Gone are the days when offices featured row after row of boring, gray colored, and uninteresting cubicles. Take a look at Google’s offices. All around the globe, Google has its established offices, each unique in its own way, each with a new and improved take on the traditional office building, each an epitome of design and creativity. From replacing stairs with slides, to having sections of the office dedicated for rest and naps, to replacing chairs and tables with hammocks and bean bags – Google has done it all! And it’s not the only one to do so. Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Skype, all have wonderfully designed offices. It is these quirky ideas for your office that will set you apart from the other and make your company more desirable to work in.
Lets have a look at Google’s offices around the world which are popular for the life and comfort they provide.
Keeping this mind, it is time that you do away with your old office furniture and usher in the new, uber cool, colorful office space. No, I’m not claiming that refurnishing your office space will suddenly lead to a more motivated bunch of employees, but there is no denying the fact that a setup different from the rows of gray cubicles is bound to boost creativity and productivity. It is advantageous to your business not only in terms of your employees, but it also appeals to your clients when they visit your office for business meetings.
Renovating an old office is a lot of hard work, and so is designing a brand new office. Whatever be the case, fret not! The Hacker Street brings you six abso-freaking-lutely amazing ideas for your office.
The first look
What the first thing that someone notices when they visit your office? Reception, lobby areas and entryways – that is where first impressions are created, and that is the most important part human interaction that translates into the office environment. The reception area should be welcoming. Set it up with a few flowers, a nice comfortable seating area. Design it in theme with the rest of your office. Free WiFi, comfortable and long-lasting sofas (or bean bags, like at Google), lush (real, not fake!) green plants, sophisticated lighting – these could be starters to creating the best first impressions.
Go easy on the boring chairs
A dull, boring, grey/white/black chair and a matching desk – isn’t that what you see in every MNC you enter? Instead, set up comfortable seating like bean bags, or vividly colored desks and chairs. This way your employees do not dull their senses by having to look at the monotone desks and chairs each day. Obviously a new chair can’t do much to motivate your employees to work harder; it will definitely prevent them from sleeping on their desks post-lunch.
The gaming zone
“All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy.” – A quote validating itself even in the modern office culture. When your employees are working 9 hours a day in the office, and taking home another 3 hours of work home, they are bound to get bored, unimaginative and Are going to hate the office hours. So, how about investing in a pool table, a table tennis table, a few chess sets or carom boards? A games and recreation room helps employees relieve stress after a hard day at work, and also help sharpen team spirit and build partnerships.
The artists’ zone
Ever thought that some of your employees might have wanted to be painters and artists until they decide to join the big bad corporate world suppressing their inner desires? How about letting the employees’ creativity flow with a white wall that can be turned to a masterpiece? 3 simple steps to do that:
- Leave one wall (or maybe more, if you’re feeling too generous) white.
- Put up a notice inviting employees to paint, draw, sketch on it as they like.
- Watch it turn into a piece of art which could be a treat for sore eyes.
Help save the environment
With global warming on the rise, and temperatures reaching as high as 40 degrees Celsius (in April!), the need to save the environment is even greater. A small vegetable garden on the terrace, or even inside the office is a great idea to do your part in saving Mother Earth. The vegetables could be used in office cafeteria to be cooked for the daily meals. And the garden keeps the weather a little cooler in the extreme summer months.
The conference room
For small businesses and start-ups, conference rooms are a very vital part of the office. This is where most of your company’s future plans will be shaped: from board meetings, presentation to clients to brainstorming sessions or even video conferencing. You do not want any of these activities to take place in a dull room which doesn’t promote any creative ideas or doesn’t uphold your company’s image. The design and decor of the conference room go a long way in portraying your company image. For a small, but trendy, cutting-edge company, modernistic decor along with bold colors, striking artwork and even unusually shaped chairs work well.
So, does your office look like this? If you have already adopted the technicolor or are planning to do so then do let us know by commenting below.
