Lighting may be an afterthought in your office design scheme, but it is one of the work environment’s most important — and under-appreciated — aspects. It enhances the security and aesthetic appeal of your workspace and can affect the mood of your customers and workers and augment (or diminish) employee performance. The type of commercial office lighting you choose for your workplace has the power to impact productivity, morale, and even customer satisfaction, making it one of the smartest investments you can make. What To Consider When Choosing Office Lighting The best products are dura ..read more

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) is revolutionary for people with disabilities. Passed in 1990, the ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including all public and private spaces open to the general public. Requirements of the ADA have helped initiate more inclusive office design, including removing barriers that limit movement or access to people with disabilities. If you’ve ever taken an elevator in a business with three floors or more, you have experienced the accessibility effects of ADA design. Features like this are ADA-regul ..read more

Office design often assumes a “one-size-fits-all brains” approach, but we all think differently and uniquely respond to the workplace environment around us. Some people may be bothered by the cell phone pings of their office mates, while others may find the lighting or colors of a meeting room distracting. Increasingly, employers are discovering that embracing neurodiversity in office design — accommodating the different responses people have to a shared environment — can improve performance, productivity, and morale for all employees. Why Neurodiversity in Office Design Matters So what is ..read more

Office design often assumes a “one-size-fits-all brains” approach, but we all think differently and uniquely respond to the workplace environment around us. Some people may be bothered by the cell phone pings of their office mates, while others may find the lighting or colors of a meeting room distracting. Increasingly, employers are discovering that embracing neurodiversity in office design — accommodating the different responses people have to a shared environment — can improve performance, productivity, and morale for all employees. Why Neurodiversity in Office Design Matters So what is ..read more

Time to invest in new office furniture? Comfort, aesthetics, and budget are important to consider when shopping for the right furnishings for your workspace, but so is sustainability. With more companies embedding environmental, social, and corporate governance practices (ESG) into their business, establishing an eco-friendly profile is becoming essential to creating a competitive workplace, especially for Millennial workers, who report that they prefer to work for employers who take sustainability seriously. But aside from attracting top talent, there are plenty of other reasons why purchasi ..read more

Have you ever considered how the colors in your workplace affect employee productivity and mood? Colors impact every aspect of our lives, which is also true of the spaces in which we work. Some colors spark joy and excitement, while others calm the senses or stress us out. The colors you choose can make all the difference between a boring, dull work environment and an inspiring, motivating one. A University of Texas study found that different colors elicit reactions in the brain that can impact mood and productivity in workers. The study suggests that bland colors such as beige, whi ..read more

Now that employees are returning to the office after the work-from-home exodus that accompanied the pandemic, break rooms may be more important than ever. They give workers the space they need to relax, collaborate and recharge throughout the day. When designed thoughtfully, they can boost morale, engagement, and productivity, especially for employees who have grown accustomed to the relaxed, laid-back vibe of working from home. Whether you are thinking about overhauling your current break room, adding new amenities, or redesigning your break room completely, knowing where to start can be dau ..read more

In most workplaces today, technology and productivity are intertwined. Gone are the days of relegating workers to a single desk with a computer and a phone. Now, most employees have laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other electronic devices that allow them to move freely through the office and do their jobs from anywhere. But it takes more than just the latest gadgets to create a productive, tech-savvy office—you also need a design strategy that embraces the flexibility this technology provides and makes these tools easy and accessible for employees. Technology itself is no silver bullet to ..read more

We all know how rejuvenating a breath of fresh air, a leisurely walk, or a change of scenery can be. Stepping outside for even just a few minutes can make you feel more positive, productive, and enthusiastic about the day ahead. So why not provide this opportunity to your employees as well? Incorporating outdoor spaces into the workplace allows workers to break away from their desks and recharge in nature. Research has long shown that outdoor exposure can lower levels of cortisol—the human stress hormone—and stimulate creativity. According to a Texas A&M study, outdoor spaces at work ..read more

Clicking keyboards, humming equipment, constant chatter, and cell phone pings are all normal noises in an office, but they can be a huge source of disruption and distraction for workers. A recent survey by the Harvard Business Review revealed that noise distractions bothered more than a third of employees surveyed, impacting their ability to concentrate. Not only can noise cause frustration and anxiety for workers, but it also intrudes upon their productivity and privacy. Another study by the University of Sydney found that 50 percent of workers in open offices a ..read more