Office Design

It’s coming into winter; it’s too cold to socialise outside. Inside, you can make it feel fresh and vibrant without braving the elements.

To adhere to social distancing practices across the UK, offices have made massive changes to their workspace over the last few months. Bringing sterile screens and with them a general feeling of dystopia to the office environment – but as we get more comfortable within our new lifestyle restrictions, it might be time to become a little more playful with our work setting.

With one-third of our lives spent at work (90,000 hours!), shouldn’t it be a place where we feel comfortable and relaxed, yet productive and inspired?

As we creep closer to winter, outside spaces are becoming bitterly cold, so we need an environment that brings the outside in – a place where you feel inspired and happy surrounded by biophilic design.

What is biophilic design?

Biophilic design is a concept within the building industry; a concept that is focused on connecting people with the natural environment around them. Biophilic design can mean a new living moss wall, a planting structure to divide desks or mobile plant walls to section off meeting areas.

The possibilities are endless, so, how can you bring nature into your workplace this winter?

How to introduce biophilic design into the workplace

If you’re based in a rural setting, you might be one of the lucky businesses with a garden area or sweeping views of the countryside – if that sounds like your office, you should take advantage of these views. Creating break out areas overlooking the scenery can be a great space to sit, relax and have lunch.

But what about the rest of your office?

Don’t discount colour

The colours in your office can have an impact on employees’ mood. If your office is white and grey, you might want to consider adding a splash of colour to your palette. Warming colours, including oranges and yellows, can boost productivity; green and earthy tones can help promote balance within the space, and blue represents communication and efficiency.

Conduct a bit of research before you get started and see which colours would work well with your company branding.

Note: Don’t forget to include your employees in on the information gathering process – what do they want from the space? What does it lack? Their input is invaluable – they have to work here, after all!

Get creative with plant life

Included a few potted plants here and there can inject a little life into the office space, but it’s not enough to be genuinely transformative. To bring the outside in, think about where in your office could benefit from plant life – maybe you have a bare white wall not currently in use, or you want to swap out some plain desk section dividers with something a little more interesting.

Adding plants to your office space will increase the levels of oxygen in the environment, which subsequently can improve concentration and productivity by up to 15%.

BuzziPlanter from BuzziSpace can bring your workspace to life. With a high-density foam core, the bigger the planter, the more sound absorption – perfect for an open-plan office space.

BuzzPlanter from BuzziSpace

Are you ready to overhaul your office space? Call us on 01932 379 427 to discuss your office project today.

In the last few months, the workplace for many of us changed. We became home workers – seeking out the best places around the house to work our 9-5. As we slowly emerge from this forced home working experiment, businesses are asking ‘what’s next?’ for office design and office life in general.

At MBFurniture, here’s what we think lies ahead for office design.

Open plan is here to stay

Although it might be tempting to silo everyone back into those grey office cubicles – not only would you be taking a huge step back into the 90s, you’d be doing your workers a disservice. Just because you need to implement social distancing measures for the foreseeable, doesn’t mean you should socially isolate your staff.

Humans are social beings; we like to socialise and interact with (some!) colleagues. So keep the walls down and think about sectioning your offices up into different areas with green planters, shelving units or smart workspace layouts.

If you’re thinking of introducing plants into your workspace they can do more than create a beautiful aesthetic, they’ve been found to boost productivity by up to 15%! Take a look at our recent client project below (pre-COVID) – the client, a global tech company, wanted a boutique vibe – planters and bookshelves like these can help you separate areas of your office without making it feel closed off.

Social distancing measures are essential, but that doesn’t mean you need to section your office with grey padded dividers. Think vibrancy – plants, warm colours – make the office space inviting to employees.

Collaborative, multi-functional spaces

Although you might ditch the daily scrums or workplace huddles – you still need places that encourage team collaboration. Instead of having staff gather around one desk, you need multi-functional spaces – a space that can transform into a quick meeting spot, breakout space or a quiet area to work solo.

The office needs to adapt to our behaviour and restriction updates. You need to create an environment that is safe and secure for staff while delivering a functional and collaborative space to drive your business forward.

