Workspace Design Part 2:

A successful workspace design solution will address the goals of the business, brand, the type of business,  employee profiles and help drive creativity and innovation. In an earlier blog we talked about the factors for a successful and effective workspace design. CEO’s who intend to optimize a key asset, their workforce, will want to challenge them to be more productive, creative and innovative.  To achieve this, workspace design must appeal to three broad categories of well-being; the physical, cognitive and emotional.

Consider:

> The design of the physical space has a direct impact on stimulating ideas.

  > Providing visual and acoustic privacy supports employee cognitive processing and idea development.

  > A safe, supportive and empowering workplace creates the social environment in which collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas thrive.

Your workspace design plan should address the challenges of the modern office with consideration for the tension between public and private workspace. This means creating space for collaboration while allowing for focused, task-oriented space. Consider how to control visual distraction and accommodate for a diverse workforce including introverts and extroverts. And, your workspace plan should reflect and reinforce your brand values. 

A design plan offers solutions with clear intent and outcomes:

  > Providing employees with a dedicated workspace provides for a sense of ownership

> Open workstations, while dedicated, need to be complemented by quiet spaces for one person.

  > Dedicated team spaces provide spaces for team bonding and ownership, allowing project documents and materials to be kept readily available.

> Shared spaces are essential for the many functions provided by training and meeting spaces, cafe and the smaller collaborative spaces where impromptu interaction occurs.

> Touchdown spaces with layout uniformity and technological consistency to accommodate employees working temporarily in another office.

Companies around British Columbia work with RATIO for results based workplace design that make for better  workspaces and places to do business. Contact Christopher Pollard at RATIO to talk about your workplace challenges.

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