Ways to Make Your Office Space Reflect Your Business Values
Every business aims to create a workspace that’s functional, cost-effective and engaging. However, if you ask your marketing strategist, your office also needs to reflect your brand. Everyone who steps into your workspace, from your employees to your clients and customers, needs to see that your office is the extension of your company culture and that it showcases your business values. If you don’t know how to achieve that important aspect of business, here’s a little guide to point you in the right direction.
Table of Contents
List your values
First thing you need to do is create a list of your business values. Office remodel is a great way to refocus on your core principles and create a more ethical company. Once you have your values in one place, you can start thinking about how you can translate them into your office design. This is also a great time to ask your employees for opinion. By showing you care about their needs and wishes, you can create a greater sense of connection between employees and the brand.
Plan well
Let’s say that you have an unsatisfied customer or an interested new client on the phone. If the chatter from the meeting space overpowers your customer service representative, that might convey the wrong message about your company. So, make sure to plan your space well before you start any interior design work. Plus, when you have a fool-proof plan, everything will be much easier to design around.
Create the right atmosphere
For instance, metal and concrete create a completely different atmosphere than leather and wood, while sun-showered spaces evoke feelings that darker environments never could. So, carefully think about the atmosphere you want to instill and use it to reflect your brand. In most cases, plenty of natural light works well for all types of business because it creates a welcoming and trusting effect. However, make sure to invest in energy-saving double glazed windows that will allow you to maintain attractive aesthetics while giving you incredibly high performance. These reduce heat or cold transfer and can be completely customizable—perfect for any business space.
Improve office experience
If you want to convey a sense of unity and collaboration, don’t divide your space into cubicles and closed offices. Instead, choose open design with flexible partitions that will allow collaboration yet provide the necessary privacy for certain tasks. You want your employees and customers to feel comfortable and happy when they step into your space, so think about what will allow them to get that impression.
Show off your brand values
This is about the things that your brand values. If you value the sense of community and family, consider including kid-friendly design and places dedicated to parents. On the other hand, if you value fun and diversity, think about including game rooms and community spaces. No matter what you do, make sure to practice what you preach. Don’t say that you value customers and workers and then provide them with zero benefits—that leaves a horrible impression.
Showcase your company culture
Let your company culture influence your interior design. If you know you have a small and tight-knit team that’s into nerdy things, don’t hesitate to create a gaming room where they can talk and have fun. If your office is full of artists and creative, fill it with art and sculptures that will inspire people. A laid-back collective will always require a different space design than a collective full of introverted techies. Want to provide food and drinks? Make sure to add a bar and some kitchen appliances. Do your employees want to eat in peace and relax on their break or do they want to share meals and crack jokes? This will tell you whether you need to add bigger tables or install smaller booths for one or two. So, before you start creating your design, think about what will please and attract your team. Oftentimes, a little can go a long way in the eyes of both the employees and clients.
Make a grand gesture
Every space needs a focal point that will engage workers and leave an impression on everyone who steps into your space. Just take a look at Google or Epic and their big slides and themed hallways that reflect their brand and corporate culture. Of course, you don’t have to go as far as these giants, but you can add a design piece that will attract attention and leave a good first impression. For instance, you can adorn hallways with a blow-up of your core values or set up a screen that will display success stories or welcome every visitor that signs in with a carefully curated message. However, bold design for the sake of shock value is not good. Make sure to pick out something that will reflect and reinforce your business values and create a wow factor that’s respectable not shocking.
Keeping your team happy and conveying the right message to customers will definitely raise your revenue and allow your business to grow.
When you have motivated workers and impressed clients, you’ll build better loyalty and attract new workforce and new clients, customers and investors. So, make sure not to underestimate your office design but invest in a space that will reflect your business values.
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