Designing a Workplace That Fosters Productivity and Purpose

Designing a Workplace That Fosters Productivity and Purpose

So much more than four walls, an office is an opportunity to manifest your company culture as a physical space. Every aspect of office design builds a sense of brand identity that clients, visitors and – of course – employees will relate to.

As the beating heart of your business, making the office a better place to be can have a profound impact on staff engagement, focus and collaboration. Whilst there are many elements of workplace design, signage and visual details play a huge role in creating a vibrant and inspiring office space that gets the very best out of your staff.

Why Office Design Matters

When it comes to office design, the aims behind it are twofold. First up, an office needs to be an appealing corporate space for welcoming visitors and holding meetings with clients and stakeholders.

When an office space is being used for events or client meetings, it’s essential that it emits an air of professionalism and reinforces your brand identity. Lobbies, waiting areas and meeting rooms give a vital first impression that could make or break a deal with a prospective client.

The look and feel of an office space may also play a key part in your company’s hiring strategy. After all, 76% of millennials aged 18-34 feel somewhat or very strongly that office design and aesthetic influences their impression of a company. Therefore, the way your office looks could be the deciding factor for a potential new hire deciding whether to accept an offer.

Equally, the office is where arguably your most valuable asset – your employees – are spending the majority of their waking hours. This is important when we consider that, when surveyed, 97% of employees said that they regard their physical workspace as a symbol of whether or not they are valued by an employer.

Therefore, it’s essential that the look, feel and functionality of the office as a work and social space is prioritised. This manifests in every design choice from layout to furniture all the way down to which light bulbs are used.

Strategic Choices in the Workplace

As a physical representation of your brand, it’s essential that an office space captures its unique identity. Using signature fonts and colours alongside carefully selected visuals and furniture can create an aesthetically appealing, cohesive space.

Deploying branded signage, as well as visuals or murals that reinforce a business’s vision and values, helps to create a sense of common identity in a workplace. This fosters a sense of community and collaboration that can boost employee engagement and morale.

Another idea for inspiring visuals in the office are details that pay homage to the company’s history. This could be a timeline outlining key dates, vintage ads through the decades or even old photos of the business and its people. By linking to the past, employees feel part of something bigger than their own 9-5.

When we think of engaging and retaining employees, we might automatically think of pay packets, bonuses, time off and flexible working. But the physical environment can play a huge part in staff satisfaction and how likely they are to stick with their employer long term.

According to psychologists, artwork in office spaces boosts productivity, lowers stress and promotes wellbeing. In fact, compared to a bland industrial environment, people have been found to work 15% faster in an office space that is enriched with artwork and plants.

A survey carried out by Sheffield-based Dale Office Interiors asked 500 members of the public for their views on what they thought would improve productivity levels at work when it came to office design. One in five respondents said having a dedicated space to relax at work would help them to be more productive, highlighting just how important an effectively designed office can be.

The Role of Signage in Office Design

When budgets are tight and office-spending is focused on things such as technology and state of-the-art equipment, office design is often be overlooked.

Yet, signage and other smaller design updates such as glass vinyl, wall decals or large format graphics are cost-effective updates that drastically refresh the feel of an office.

For example, a blank wall can become a talking point with an LED branded sign. A calming image of the natural world in the form of digital wallpaper can turn a dingy office corner into a designated breakout space for relaxation.

Knowing the impact of office design on staff productivity and satisfaction, these relatively small updates could prove a wise long-term investment for any business.

Merson Group and Office Signage

Merson’s relationships with our clients in the service industry have spanned decades. We’ve taken care of their signage and branding requirements with some ground-breaking design projects we are extremely proud to have been part of.

One example is our work with Deloitte, instantly recognisable as one of the largest professional services organisations in the world. Our first proud collaboration with them involved fitting out all signage in their London headquarters.
With over 15 floors and 280 sq. ft to work with, we led the creative development of customised pieces as well as a standard suite of branding, wayfinding, and messaging signage. We designed, manufactured, and installed everything ourselves and subsequently went on to complete other international projects with the financial giants.

With a real understanding of how design choices impact the way office spaces tick, we’re experts in translating your company culture into an inspiring, functional physical space.

Using virtual reality, we’re even able to show you how your office space could look with various design choices. This means you can envision what visitors will see as they walk through the door, as well as how the space will look for your employees. What better way to carefully curate the look and feel of the beating heart of your business?

So, interested to learn how Merson Group could update your office space? Book a virtual reality demo at enquiries@mersongroup.com