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Planning and Designing Distinct Office Spaces to Motivate Employees and Boost Productivity

Planning distinct office spaces in a corporate office environment can balance the need for stability while allowing for changes in scenery. This way, employees can work within their routines without letting the familiar patterns grow stale and stifling.

An office is a place to accomplish work and tasks by interacting with others. Having distinct work areas gives people the opportunity to find the best environment suited for them at specific moments.

The types of spaces needed to offer refreshing changes are centered around categories that are transferable from one industry to another:

An entrance or reception area
Individual places to focus (a workstation or desk)
Gathering spaces for highly structured meetings and informal meetings
Breakrooms

How those specific areas are planned, designed, and furnished depends on your company’s specific needs.

Look into the variety of office environments on the 2010 Office Inspirations page to browse space utilization, furnishings, and color schemes.

Let’s look at some different types so you can see what to adapt.

A Fast-Paced Entrepreneurial Office

Some office environments are fast-paced like public relations firms in Orange County working on deadlines or production studios in Burbank churning out the next show for Netflix, Amazon, or the networks.

Close collaboration is needed when ideas are tossed around like confetti at the Rose Parade.

A few workstations clustered together may work best in this environment. Accessories like whiteboards and bookcases can define boundaries around the space, especially in an open floor plan.

Working intensely hour after hour throughout the day can become counterproductive.

Provide an area to relax in and step away by using the best modular lounge furniture. The different distinct office spaces can be right next to each other but the way they’re arranged changes an employee’s expectations and mindset.

THE WORK SETTING

The workstations may be a simple open-plan benching solution like the ODS Artiv Open Plan Benching with privacy screens. It’s easy to have rapid-fire chatter and discussions happening while developing marketing campaigns or scripts.

Photo: DeskMakers Hover Height Adjustable Table

Or someone may want to stand and use a height-adjustable desk while a colleague may prefer sitting.

Photo: DeskMakers Narrative Meeting Table

Look into the compact DeskMakers Narrative Meeting Table which is great for charting ideas.

Where do you go when ideas don’t flow and more personal time is necessary?

THE LOUNGE SETTING

Create a lounge space where people can literally take off their shoes and put their feet up.

Photo: Encore Seating Clipse Lounge

Consider the Encore Clipse Lounge Seating arrangement with a timeless look.

You can provide different spaces that are adjacent by easily shifting focus from group interactions to an individualized focus.

An Established Professional Firm

The appearance and functionality of a legal firm, educational institution, or engineering company working on a contract in Southern California should convey trust and high degrees of expertise.

The atmosphere may not have a frenetic pace like a startup but the need for utilizing different spaces still exists, especially if clients stop in for meetings.

THE WORK SETTING

Look into the Private Executive Office for both individual focus and a small team meeting space.

Stylish cubicles can offer the privacy needed for going over documents with clients or partners.

Photo: HON Accelerate Workstation

Photo: Friant System 2 Workstation

The HON Accelerate Workstation or the Friant System 2 Workstation are easily installed and can be configured to accommodate an individual or a few people.

Use architectural walls from Trendway for conference rooms so the space feels inviting and not closed off.

Choose conference tables that elicit discussion and allow attendees to remain focused.

THE LOUNGE SETTING

What’s the best plan for a lounge area in a more subdued office setting?

The Enwork Adventure Table fits well into the design of an office with a Modern Industrial theme. This could enhance the office look and functionality where it’s located in a place like the Arts District near downtown Los Angeles.

Use the Cherryman Emerald Conference table for a classic appearance.

How about lounges?

Photo: Krug Leyton Lounge Seating

The Krug Leyton Lounge Seating offers high-class comfort. Arrange the seating with indoor office plants and floor lamps for a sense of privacy without feeling closed in.

A lounge can also be a library with an assortment of hard copy publications, a flat screen monitor, and compact tables to enjoy discussions with coffee or over lunch.

Make It Work For You

The best design for your office setting is the type where employees can interact with each other while having a place for uninterrupted work time when needed.

Plenty of options exist to equip your space that supports your brand and your company’s goals. The team at 2010 Office Furniture is available to help you plan it well.

Rely on Expertise for Designing Distinct Office Spaces

Contact the team at 2010 Office Furniture for planning your space and equipping corporate offices and remote work locations like home offices.

Get input based on more than a half-century of combined experience working with clients who are among Southern California’s most distinguished corporations, universities, and small businesses.

