Tag: Office design

After Collaborative Workspaces: Taking the Next Step in Office Design

Published: Dec 15, 2016

Workplaces are evolving fast. For long, open office layouts have dominated new and old businesses. But just like the high-walled cubicles of the 1980s, this trend too will have to evolve or be replaced.

There is no doubt that open offices promote collaboration and closely-knit work cultures;learning and development is in abundance and there is no isolation. This can, however, backfire if not executed well.

There’s a certain music to productivity. You may need interaction when coming up with new ideas or yearn for some privacy when tasks get more demanding. Therefore, every workplace must strive to strike a perfect balance between what employees need socially and what gets the work done.

Matthew Cooper of Woodhouse Workspace has some insights into the matter. Read on to learn more.

In a recent study, Office Genie asked 2,000 UK-based workers about their working environment. Respondents reported that the design of their workspace had by far the greatest impact on their well-being, with a well-designed office reportedly boosting feelings of happiness by 33 percent, compared to 12 percent for flexible working opportunities.

If it doesn’t come down to funky color schemes and the latest tech, then what does make an inspiring workplace which will boost productivity?

Work with your office culture

The key is to remember that a great office culture starts from the inside. A well-designed space should be created to reflect the ethos of the company as a whole, not to act as a Band-Aid to fix an ailing office culture. When your company’s values are strong, and your people are aligned with their work, then the right workspace can help make a good organization exceptional. But without clear direction and a purpose-driven design, it can fall flat on its face. It’s vital as a company that you find the right balance between your culture and creative workspaces.

Those quirky features and layouts, which might work well in the creative or tech industries, could be disastrous if installed in a company with more traditional values or even a warehouse environment. That’s not to say that modern design concepts shouldn’t be implemented, but they need to chime with your brand and your people.

So, with all this in mind, what steps should you take to turn a space into an exceptional workplace?

Creating a smarter workplace strategy

The first step in any workspace design should be to analyze how your business actually operates, and to hone in on the culture of the company. By speaking directly to employees and delving into aspects of the work day such as time spent at desks, the number and size of meetings, as well as core business objectives, it’s possible to engineer a workspace that boosts productivity, collaboration, innovation, and more.

By involving your people in the design process from the start, you stand to create a sense of ownership and belonging, which will in turn boost morale and engagement with the business as a whole. You’ll begin to create spaces which work with the needs and personality of your business, inspire your workforce, and help you retain the best people.

Ensure your space actually meets the needs of your employees

With the rise of open plan offices, increasingly the tide is turning and people are asking for access to quieter areas where they can focus. Creating a space which encourages your employees to engage with the business as a whole is a balancing act. The needs of the end user need to be at the fore throughout the process, too. For many, the solution is to remove the ‘80s-style cubicles, and to introduce different areas to meet the different needs of employees throughout the working week. At Fast Company, for example, they have introduced an open plan office, but with library style partitions between certain areas to give the sense of privacy too.

With all of this in mind, it’s important to remember that as your business grows, your workspace will need to grow, too. It’s vital you work from the outset to ensure your culture remains uncompromised and that you constantly ask the question: “What is the end goal?”

When a workspace grows in a way that is aligned with your company, bridging the gap between architecture, interior design, and employee engagement, it will become a truly exceptional workspace. Read full post

Learn more about office layouts and furniture at www.vision-oi.com/blog. Don’t forget to check out the latest additions to our used and new office furniture collections at Vision-Oi.

For further information, call 321 203 2759

Decorate Your Office on a Budget

Published: Oct 14, 2016

Author: voi__admin

Categories: Office Design

Tags: Office design, Office Furniture, Used Office Furniture

You spend a good half of your day at your office. In more ways than one, it’s your another home. There is no scarcity of activities you have to perform at your office and an environment that promotes productivity and invites positive familiarity is as crucial as it’s desirable.

Decorating an entire workplace or even your own workstation can get too heavy on the pockets. But with some fine-tuning, you’ll be able to breathe new life into the environment while saving some money.

Nicole Groshek from National Business Furniture shares some brilliant ideas on improving your office without burning a hole in your pockets.

How can I decorate an entire office on a budget?

The larger the space, the more expensive the makeover. That being said, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to make your office building look its best. Try incorporating these budget elements to design a space that inspires.

Wall art can breathe life into otherwise bland walls. Not only is there a huge selection of artwork available to match the aesthetic you’re going for, but they also vary in price to meet just about every budget. Try adding a single large canvas to a big, blank wall or create a stunning gallery wall by using multiple smaller prints bunched together. Either way, you’re going to grab the attention of employees and guests as they walk by.

