4 Office Design Mistakes that Kill Start-ups

It is tempting to choose a comparatively cheaper space planning team to save money and we all have tried to save a few bucks by saying "No, thanks" to that little expensive office designer!  C'mon, admit it.  But did you know those little expensive space planning teams could have saved your big bucks?

The atmosphere you work has a huge impact on how you work.  Research shows a well-designed office can significantly impact employee engagement, productivity and well-being about 20%.

A little adjustment in your office design can bring a lot of difference.  Take a look at the most common design mistakes that start-ups make and how to avoid making them.

Lighting That Mimic Daylight

Lighting in office has a deep effect on the well-being and productivity of your employees.  It is a fact that exposure to increased levels of natural light impacts employee well-being, productivity, and motivation. 

But in large offices with multiple floors, natural light is simply not a possible option and no technology can replicate the natural light.  Choose the lights that can give your space enough illumination without being dark.  Make sure you don’t choose dim lights, as it forces your eyes to work much harder and causes headache and eye stress.  Harsh lightings like fluorescent bulb also have negative effects on employee’s health, as it can be a cause for migraine headaches. 

CFL’s and LED’s are the most energy efficient option and they emit comparatively less UV radiation.  They are more expensive but last up to three times longer than the other lights available in the market.  A CFL or LED that mimic daylight emits blue light waves which help to produce serotonin.  Production of Serotonin keeps you focused, alert, and energized.  When lighting your office, you need to make sure that your choice of lights is maximizing employee’s ability to be productive.

Productive Office Colour

Choosing the right colours for your workspace can significantly affect your productivity and elicit a variety of emotions.  Everyone have their own unique colour preferences and a fresh layer of colour is one of the easiest yet most fruitful changes you can make to your office environment.  Blue is the perfect choice of colour for a serious business, as it can stimulate your mind and help you concentrate on your task for long periods of time.  Large businesses usually choose green to enhance wealth, responsibility, confidence, and prestige.  If your business is more creative (maybe a designer or inventor), chooses shades like yellow, orange and red.  These colours can stimulate your inner self and enhance your creative side. You need to choose a colour appropriate to the type of your business. 

White and grey don't help employees to be productive and have a worse effect on one's mood.  Painting walls in light colours will make your space seem larger.

Ergonomic Furniture

As you know, ergonomic furniture can be adjusted in many ways, it gives a greater amount of comfort throughout the day than that old office furniture.  Make sure you choose an office chair with adjustable height, width and depth, armrests, back support, lumbar support and good cushioning.  When it comes to office desk, choosing a desk that is adjustable in height is important to keep your employees without back pain and fatigue. 

Remember that a healthy and happy employee is a productive employee. To have a better idea of ergonomic furniture, you may read my previous blog.

Space Planning

When planning a new office, you also need to plan what kind of space design best suits your business.  You also need to plan for common areas and meeting spaces.  First of all, choose a professional space planner that understands your business and make suggestions to improve efficiency.  Whether to choose an open space or cubicle is purely depending on your industry and what makes your employees perform better.  Make sure that height of cubicle wall is not too high or too low, to ease employee collaborations without spoiling their privacy.

Choose furniture that best fit the exact dimensions of your office space to avoid poor flow.

Conclusion:

An efficient office design is crucial to the smooth running of an organization. I have included all the important points, which I believe you will find really useful, as you start the process of your new office design.

These small changes can make a significant impact on the overall office environment. When you design your office right, the outcome will be a productive and dedicated work environment.

By avoiding these design mistakes, your employees will love where they work even more!

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