10 Steps To Planning The Perfect Office Environment

Creating the perfect office environment is essential to inspiring your workforce and encouraging productivity. With careful consideration of furniture and design, you can generate somewhere you and your staff can be proud of. In this guide, we’ll be sharing 10 expert tips for office space planning.

Close-up image of a tidy office desk with keyboard, pen, and notebook

1. Reflect Your Business Through Your Office’s Atmosphere

The first step to office space planning is to consider what style will reflect your firm. For example, a creative agency may want to offer a different appearance to a law firm. Some firms may want a bright environment, whereas others may want a calming and professional surrounding.

There are no wrong approaches to this aspect of office space design. Still, there are a few universal tips for creating the right atmosphere that can help you along the way:

  • Change up the magazines in the reception areaSelecting publications that are relevant to your firm will create a sense of cohesion. If you’re a marketing agency, go for marketing pu If you’re a law firm, legal and current affairs publications would be better suited.
  • Add art and prints to the walls  From bright posters to colourful flow charts, artwork can brighten up uninspiring areas. Try different effects in dark corners of your office.
  • Experiment with Spotify playlists There are many productivity playlists on Spotify to choose from. Better still, get your teams to build their own playlists. Encourage them to add their favourite work-appropriate music that everyone else can enjoy too.

Spotify dashboard showcasing different productivity playlists for an office environment.

First impressions are everything. By creating the right atmosphere through your office space design, you can highlight your attitude to work.

2. Reduce Injury And Stress With Ergonomic Furniture And Accessories

Creating a stylish office layout design is one thing, but don’t forget it’s a place of work. Your office needs to be somewhere your staff can concentrate and be given space to think!

As an employer in the UK, you’re legally obligated to make sure your staff have the right equipment, and that it doesn’t cause injury and illness. This means making sure furniture is DSE compliant.

  • Carry out a DSE Assessment for each of your employees – DSE Assessments are easy to set up and quick to do. They also reduce the risk of work-related stress, injury, and illness..

Diagram of a man sitting at an office desk highlight correct sitting posture

  • Use ergonomic desk items  Repetitive strain injury can cause lifelong pain and injury. To avoid these issues, ensure your staff are using suitable keyboards, wrist supports, and mousepads.

Ergonomic workplace desk setup with two screens and a touch pad

  • Check the quality and age of office chairs– Corporate office chairs can wear out easily over time. Something as simple as a new comfy ergonomic chair can make a huge difference to an employee’s performance, and reduce back and neck injuries.

A comfortable, ergonomic corporate office chair against a white background.

  • Ensure staff with desk phones are given headsets – Neck strain caused by holding phones to ears can damage the nerves in the neck for life. Check-in with your employees to confirm if they need one.

Office headset on a desk next to an open laptop

Key to good office space planning is having comfortable workstations. By allowing your staff these concessions, you can allow them to work in comfort, keep them healthy, and reduce stress levels.

3. Create Spaces To Think And Focus

One important factor to consider for office layout design is having a variety of spaces to work in. Nobody likes to feel squashed in when they are working, but giving your staff space to move also gives them the space to think.

  • Install screens and partitions– Swapping in colourful screens and partitions can add colour to an office space design. They can also help to break up open-plan offices so your team can have areas to focus away from their desks.

Three white office partition screens on wheels

  • Utilise stylish stools and tables – In reception areas and breakout zones, these can create alternative spaces for quick meetings and catch-ups.

An office breakroom area with colourful modular soft seating

By providing an area away from workstations in your office space planning, you might even be able to fit in a cafe or dining area. This could be somewhere staff can take a break from their computer screens and recharge during lunch breaks.

4. Open Plan Office vs Partitioning

Contemporary open-plan office incorporating modular office pods

An open-plan office with bench desks can give the impression of space and freedom, but they can also be noisy and distracting. A partitioned or closed office, on the other hand, encourages focus but doesn’t naturally encourage collaboration.

When considering desks, think of the type of work your firm produces.

  • Is it collaborative work most of the time?
    If work needs to be discussed asa team, then an open-plan office space design allows for this Still, ensure that there are areas for quiet focus by using partitions and zones. This can also free up much-needed meeting room space.
  • Is itwork that requires focus and deliberation?
    For work that requires high levels of concentration, singular workstations can work well. You could also include breakout areas within your corporate office layout for collaborative discussions when needed.