Area rugs and accent pillows make great statement pieces in a waiting area, and they cost a lot less than buying entirely new furniture. This type of décor is also ideal for bringing in a pop of color into an otherwise neutral space.

Less is more, so be sure to incorporate your décor only where necessary. Not only will limiting the amount of décor in your office prevent the space from looking cluttered, but it will also save you hundreds of dollars by preventing you from overspending on your design elements. Remember, not every wall needs artwork on it, and the occasional blank space can help make a room look bigger.

Mixing and matching your lighting can also help you save money and create that visual balance you want in your office. You don’t need fancy chandeliers and funky uplighting in every corner of the building. Instead, go with an inexpensive light source such as fluorescent lighting for most of the office and then accent that with floor lamps and pendant lighting here and there for visual interest.

Rearrange your furniture in the right way to drastically improve the flow of the space. The greatest thing about rearranging your office furniture is that it’s totally free! You already have the furniture, so simply moving it around is a great way to enhance the look of the room and switch things up a little. Be sure to keep entryways clear and be conscious of the flow of traffic when selecting your arrangement. Also take into consideration where the natural lighting is coming from in your office and arrange furniture in a way that will provide employees with access to that beneficial light source.

How can I decorate my cubicle on a budget?

An entire office redecorating is one thing, but what can you do with your own personal budget to make your workspace look a little more like home? Start here.

Keep it clean to make your space feel bigger and more open. Keeping your desk free from clutter will not only make it more visually appealing, but it will also help your productivity since messy desks are often associated with higher levels of stress and a decrease in work productivity. Best of all, organizing your desk once a day or once a week is a more than affordable option considering it doesn’t cost any cash at all.

Bring the outside in for an affordable way to get in touch with Mother Nature on the job. Whether they’re real or artificial, office plants can be purchased on the cheap, and the benefits they provide can’t be beat. Studies have shown that incorporating greenery and natural elements in your workspace via live plants, faux plants or even photographs of plants can boost your mood and increase productivity at the same time. That means good things for you, for your work and for your wallet!

Add a personal touch to your workspace to make it feel more like home. Bringing in décor elements such as family photos, knick knacks and your favorite books will remind you of the important things in life and will make you feel happier as you sit at your desk. Plus, these are items you usually already have at home, so they’ll be inexpensive or completely free! Read full post

Learn more about office furniture and layouts at Vision-Oi. Choose from an immense collection of new and used furniture.

WORKPLACE INSPIRATION: Studio-Tag, Design Lab

Published: Sep 19, 2016

Author: voi__admin

Categories: Office Design

Tags: New and Used Office Furniture, Office design, Office Workspace, Used Office Furniture

Good artists borrow, great artists steal. You may not agree with this quote most popularly attributed to Pablo Picasso and Steve Jobs. But if you’ve endeavored to make a career out of creativity and innovation, you are most likely to agree that everybody needs inspiration; and there is nothing wrong with that.

Work Design Magazine has given a detailed and interesting perspective on the philosophy of design that is employed by architects of the newly-built Studio-Tag. This, we think, makes for a good mid-day read for people venturing to design and build (or rebuild) a new workplace and looking for inspiration. Read further.

Imagine a space with the ambience of a modern boutique hotel’s lounge, but the functionality of an A&D office and curated showroom, and you’ll start to picture Studio-Tag. This gorgeous space, built by Fifield Piaker Elman Architects, was created to serve designers every step of the creative process, from the conceptual-design phase to the product-selection phase.

The Studio-Tag showroom features sustainable green walls, auxiliary European furniture, acoustic solutions, architectural glass and more. “I hope the showroom inspires designers and supports them in their creative process,” said Emma Robson, president and co-founder of Studio-Tag.

What is the address of the project?

321 West 44th Street, Suite 200, New York, NY 10036

Who was the building architect?

Fifield Piaker Elman Architects

Who was the interior architect or designer?

Emma Robson, president and co-founder of Studio-Tag, designed the showroom. She had a vision to create a workplace that allowed designers to explore and get excited about the specifying process. When she and her partners set out to build it, this fluid, think tank-esque space was very clear in her mind.

When was the project completed?

April 2016

What is the total square footage?

6,200 square feet

How many total employees are there, and what’s the daily population?

They are a group of 23, each one bringing their unique flair to the studio.

What is the location’s proximity to public transportation and other amenities?

