Starting out our adventure to a new office, we want to share with you the ins and outs of our office move so that you can learn from our journey. Generally, at the launch of the full interior design process, our designers start space planning. After taking measurements of the floor plan, they look at user needs, color, light, flow and a variety of different factors. Our designers have worked on a plethora of different ideas as to how to lay out the space.
Many questions have to be asked as the space plan will effect an organization’s daily operation. It is imperative to ask so many questions while space planning because it ties in so heavily to the culture of the organization. Considering things like cubicles vs. open concept, or traditional office vs Google-esque feel is important in this process. Even the most basic consideration of whether you have a reception desk and seating or not can be as important as a client feeling welcome or intrusive.
Changing the space plan of an office is a real opportunity for leaders to affect great change and enhance their employee/client experience. Look at these questions and you will quickly begin to see a connection between space planning and your organization’s culture:
- How much space do I really need?
- Is flexible space important to me?
- How do I want employees to feel when they walk in? Clients?
- Do I want a space that will emphasize transparency & camaraderie or privacy & focus?
- What kind of hierarchy dynamics might come in to play if I implement this design?
- What type of employee behavior do I want to encourage?
- Might this plan boost or burden employee morale?
