Office design is very important for any company and / or professional. Well designed, it will become a powerful management tool at the service of organizations.

In the era of talent and knowledge workers, the challenge of designing a work environment is much more than choosing modern equipment in line with the trends of the moment and its perfect location. The design of an office starts from an essential premise: to place the human being at the center of the project. How does it work? How do you want to work? Who do you relate to? What motivates you? 

Sede Savills Aguirre Newman Madrid

Before approaching the design of an office …       

The design of an office starts from the detailed analysis of a series of parameters that will define the distribution and equipment of the space. First, the corporate culture and organizational structure . What is the purpose of that company? What is the leadership style of your management team? Is it participatory, open and transparent, or conversely, does its vertical structure does not promote active communication? This will determine the implementation of individual offices, for example.

Before approaching the design of an office, also ask yourself: How do the people in that company work? As a team? And most importantly: How do people relate to each other? Here there are very interesting aspects such as interdepartmental communication, for example, essential to establishing the different distributions of positions, routes and spaces around the office. 

Today work is more collaborative; we work more as a team, by projects, remotely, and with a greater use of information and communication technologies. The new approach that is carried out for workspaces involves (in general terms) the reduction of personal workspaces and the increase of communication and interaction areas, and a high dose of flexibility.

Design of modern offices for new forms of organization

There is a wide variety of answers in the area of ​​how companies conceive themselves, their members and their environment, how they organize themselves internally, and how they execute and reward work. The new approaches are more people- and knowledge-centric.

Some of the main trends regarding the forms of organization of companies:

  • Simplification and decentralization of the organizational structure. To achieve a more dynamic and flexible organization, established companies are reducing their hierarchical levels and decentralizing decision-making, while newly created companies, particularly those in the new technologies sector, are already born with “liquid” structures.
  • Structures organized not so much around functions or products as processes or target market.
  • Greater recourse to work in interdisciplinary, semi-autonomous teams, often built around projects.
  • Increasing prominence of agile methodologies in this teamwork.
  • Greater autonomy for people in terms of how, when and where they do work.

Cultural changes

More generally, a new, more participatory leadership and management style is being imposed, which gives greater autonomy to individuals and teams, which fosters innovation and creativity, and the flow and exchange of information at all levels. That promotes greater customer orientation (both internal and external); to the progress of a culture of total quality and continuous improvement, and to the orientation to results. With new evaluation and compensation systems that place increasing emphasis on performance, both individually and as a team, on the entrepreneurial spirit, knowledge, and skills of the staff, rather than on the hierarchical level or seniority.

New work practices

Without a doubt, the work practice that is spreading the most is the growing use of teleworking. But there is more:

  • The development of improvement projects focused on processes, from specific improvements to the transformation of the business through, for example, its conversion to e-business.
  • A growing resort to outsourcing / outsourcing.
  • Rise of agile methodologies.
  • The implementation of continuous improvement programs.
  • Practices derived from the mandatory digital transformation of the company: new structures, processes, incorporation of new skills profiles, new leadership styles …
  • Knowledge management or ” knowledge management ” and the creation of a new position: the ” Chief Knowledge Officer”.
  • Promotion of communication policies, internal and external, and employer branding.

All these inputs -united to the DNA of the company, i.e., values and signs that configure branding- determine the design of modern offices. 

How to design a small office?

These requirements, in general terms, are equally valid for designing a small workplace or office. The important thing will be to know who will occupy this office; how they work and relate and what the company and its brand are like.

Once we are clear about how we are going to plan and distribute the space to help them work better, when designing a small workplace we must focus on its equipment: chairs, tables, sofas …

In this case, it will be much easier to customize the end result for your users. So take advantage of that advantage that will help you work in a more comfortable environment.

What type of furniture will enhance the image of this company the most? What color and aesthetics? That they are always, above all, comfortable and ergonomic

Place the desk near the window because the natural light will turn your space into a modern and much healthier office. We also recommend that you choose colors that reflect light to create a space that appears larger, such as white, cream, or yellow. And if you want the style to be more home-y, add details in pastel colors, for example.

Glass partitions are a magnificent ally for small offices. They separate the space and allow for good acoustic insulation, but at the same time permit the passage of light and for to people remain visually connected.

To make the best use of space, we also advise you to make the most of the walls, opt for small objects, not overload the office and choose the lightest materials, such as metal legs or glass tables, for example.

Interior Design For Offices – What You Can’t Miss

Offices are no longer those gray places of yesteryear. Now they adapt and reflect an increasingly connected, flexible and sustainable world. For this reason, good interior design for offices cannot be without shared spaces, also informal and casual, and plants and other natural elements and textures.

Nor can the corporate image of the company be missing in good office interior design. This goes much further than placing a logo and the claim of the company at the reception. Use different elements to reflect what the company is like. Big tech companies know this very well. With their slides, play areas and innovation spaces they are really telling the world what makes them different.  For example, Affinity: employees can bring their pets to the office.