Next generation office design | WindowArt

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Office design has come a long way since felt-covered, chip wood cubicles and colour pallets of grey, brown and blue. Today’s workspace is about think tanks, interactive environments and embracing the changing workforce. The young’uns are absorbing information far quicker than the older generation and they have higher expectations of their employers. Employees are being forced to consider creating an office environment that attends to the needs of their upcoming workforce. The next generation of office design includes ideas that delight and this can be seen in many new offices nowadays.

Here are some office design ideas that have positively affected the work environment in many corporates across the board:

Next generation office design sets the tone for increased mobility.

Considering that new technology is constantly being developed and the pending concept of ‘The Internet of Things’ is set to come to fruition soon, office design has started to support mobility in the workplace. Spaces for collaboration are created for those who are in office and technological features are set up for conferencing with all necessary staff no matter where they are operating from.

There is an increase in the demand for efficiency.

The functionality of the company now determines how workspace is used and not the other way around. Work processes define the architecture and layout of the office design, thereby optimising the use of the space to support operations. Shared spaces are gaining popularity and the use of dividers or partitions to create a spontaneous, cordoned-off area has gained a following.

Office design meets creative interior décor.

The traditional idea of creating a neutralised space within which people can simply get on with their work is outdated. There is a call for creativity in office design that sets out to promote productivity, inspire a specific work culture and underpin feelings of wellbeing in all staff using the workspace. Corporate branding has become more than just the company name on the front door. Banding exercises include quotes, jokes and even individual words spread across the office that hint at the nature of the business and of its people. Glass has become a popular material to use as it can be easily branded and decked out with frosted decals of a creative nature.

The health of the business is directly linked to the health of the staff.

More than ever before, companies are now focused on the health of their staff. Next generation office design indicates just how important it is to keep your staff happy, healthy and well. New age office design encourages the use of ergonomic furnishings, collaborative spaces for meetings or think tanks that offer comfort to suit and a blending of the outdoors with the interior. This includes standing meeting tables, treadmills with desks, expansive glass windows facing the outdoors and wellness programs such as weekly yoga, trail runs or outer city getaways.

New age office design supports a good attitude and a strong connection between all staff members. Gone are the days of clocking in and out to make up hours and being holed up in a fluorescent, grey box.

Glass is such a modern material that is widely used in new office design and it is versatile enough to be used really creatively for branding exercises. Often times, business owners create office spaces with glass walls or mobile glass partitions which are then branded through frosted vinyl decals. The Window Art Office Design and Corporate Branding Guide can take you through the various ideas that make the best use of glass and frosted vinyl decals in the work environment.

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