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7 Helpful Tips to Create an Office Space Layout That Increases Productivity


On average, employees are only productive 60% of their workday — and sometimes, even less.

Many things distract employees at work. From chatty co-workers to the internet and phone use, more employees are less connected to their work.

Don’t worry — there are ways you can work around these distractions.

A surprising productivity method is creating a work-savvy office design. From open spaces for collaboration to plenty of sunlight and color, these factors inspire employees and help them produce their best work.

Not sure where to start with your new office space layout? Here are 7 tips to get you started!

1. Use Color

Color impacts us more than we think. A certain color can influence our mood, our behavior, and other factors that can affect the way we work. Using the right colors in your office design can make or break an employee’s productivity.

Which colors should you choose? Red, green, and blue are some of the best options. Brown is one of the worst but can work for a company that uses brown in their branding.

What if your walls and décor are stock white? White has a clean and sleek look that works for just about every business office. However, you should still mix up white walls with paintings or even colored furniture.

2. Office Space That Boosts Collaboration and Independent Working

The closed vs open office space debate lives on. However, many businesses are switching to a space that boosts both collaboration and independent working.

Closed office spaces, such as the cubicle, boost autonomy and cut out outside distractions. But they’re isolating and are synonymous with the stereotypical “office layout.”

This is why open offices became trendy. Open offices boost collaboration, they make work a fun environment, and your employees are overall happier in an open space rather than closed up in cubicle walls.

However, open spaces cause more distractions. In addition, this workplace design isn’t preferred by introverts and those who prefer working independently.

Fortunately, there’s a middle ground — creating a workspace that combines closed and open spaces. Each employee can have their own cubicle-like area but they’re also free to work at the larger office space or even in another room.

3. Sit With Your Staff

This is especially important if you have an open or flexible work environment, as stated in the previous tip. As a boss, do you sit in your huge office in isolation all day? Ditch your castle-like office and sit with your staff.

This helps your staff get to know you better, there’s more transparency, you can see how your staff works and interacts with each other, and you’re seen as another member of the team as opposed to the head honcho.

What if you get easily distracted by your staff? Use the flexible working example. Mix up your workday by working in your office part of the day and sitting with your staff the other part of the day.

4. Add Natural Light

This study found that increasing the amount of natural light in the office improves an employees’ health and wellness.

There are a couple of different ways to add more natural light to the office. If you have plenty of windows, remove the blinds and let the sunlight pour in. You can also add more windows throughout the office so your staff has plenty of light.

There are also natural light alternatives if windows aren’t an option. Halogen bulbs produce the white light similar to sunlight and are more powerful than traditional lightbulbs.

5. Don’t Be Too Unique

Modern-day businesses are competing to offer the most fun and unique office space. And it’s no wonder why — the average worker sits in a cubicle for 8+ hours a day. Why not make their job a little more fun?

While it’s important to host a creative and innovative workspace, an office space that’s too unique will distract employees.

Don’t build an employee playground or something equivalent, avoid drinking alcohol at the office, and leave the video games at home.

Instead, boost productivity by focusing on stimulating creativity. Display art in the office, play upbeat music and go on staff walks to loosen up after a hard day.

Speaking of walking…

6. Offer Plenty of Movement

Sitting down for long periods of time can impact an employee’s productivity but also their health. Prolonged sitting causes health issues such as weight gain and can even have an impact on your cardiovascular health.

Constant sitting also affects your employee’s productivity. Standing and walking helps keep the blood pumping, the movement increases serotonin in the brain, and everyone will feel more alert and creative.

If you have the time, host employee walks.

Instead of working through your lunch break, take an hour to walk around the office and surrounding area. If you don’t have time to host an employee walk, create an office layout with enough space for movement.

If your office is smaller, offer additional movement options such as a standing or treadmill desk.

7. Display Plants

You don’t need to have a whole botanical garden in your office.

Rather, display some beneficial indoor plants or encourage your staff to bring in their own succulents and display them on their desk. This not only helps create a healthy distraction but your staff will also feel good helping a plant thrive.

Plants help purify the air. They also add a little bit of life; invite the staff to take turns caring for the plant. Indoor plants are also beautiful and help add a little pop of décor to any office space.

Create the Most Productive Office Space Layout

Ideally, your staff is constantly wired and productive, creating an effective workspace. But we’re only human and we get distracted. Unfortunately, too many distractions can waste precious business time and money.

Surprisingly, your office space layout can cause laziness. Use these tips to create the most productive office design.

Need more office décor and design help? We offer plenty more tips on office design as well as other business topics. Continue reading our blog!



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