 Marc Marker Board and MonoLink Space Divider are great for brainstorming and sharing ideas, as well as providing separation and privacy.  While the Catalina Work Island from DeskMakers offer a collaborative worksurface with built in storage below.  Its also on wheels for quick impromptu meetings, and can be moved easily from room to room.

Designing a Collaborative Office Space DeskMakers Catalina Work Island
Photo: DeskMakers Catalina Work Island

Importance of Collaborative Spaces After Covid

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we work and interact with each other. As we continue to adjust to the new normal, appropriate covid office furniture in collaborative space design has become more important than ever. Some important reasons for collaborative covid office solutions are: to address ongoing office social distancing that still exist in some offices; improve office flexibility to support remote or work-from-home workers; promote mental health; and inspire company growth and innovation.  Enwork’s Skyline Screen allows social distancing at work while meeting with others by providing clear barricades to be set up on table tops.

1. Social Distancing: With the need for social distancing in some businesses still existing, a specially designed collaborative office space provides a safe environment where employees can work together while maintaining a safe distance.

2. Flexibility: Collaborative spaces provide flexibility in terms of work arrangements. With remote work becoming more common, these spaces provide a space where employees can come together and work on projects when needed.

3. Mental Health: Provide an environment where employees can interact with each other and build relationships. Collaborative spaces help to promote mental health and wellbeing, especially during times of stress and uncertainty, as well as ongoing remote work that typically isolate employees.

4. Innovation: Collaborative spaces provide an environment where employees can come together and share ideas. Oftentimes, it’s the act of interaction and collaboration among peers and colleagues that help spark new discoveries.  This leads to innovation and the development of new products and services.Designing a Collaborative Office Space Rouillard Coast Media Table
Photo: Rouillard Coast Media Table

The Rouillard Coast Media Table provides a flexible and informal collaborative office setup, perfect for video-conferencing and brainstorming with others.  Available in 3 sizes and multiple finishes, you can customize its fabric and colors to match any style. Enjoy its high-quality sound-absorbing properties for great acoustics, and wire management for instant connectivity.

Designing Your Collaborative Office Interiors

Collaborative spaces have become an essential part of modern offices, providing numerous benefits to employees and the organization as a whole.  Remember that the collaborative office layout you design, along with the collaborative space furniture you choose, are critical in creating an office space that doesn’t only look attractive and pleasing—but one that works! 

Need Collaborative Space Ideas?

As we continue to adjust to the new normal, the collaborative office space has become more important than ever, providing a safe environment, flexibility, mental health benefits, and opportunities for innovation.  If you need collaborative space ideas and guidance, the experts at 2010 Office Furniture can help—with more than a combined half-century of working with clients who are among Southern California’s largest corporations, nonprofit organizations, and robust small businesses.

Contact them with your space planning and furnishing needs, to make your office workspace not only more functional, but a desirable place to work.

Read Also: Design and Plan Your Office for Collaboration and Inspiration
Main Photo: SitOnIt Seating Collaboration Setup
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Arcadia, DeskMakers, OFS, Rouillard, Scale 1:1 & SitOnIt Seating

Why These May be the Best Office Furniture Trends Ever

Best Office Furniture Trends Stylex Trim Table

Professional offices are experiencing lasting changes after Covid shutdowns scattered employees who stayed connected through online meetings and other forms of technology. The office functioned outside the walls of the corporate headquarters. Hybrid work arrangements have become normal for many with the corporate office taking on a new role as a hub.  With all these significant work style changes, let’s examine the best office furniture trends, now not just for the main office but also for the home.

Companies in Southern California are adjusting well. In Culver City, Creator IQ allows employees to balance remote work with the main office being a supportive location where there are special times to come in and focus. Offices need to re-think spaces and create a desired destination spot instead of just being a place where people are told to work.

Is there an upside? Yes.

Companies are discovering the best office furniture trends ever. These provide comfort, allow for collaboration, and provide flexibility with hybrid work schedules.

Read on to get ideas to refresh your office, furnish for greater productivity, and give your team an inviting reason to be in the office.

Best Office Furniture Trends: Dynamic Office Spaces

A popular office furniture trend is allowing for inter-office movement.

