5 office design problems and how to solve them

Open floor plans may seem to promote teamwork, but often the lack of intentional collaboration areas results in a crowded, disruptive environment. Employees need spaces suited for group discussions, brainstorming sessions, and informal meetings that don't disturb others' focused work.

Consider repurposing underutilised areas into small meeting rooms or huddle spaces. Install whiteboards, large screens, and video conferencing abilities to facilitate teamwork. Create booths, lounges, and open enclaves away from desks for quick gatherings. Modular furniture like wheeled tables allows you to reconfigure layouts as needed.

Providing a variety of collaboration settings avoids workspace congestion while enabling creativity and productivity.

Ineffective office space design results in crowded workspaces or vastly underutilised real estate. Completing a detailed space utilisation study of your current office allows you to identify issues. Daily occupancy tracking, space surveys, and employee interviews give key data points.

This analysis may show the need to downsize or confirm you've outgrown your footprint. Evaluate if departments with synergy are separated or if high-traffic zones disrupt focus. Leverage your findings to eliminate wasted space and rework layouts for improved adjacencies.

For a cramped office, consider bench seating, shared desks, and implementing a desk booking system to enable flexibility. A space optimisation strategy tailored to your workforce saves on real estate costs and drives engagement.

A disconnect between office space design and company brand or values screams lack of thoughtfulness. Employees glean unconscious cues from their workplace environment daily.

Is your aesthetic dated or disjointed? Do colour schemes and style fit your image? Does the layout facilitate or hinder collaboration?

While collaboration has increased in importance, individual focused work remains critical. Open floor plans often lack sufficient settings for private conversations and concentrated tasks. Employees experience distractions that impair productivity and may hesitate to make sensitive calls or conduct confidential meetings.

Create small, enclosed pods or phone booths interspersed throughout the office for individual needs. Designate quiet zones clearly separated from high-traffic areas for heads-down work.

Allow remote work for tasks requiring extreme focus. Manager offices double as private meeting areas when unoccupied. Having options for privacy empowers employees to work productively without constant disruptions.