Office design is the process of planning, organizing, and designing a workplace area including features such as color choices, layout, lighting elements and connectivity between employees. Hence, it is necessary to design all these elements effectively and appropriately to create an indoor environment that appeals to employees and attracts potential talent.
- Immerse yourself in nature
It is evident that nature can alleviate feelings of stress, improve concentration, enhance mental health, and enable us to focus better. With that mindset, keeping trees in an engaging workplace layout have the ability to lift our motivation, and help us feel relaxed and creative, which can bolster productivity. Moreover, incorporating indoor plants can breathe fresh air into the workspace which absolutely promotes workplace wellness.
- Allow natural light in.
There is no need to stress the importance of lighting in the working environment, but
getting natural light in the workspace is much more crucial for workplace
wellness. First, natural
light, especially morning light, can contribute to releasing stress and anxiety. As
PhD fellow Brenda Mc Mahon, MD, of the Neurobiology
Research Unit at the Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark said “The light simply improves the communication
between the regions of the brain that are central to our handling of emotions
such as stress and anxiety”. Second, sunlight causes our brains to
produce serotonin, a hormone that can improve mood by alleviating pain,
providing energy and making us feel happy and well-rested. This is really
important for people who spend most of the time focusing and working on
the computer.Thirdly, natural light benefits visions. To be more
specific, eyes will be less strained as we focus on our tasks like looking at
computers or working with too many numbers, datas on paper and the whiteboard.
Thanks to this, headaches and fatigue
are less likely to occur. Moreover, letting more natural light in can
help employers save energy and money significantly because it can help save energy and brighten a space without
using electricity.
- Noise reduction.
Even though we are social – beings with need in interaction and close-communication, there will be times that we have to take a step back and provide ourselves with private space and time to concentrate on the matter. Therefore, it is important to have private spaces that allow employees to not only reflect on themselves but also their tasks.
In addition, working in a noisy environment not only affects employee performance but also harms their health. Some tips can handle this problem such as using materials in the construction of walls that absorb or block sounds, using pleasant white sounds like water or birds chirping, placing pods and quiet zones in the office or work environment to create quiet or private locations.
- Integrating technology.
Technology in the workplace is nothing new. Designing
offices that integrate digital-based business processes and tech is the trend
here. Wires and clutter from desktops and conference rooms make
clients unsatisfied. Besides, by integrating tech into the environment,
employees can get down to business quickly which saves time significantly.