Photo: Friant System 2 Workstations

Your team may begin at their workstations but decide to move to a more informal area with lounge seating or even the breakroom where they can work on their laptops or take personal calls. Formal conference rooms are giving way to informal group spaces.

Offices can certainly have defined space, but with open layouts and hybrid work arrangements, they’ve become dynamic. Support the changes using the best office furniture.

Best Office Furniture Trends: Collaborative Furniture

Photo: DeskMakers TeamWorx Open Plan Benching

Open office layouts were meant to spur collaboration, but the effort was met with mixed reviews. People need privacy, too.

Photo: OFS Staks Workstations

Cubicles that were seen as dull and gray were redesigned for small group sharing and privacy. One of the best office furniture trends is the ability to have collaboration while at the same time not disturbing others who are working.

Photo: OFS Aptos Open Plan Benching

Bench seating solutions can bring people together for a few hours—while encouraging movement to other areas as needed. Encourage an ebb and flow of work communication.

Resimercial: The Personable Yet Professional Office

Make the office a home away from home. This has been one of the best office furniture trends taking place for the past few years, even before the Covid shutdown occurred.

Resimercial simply combines the look and feel of residential spaces with the durability and professionalism of commercial spaces.

Why is this popular?

Our culture has become more informal and relational while offices are less hierarchical than ever. Employees feel comfortable in a work environment where they can sip coffee while sitting on furniture that have the touches of home, including the fabrics.

Interiors to Brand Your Company

Resimercial isn’t the only design option, though. It’s possible to brand your interior in a way that reflects your company’s overall brand image and design. The promise made to customers on the outside can be made to employees on the inside.

2010 Office has an Inspirations page where you can easily see some of the best office furniture trends in use.

Photo: ODS Lift Height Adjustable Workstations

A minimalist approach is taken with the Scandinavian office while open offices can have a modern industrial look and feel.

Offices in Southern California and nationally make use of local flavors. In Pittsburgh, Google’s office design made a splash when it set up shop more than a decade ago in the 100-year-old Nabisco building. Designers kept some of the original brick, installed industrial-looking catwalks, and had a large picture of the Smithfield Street bridge.

Touchdown: Creating Office Spaces for a Breather

With people coming and going, offices need touchdown spaces. This is another trend where individuals can step aside from noise and distractions to focus or take a break.

Photo: Rouillard Blok Lounge Seating

Small groups of employees who want a meeting away from the formal conference room can use modular lounge furniture to accommodate just a few people, or if need be, make room for a larger group. Make use of moveable whiteboards for charting.

Remote workers stopping in for meetings can use touchdown spaces to work or collaborate while waiting for the official meeting to begin.

Integrated Technology

There’s no escaping our connected worlds and the rapid flow of information. Offices with hybrid schedules and remote workers are making greater use of video conferencing than ever before.

Set aside specific spaces like the OFS Obeya Architectural Structures that are tastefully designed and house necessary technology.

Natural Light and Ergonomic Accessories

Another trend isn’t furniture but it promotes well-being. Maximizing the amount of natural light in a space is proven to be an effective way to boost morale and aid in promoting a healthy sleep cycle for employees.

Use ergonomic lighting accessories to focus the right amount of light at workstations and reduce problems associated with eye strain.

Home Office Furniture Trends

Equipping the home office is another of the best office furnishing trends and has become more important than ever. Some remote workers are full-time while others split time between the corporate office and home office.

Work-from-home furnishings include items that corporate headquarters will have. Sit-to-stand desks and ergonomic chairs can be as useful in a remote office as they are in the home office.

Make sure printers are accessible but not in the way and that the space stays uncluttered with the proper amount of storage.

Stay Up to Date on Best Office Furniture Trends and Office Furnishings

Rely on the team at 2010 Office Furniture to keep you up to date with the best office furniture trends and to plan your office space so you use it well. 2010 Office staff have more than 50 years of combined experience and have served clients who are counted among Southern California’s most recognizable corporations, centers of higher education, and small businesses.

Contact them with your specific project needs and questions.

Read Also: NeoCon 2022 Trends: The Future of Office Furniture
Main Photo: Stylex Trim Table
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: DeskMakers, Friant, ODS, OFS, Rouillard & Stylex