As we have seen workplaces shift increasingly from traditional office layouts to open plan spaces in the last few decades, personalisation has now become the focus of designers. The way we are working has changed, we are becoming more and more mobile and designers recognise the need to capture the organisation's DNA, to understand employees and the way they carry out their day-to-day job. They also acknowledge that our work environment undeniably impacts our mood and productivity.
Let's have a look at what 2017 has in store for us.
- Embracing technology: smart offices embrace and integrate technologies. The use of apps to book a meeting room, the ability to charge devices and plug in from anywhere in the office with ample power sockets available, connect wirelessly to any screen and access our files remotely sitting at a cafe or at home from the cloud will all contribute to higher mobility
- Promoting health and well-being: ergonomic seating, height adjustable workstations, chill-out zones, lunch time yoga classes or simply introducing natural light and indoor plants or vertical gardens are proven to boost productivity and reduce stress and absenteeism and are features we are going to see more and more in new offices
- Creating privacy: with the rise of open plan offices, finding privacy can prove a hard task. The use of acoustic screens, quiet rooms or acoustic furniture pods throughout the work space are all ways to create some much needed privacy
- Flexible and adaptable furniture: with employees' and companies' needs changing constantly, it is important to design your work space accordingly. Offering various work spaces that adapt to the task at hand, also known as Activity Based Working, is on the rise. Using adaptable furniture such as modular seating, desk pods, informal meeting spaces or workstations that can be reconfigured as needed will also help future proof your office.
Stay tune for more new products from us this year.