It’s centrally located in the historic Plant Building near the thrumming Times Square. In fact, this spot was selected because of its convenient location and easy subway access.

Which furniture brands and dealers were used? Please touch on any notable products, how they were used and if they solved a particular problem.

Studio-Tag proposed a hands-on, all-encompassing approach when it comes to the specifying process. They aimed to provide professionals in the architecture and design industries with all of the considerations required when working on commercial and institutional projects. Their space contains architectural glass walls by Tagwall and auxiliary furniture from brands like Verpan, Hay, Johanson, Pedrali, and Creative Touch Rugs, which is very unique in its aesthetic. When it came to acoustics, they wanted professionals to have access to top-of-the-line products, such as Slalom, Donar, and Framery. They’ve also brought the outdoors in with Polar Moss, Opiary, and Greenwalls products.

Is there a mobile work or work-from-home policy, or are most of the employees there all day every day?

It really depends on each individual’s role on the team. There’s an eight-person admin staff, which works at the office and is available during regular office hours. The business development team tends to bounce between the office and meetings throughout the city, while the project managers are on job sites doing their work and making the experience seamless. Everybody’s position is specific, and location always depends on the job description.

How is the company’s brand reflected in the space?

Studio-Tag understands that the work environment is quickly evolving — and catering to millennials — so the Studio was designed to address these needs. It was important to design a space that served as both a fully functioning office and a showroom, where designers could experience multiple products simultaneously and see exactly how their selection blended together to achieve their vision. Knowing that today’s work spaces require a more collaborative open-plan environment that feels less like an office and more like a living room, the studio feels much like a boutique hotel’s lounge with acoustically sound furniture, breakout spaces for privacy, and larger conference areas. The result is a functional space that serves both employee and client needs.

What is the most unique feature about the new space?

Not only does the studio house functional and cutting-edge furniture and a series of unique environments, but it also contains 20×12-foot green wall, which naturally removes carbon dioxide, minimizes dust, reduces pollutants, and helps with noise reduction all while incorporating the beauty of nature into an office environment. Bringing the outdoors in can really change the way people feel at work; productivity is also a huge factor!

Please talk about any other notable aspects of the project that make it unique.

Studio-Tag offers a “one stop shop” for corporate interiors, which allows designers and clients the opportunity to see all of the products together, from architectural glass walls to a green wall, lighting to furniture, and curated integrated artwork as well. Robson travels to design shows all over the world to handpick the unique mix of internationally manufactured products. Her thoughtful selections introduce current European trends to the U.S.

What also unique is the studio’s focus on curating. It’s something companies rarely address when discussing corporate, hospitality and institutional projects. It’s common to overlook the details that often truly make a space noteworthy, and Studio-Tag wants to bring forth products that are durable, contextual and cost-considerate — without compromising design and art. They believe performance doesn’t have to suffer if aesthetics are considered.

They also believe in the Bauhaus principles that “form follows function, and color follows form!” Read full story

Feel free to share your design ideas with our team at Vision-Oi. It will be our pleasure to help you achieve your goals.

Redesigning Your Work Space

Published: Sep 9, 2016

Author: voi__admin

Categories: Workspace

Tags: Modern Office Design, Office design, Office Furniture, Office Interiors, Office Workspace, Redesign Workspace, Used Office Furniture

Staying productive at office all day long sounds like a real challenge. But with discipline and time you can train your body to stay productive for longer. At Vision Office Interiors, we can provide you with the most practical new and used office furniture, office design solutions whatever your requirement is according to your workspace.

We believe that businesses always need to stay on top of latest trends to stand knowledgeable and up to date. Also, some of these trends focus on productivity and efficiency. One of the most difficult aspects of running a business is to know how to mix things and redesign your commercial property. But we get stuck into our daily duties that we forget to take a step back and really look at our business. There are very important questions to be answered like when was the last time you redesigned? What has changed about your business since then?

The working environment plays a huge role in staff morale and outdated offices tend to leave workers uninspired. Employees working typically for nine to five job and sitting for longer hours can get problems in the lower back and various other parts of the body, which are badly effected by not sitting in the correct position with proper posture for longer. The reality is that most people slump over a bit while they are sitting down typing. If productivity of staff is down, it may be time to redesign your office. New office design with proper lighting, furniture, break rooms, color scheme can do all of this for you. To get a feel about what may work best for your office, take a look at new office design trends. An outdated office design may also give bad impression to your customers about your service.

If you’re thinking about redesigning your work space, get in contact. Vision Office Interiors always help you to make your office space more efficient and stylish.

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