Read Also: Office Design Layout Best Practices
Main Photo: Global Princeton Workstation
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: DeskMaker, Encore Seating, Friant, Global, HON and Krug

Planning an Office that Adapts to the Differing Needs of Employees

Adapting to Employees Allermuir Pause Seating

Your company may have one clear mission and vision statement, but your team is a mix of personalities, body types, schedules, and commutes. Creating an office space and adapting to employees needs is critical for a successful working environment.

In this age of hybrid schedules and remote working you may have an office space in downtown LA near LA Live and have some employees who live in the Arts District. Others may drive in once or twice a week from the High Desert or Palm Springs.

Some like to stand. Some like to sit—anywhere in the office.

You may have a conference room, but you can also benefit from lounge furniture that can be arranged and re-arranged as needed. It’s an age of multi-use furnishings that serve the dynamics of your office environment.

Let’s see how to design for a range of personalities.

Adapting to Employees’ Physical and Emotional Needs

You can customize your office in many different ways, like equipping for people who have different physical needs and those who have different working habits and styles.

Say you have a finance department where one person likes to sit and another needs to stand for brief periods of time. Height-adjustable desks can be the solutions you need.

Adapting to Employees DeskMakers Ascend Workstation

Photo: Deskmakers Ascend Height Adjustable Workstation

The look and feel of a height-adjustable desk can vary dramatically from one model to another. The DeskMakers Ascend Height Adjustable Desk has a minimalistic appearance. It adjusts easily from one position to another within seconds and comes with many different finishes.

Adapting to Employees Drug Artemis Desk
Photo: Krug Artemis Height Adjustable Desk

For an executive vibe, check the Krug Artemis Height Adjustable Desk.

Get input from your employees so they have buy-in. Ask about their preferences and how they’d like to be accommodated.

Adapting to Employees’ In-Office Working Habits

Not everyone likes to sit at a workstation all day. A change of scenery can help some people be more creative while others prefer stretch breaks and working at different locations throughout the day.

How do you handle the preferences?

HON Abound Workstation
Photo: HON Abound Height Adjustable Workstation

For those who prefer one place to sit and work, equip them with plenty of surface area and set aside boundaries for personal space. The HON Abound Height Adjustable Workstation is a high-tech solution that has numerous configurations. It comes with a wide range of finish options.

Adapting to Employees DARRAN Honey Workspace
Photo: Darran Honey Workspace

A unique solution that’s available is the DARRAN Honey Workspace.

Different styles of cubicles or desks with privacy screens can define personal workspaces and help provide focus.

The Loftwell Split Space Divider can easily fit in new or existing floor plans and it’s also an option for home offices that need separation between personal and professional spaces.

Photo: DeskMakers Synapse Workstations

Does someone need to get away inside the office?

Set aside a lounge area where people can go to answer phones or take their laptops and work. Here are ideas for furnishing the space.

Photo: Allermuir Famiglia Chairs

Use a combination of seating that allows for semi-private conversations and impromptu or planned small-group meetings. A modular seating area that can be arranged and used at the last minute has a distinct advantage over a more formal conference room. It doesn’t have to be reserved and it’s easy to arrange for a small group and then rearrange for the next use.

Look into the ERG International Brighton Modular Lounge Seating, a daring modernization of gathering and meeting spaces.

Adapting to Hybrid and Remote Employees

In many companies, full-time workers may be in the corporate office full-time while others either work remotely or work a hybrid schedule.

Equipping the office to adapt to these schedules includes having flexible office spaces where hybrid and remote workers can settle when they come into the office for meetings. This space can also be used as an area with video conferencing tools for virtual meetings.

What’s a flexible office space?

It could be similar to the lounge area with tables that can easily be set up and taken down when not in use.

It could also be a workstation that’s kept available and is reserved for those who come in for two or three days out of the week.

Adapting to Employees Nevins Volo Media Table
Photo: Nevins Volo Media Table

Install the video conferencing space and tools that are right for you, like the OFS Obeya Architectural Structures or a media table like the Nevins Volow Media Table that fits in any size office space.

You may have a range of people to work with and a variety of expectations to meet, so choose the furnishings that let you adapt to the various needs and create a unified team.

Trust Experience

The team at 2010 Office Furniture has more than a combined 50 years of experience designing offices and adapting to employees needs. Trust our experts who’s worked in creating modern office spaces and furnishing clients who are among Southern California’s most successful corporations, universities, and small businesses.

Contact 2010 Office Furniture for input on getting as much value as possible from your office environment.

