Workspace Design 101: A Guide for Small Business

If you are a small business owner, it’s important to create a space where your employees can be productive. Check out this guide to workspace design.

Around 3 in 4 workers say that they get distracted a lot when they’re at work. Distractions can disrupt productivity in the workplace.

That’s not because your employees are work shy. It could just be that your office design doesn’t foster a productive workspace.

Workspace design is really important for small businesses. Check out our tips in our guide workspace design guide 101. Let’s go!

1. Create Quiet Zones in the Office

Up to 80 percent of workplaces in the U.S. are actually open plan.

And yet, there is a growing body of evidence which suggests that an open plan design doesn’t help with productivity.

It’s great that your employees can interact with other each other, as collaboration is an important part of any business model.

However, this can damage productivity. You don’t have to ditch the open plan altogether. Instead, you need to also include quiet zones throughout your office.

This way employees can find a private space to focus. When you need to get their head down, this can be a godsend.

2. Make the Most of Natural Light

Is your workplace is dark and gloomy? This could be negatively affecting the productivity of your employees.

Up to 47 percent of workers say that they feel tired due to the lack of natural light in the workspace. Many workers even say that it brings down their mood too.

You should take this into account in your office design. Include large windows which open up your workplace to the outdoors. When it comes to comfort and light, you shouldn’t disregard the office bathroom. Think about the toilet partition height and whether you could potentially benefit from a custom setup.

3. Fill Your Workplace With Office Plants

We’re supposed to be surrounded by greenery all the time. If your workspace is a grey and dull space, you need to spruce it up with some office plants.

You may think that indoor plants are an awesome decorate touch, but nothing more. In fact, office plants have been found to improve productivity by up to 15 percent.

Make the most of the natural light in your workspace by arranging plants everywhere. Don’t forget to make sure they get plenty of sunlight and water, or they won’t last very long.

4. Mix Up Your Seating Arrangements

You shouldn’t have endless rows of office chairs facing a blank wall. This isn’t going to help anyone be more productive.

Have plenty of variety in your seating arrangements. Sure, you want adjustable computer office chairs in places.

But, you also want to encourage your workers to move around throughout the day. This keeps people healthy and improves blood flow.

However, you also want comfortable armchairs for down to earth meetings. Why not have an Eames chairas well for a work chat in a stylish seat.

Workspace Design Guide

Giving your employees fat bonuses and shouting at them to work harder doesn’t always do the trick.

You need to start thinking about how your workspace design can impact the productivity of your employees.

Follow our tips in our workspace design guide to optimize productivity in your office now. Do you have any workspace design tips? Leave us a comment below!