As business owners encourage employees back to the office, whether full-time or on a flexible-working basis, the look, feel, and comfort of the workplace matters more than ever.
The transition back to pre-Covid working patterns, has been met with mixed reactions. Hybrid working has highlighted efficiencies in team operations, such as improved work life balance and reduced commute times. These benefits have prompted employers to evaluate and optimise their work practices, and understand how best their employees work.
However, maintaining an inviting and well appointed office still remains important. When face-to-face interaction is necessary, a thoughtfully designed workspace ensures that employees view their office time as both productive and enjoyable. Regular upgrades to fixtures, furnishings, and equipment can revitalise the environment, and enhance productivity for all employees, regardless of their preferred working style.
This article explores the benefits of stamping your signature designs on a workplace, with practical ideas for instant upgrades. These improvements can transform your office into a modern, productive setting that reflects your brand, business, and unique vision.
Create the Right Impression
First impressions do count even in office spaces, and not only for clients and partners, but for employees as well. A thoughtfully upgraded office space can leave a lasting impression on visitors, potentially influencing business relationships and partnerships.
Personalising interiors with your brand and business in mind is a great way to make your mark. It can help you and your employees settle into a new environment, or simply make a tired office more welcoming. A signature look can also be a great talking point for encouraging even more colleagues back.
Well-designed workspaces can significantly improve employee satisfaction and performance, with studies showing that four out of five professionals are more engaged and productive in a well-designed work setting. However, before making any upgrades to your workplace, it’s worth considering the impact of your personal design choices.
Prioritise Employees’ Health and Wellbeing
Although the functionality of your office matters, and your employees need specific equipment, resources, and supplies to be productive, the health and safety of your personalised office design should be your priority. When you are making upgrades, use this opportunity to check how healthy your workplace is.
Environmental factors like noise, air quality, temperature, and ventilation can impact your employees’ health, wellbeing, and overall productivity. Your office designs can boost wellbeing for staff who work on a hybrid, flexible, or permanent contract.
Today, there are numerous products, smart-tech gadgets, and interior hacks that can improve the functionality, comfort, and health of your workplace. For example, if your building has lots of windows and roof lights, electric roof lanterns and skylight blinds offer convenient solutions for managing heat and light levels. Additionally, smart tech systems provide the ability to adjust these features throughout the day.
Invest to Benefit and Retain Employees
Where possible, involve your employees in any proposed upgrades and, alongside lighting considerations, address sound management, smart temperature controls, and air quality. The popularity of such concepts as biophilic design, featuring light, space and natural forms is a further consideration in the redesign of today’s workspaces.
Likewise, standing desks that allow your employees the opportunity to get up from their desk, together with ergonomic seating and equipment, promote better health, good posture, and comfort for working long hours. Most staff appreciate any efforts made to improve the working environment and are more likely to stay longer if they have a happier, healthier, and stylish place to work.
Investing in the enhancement of these areas will strengthen employee satisfaction, attract talent, and boost overall productivity, benefiting both the workforce and the company alike. If you are eager to encourage remote workers in, redesigns often do the trick, so actively involve employees with your plans to freshen up areas of the building. If space, budget, and time allow, consider fitting out dedicated quiet rooms and fitness zones to further boost your whole company’s wellbeing.
Redesign with Your Brand in Mind
Office spaces have evolved over the years and, depending on the size of your company, what the business is, and where you’re located in the world, there are plenty of inspiring designs to choose from.
However, if you want your personalised office designs to be an extension of your brand identity, your office interiors can go a long way to boosting your brand to both internal staff and external visitors who are coming in for meetings, job interviews, or potential partnerships. With this in mind, consider what colours, pictures, carpets, and furnishings you’ll want to install to make your brand’s logo and message highly visible with eye-catching murals, celebratory photos, and stand-out graphics. 
You might want to dedicate a space, room, or multimedia presentation to display your company’s history, any milestones, and your future goals. With any company meetings, these all make great reference points to share successes and cement your healthy company culture.
Redesigning your office space is a great opportunity to reinforce your brand identity and make an instant impact. Use your brand’s colour palette strategically throughout the space to reinforce brand recognition. For colleagues who come in, your office is an extension of your business’ and brand’s core values, ethos and culture. If you have the chance to personalise the designs, showcase your business standards and values on posters or wall art, with even a cabinet dedicated to awards.
Create a Ripple Effect
As a business owner, the choices you make to customise and add your own signature style at work can impact company culture, boost productivity, and lead to long-term success. Personalising your office is about creating an attractive environment that inspires, motivates, and reflects your business aims and successes.
By prioritising employee well-being, incorporating brand elements and thoughtfully aligned upgrades, you can transform the work environment. These changes can have a ripple effect, enhancing company culture, and leaving a positive impression on everyone who enters your space. Invest in your office design, and watch the contribution it makes to team culture and business success.