Read Also: Your Guide to the Best Training Furniture for the Office
Main Photo: Deskmakers Synapse Workstation
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Allermuir, DARRAN, Deskmakers, HON, Krug, Nevins

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Designing Your Workplace to Channel Stress into Productivity

Effects of workplace stress compound and will chip away at morale if left unchecked. A stress-filled office hurts communication channels, impedes decision-making systems, and ultimately threatens a company’s well-being.

Let’s look at the outer and internal factors causing stress and use workplace design to turn stressful forces into productive results.

Stress in the Workplace – Outside Factors

Operating profitably and gaining market share in previous economies was always challenging.

Suddenly, in 2020, the Covid-19 shutdown hit companies with sudden stress that no one had ever experienced before. Large and small businesses throughout Southern California were forced to respond.

The manager of The Derby restaurant in Arcadia, a well-known local landmark, was quoted by the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce in a video presentation as saying the moment was unprecedented during 98 years of operating.

Fortunately, some systems were already in place like webinars that were used for instructional and promotional purposes. Many offices had been using modular workstations and open office spaces with flexible designs.

Photo: Darran Chameleon Workspace

Working remotely became necessary and normal, and the use of Zoom quickly turned into a well-used meeting platform.

Photo: Senator Group Play AV Media Table

Outside forces that are global or ones that pertain to specific industries will always be a cause of some stress. Stressors can come from inside as well.

Stress in the Workplace – Internal Factors

Clients changing specs on a project, miscommunication, and the complexities of personal lives are just a few of the stressors within the workplace.

Equipment not working, fuzzy goals, and changes in personnel all contribute to stress.

Use Planned Engagement to Reduce Office Stress

Engage your team in their tasks with a purposeful design and space plan that accounts for the overall company goals, the needs of departments, and the needs of employees.

Flexible seating, room for personal space, and furnishings that assist team members in completing tasks lend to an engaging environment.

Photo: Source International Scape HB Booth

Incorporating elements of the company’s history and the surrounding neighborhoods creates continuity of purpose and place.

Take a fresh look at the many design options that reduce stress with the use of pleasing colors, the ability to incorporate your brand, and maximizing nature. Engagement should begin when people first step into the office.

A Sleek Welcome

A reception area shouldn’t act like a barrier between outsiders and the interior office space. Create a pleasing first impression where visitors feel welcome to linger in the waiting area. Modular seating and a sleek reception table add to the comfort.

Photo: Arcadia Scenery Modular Lounge

Build Stress Relievers into Your Plan

Make systems “calming to the nervous system,” advises the director of the American Institute of Stress in a 2019 article on Buildings.com How to Design to Reduce Workplace Stress.

Flexible seating with privacy booths and mobile partitions is one strategy while designing with nature is another.

Photo: Friant Shield Freestanding Panels

Keep it Green

Green spaces reduce stress.

A University of Edinburgh study in 2012 concluded that for every one percent increase in green space there was a corresponding decline in stress levels.

More green space helps people respond better to disruptive events, either by not getting as stressed in the first place or by coping in as healthy a way as possible.

See what a green office design can do for your environment.

Photo: Stylex Free Address Series

Ergonomics

Ensure that your team is able to use their workstations, chairs, desks, and accessories to easily accomplish their purposes. This reduces the toll of physical stress.

Excessive workplace stress causes 120,000 deaths and results in nearly $190 billion in health care costs each year, as the American Psychological Association found in their 2018 Stress in America survey.

Use chairs that support the body’s weight and natural movements so stress on knees, elbows, and the lower back remains at a minimum level.

Height-adjustable desks position laptops and desktop computers at the right level for each individual user, allowing for proper posture and reducing strain on the eyes and wrists.

Maximize Light

Letting in as much natural light as possible keeps your team on a natural rhythm of being active at work while promoting restful sleep cycles at home. Natural light is a perk that’s valued by many employees.

Rely on 2010 Office Expertise to Help Reduce Workplace Stress

You may decide to refresh your office or plan a completely new layout. The team at 2010 Office Furniture has a combined half-century of experience working with Southern California’s most distinguished companies.

2010 Office Furniture’s clients are leading corporations, universities, and small businesses in greater Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.

Read Also: Easy Ways to Reduce Office Stress and Create a Welcoming Atmosphere
Main Photo: OFS GrowUp Planter
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Arcadia Contract, Darran, Friant, OFS Brands, Senator Group, Source International and Stylex

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