5. Re-Think Your Office Seating Plan

Rather than everyone working in the same way, your office may have a variety of departments.  When office space planning, consider who will need to work collaboratively and who will benefit from a quieter area.

Acoustic pod seating with workers in a modern office environment

Grouping teams together will limit the need to talk over people who are working quietly. This will allow groups to work efficiently, reducing the chance of excessive noise. By separating the two groups, you will be rewarded with a harmonious workplace and a happier, more productive team.

6. Reorganise Your Office Storage Solutions

One factor that is often overlooked in corporate office layouts is adequate office storage solutions. Below are a few areas that can be easily optimised.

Desk Storage
When it comes to office desks and bench desks, under-desk stacks of drawers are an excellent way of offering individual storage. In turn, this can help make the office tidier and cleaner.

Modern tidy office desk with under-desk drawers for storage

Communal storage

Storing documents and papers allows your office to look tidier and ensures the office adheres to Health and Safety regulations. Not only that, but effective office storage solutions also make admin an easier task.

Use designated cupboards or shelves to leave walkways clear from hazards. You should also offer enough storage for the work you have, plus the work you anticipate in the future.

White bookcase in modern light office

7. Consider Replacing Old Broken Furniture With Furniture Built To Last

When deciding on your office layout design, consider what will still be suitable in years to come. A new office furniture fitout every year can be expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand, picking durable furniture in both style and build can ensure you get the most for your money.

Colourful modern office layout with partitions and separate seating areas

Classic designs with injections of personality allows for a mix of classic and contemporary decor. Choosing a classic design with your firm’s own twist – such as your colours and branding – will also allow your firm to look independent and stylish for many years to come.

8. Future-Proof Your Office Layout Design

As your business develops, you may need to expand your workforce and increase the services you offer. When choosing your office furniture fitout, make sure it has the ability to alter as your business does

Exterior view of a modern building with geometric design and glass windows

Opt For Freestanding Fesks And Furniture

Furniture that’s fixed in place can limit the opportunity for a business to expand. Conversely, furniture that can be assembled in different ways – such as bench desks that can be separated or added together – will offer much more choice in the future.

Consider Future Technology

Allow room for new technology by using larger desks. This ensures you’ll be ready for any new developments in the technological world, no matter their size. The style of desk should fit screens, telephones, keyboards, and mice, while still allowing space to work and store items. When your staff have room to move, they have room to work.

Nobody can predict the future, but being prepared for every eventuality with your office space planning can make life a lot simpler.

9. It’s The Little Things That Make The Most Difference

The small things make a big difference to the look and feel of your office layout design. Practical aspects such as desk tidies, cable tidies, monitor stands and multi-plugs can all keep your office in order and tidy.

Tidy office desk with open laptop, stationary holder, and plant

  • Ensure that desks remain tidy– Papers should be stored away appropriately, and cables should be kept safely and securely out of people’s way. This can be done with office storage solutions such as desk caddies, drawers, and cupboards.
  • Add colour – Placing a few colourful cushions on reception sofas and in breakrooms can add personality and inspire focus and thought.
  • Introduce plants to your office– Plants have been proven to improve wellbeing when included in an office space design, and can help manage stress levels. Opt for easy-to-maintain plants like MonsterasAloe Vera and Chamaedoreas. These are all easy to look after and make big visual impacts.
  • Add pictures and display cabinetsThese can all add aesthetic touches that make your office feel more relaxed. Display cabinets can give you the chance to show off awards or achievements, showing clients just what your business can do.

10. Listen To Your Staff

Your staff will be spending a significant period of the week in your office. Why not ask them what they would like to be included in the office space planning? Here’s a few questions you could ask:

  • How do they feel when they come into the office on Mondays?
  • What pictures would they like to hang?
  • What type of keyboard is best for them?
  • Are current desk chairs and height levels causing them pain?
  • Are they finding it difficult to collaborate with other teams?
  • What areas of the office do they think could do with sprucing up?

By giving your staff a say in their surrounding décor, it can make your workforce feel more like a team. It also allows them to create a workspace they feel proud of. In turn, this will make them proud of the place they work.

BT Office Furniture

At BT Office Furniture, we offer high-quality furniture for all your office furniture fitout and office space planning needs. Get in touch today to find out more or to discuss your specific requirements. You can speak to our team on 0800 298 7033 or email us at [email protected].