Creative clutter and storage solutions

Pre-COVID we had a lot of stuff circulating our desk space; papers, stationery, cups, food – all kinds. But in a post-COVID office, we’re having to take better care of our workstations. Cleaning up after ourselves has never been more important.

That’s where smart storage solutions can come in handy, just like the ones below. Each employee can have a smart locker of their own to keep their belongings in throughout the day. Solutions like these keep your office looking tidier and help keep them cleaner, too – mitigating the risk of cross-contamination.

We completed this project for a client’s headquarters based in London. The client wanted an end of desk storage and locker storage solution to tie into their current office space. The locker storage has combination locks – which suits this particular client as the users change daily.

There’s no key management – they are self-serving.

If you’re looking for something similar for your office, call us today on 01932 379 427 to discuss your project.

You can have the best job in the world, but it still can’t make up for the fact you work inside a soulless office.

In short, giving your office a retouch here and there can increase worker happiness and productivity, and it can help you attract (and retain) staff members. Who doesn’t want to work in a vibrant, playful office?

If you’re wrapped up in calculations, figuring out whether this is something your organisation can afford, they absolutely can. You don’t need to spend big to create an impact. From changing the colour scheme and sprinkling a few potted plants around to entire office refits – injecting personality into your office space needn’t be break-the-bank expensive.

As the global economy continues to emerge from COVID, many employees are perhaps anxious and worried about what their new office environment will be. Giving your office a lick of paint and some new meeting room furniture, or break out space, can help your company provide those employees with a warm welcome back.

So how can you inject personality into your office space?

Do some research into colours

You might already know that colours are synonymous with emotions. When you walk into a light blue room, for example, it might feel cold and unwelcoming for a home, but in an office setting hues of blue can stimulate the mind, making you feel more productive.

When picking your office colour scheme, you should undoubtedly take the lead from your branding and your company logo, pick an accent colour to bring out on your walls, flooring or office accessories. You want cohesion between your branding and your office – your office should be an extension or a personification of your brand.

Other colours that can be conducive to a happy and creative environment include warm yellows, oranges and reds. Always be sure to create a mood board so you can see how the colours will look together and whether they complement your office style or shape.

Image source: BuzziPicNic Round by BuzziSpace

If you’d rather stay away from bold colours, you can opt for a more muted, yet modern twist on the meeting room table. BuzziPicNic Round from BuzziSpace offers customers just that.

Ask your team for guidance

Who better to help you design a new, productive and vibrant space than those working there? Making your employees feel heard is a great way to increase morale within your team, so have group meetings and implement suggestion boxes around your office. These brainstorming sessions can help you get to know your team better, as well as building an office environment everyone has been craving!

After you’ve had all suggestions submitted, filter through them and notice which ideas come up more than once, focusing on these ideas initially could help solve problems that numerous members of staff have identified. Most of the time, the budget will dictate what work gets done, but you should always listen to your employees.

Bring the outside, inside

According to research, introducing plants into the work environment can reduce tension and anxiety by 37%. If this statistic wasn’t already enough to get you riffling through the garden centre – perhaps the overall aesthetic of plants in an indoor space, will.

Plants can bring any dull office to life. With transparent desk dividers all the rage in a post-COVID world (MBFurniture can help you with these, by the way!) – some manufacturers have given their planter toppers a new lease of life and turned them into a living, breathing office dividers.

Who says social distancing has to lack personality and flair? If you’re hoping to inject a little more excitement and productivity into your workspace, contact us to discuss your office project on info@mbfurniture.co.uk

It’s fair to say that the global coronavirus pandemic has knocked all UK businesses sideways. While we’re all trying to make sense of our new ‘normal’, it’s essential to think ahead to your office layout – what changes will you have to make to ensure employees feel comfortable and safe?

We believe communication and socialising shouldn’t be comprised in the workplace; after all, it plays an essential role in the day-to-day running of any office environment. Without interaction, employees can feel isolated and disconnected from their work and the team members around them.

At MBFurniture, we understand that, as an employer, you’re probably feeling the pressure to adequately adapt your office environment to adhere to the Government’s latest guidelines.

We’ve witnessed tape markers for the high-touch and high-traffic areas of your office – areas including the kitchen, coffee stations, water coolers and toilets. These are all apparent and straightforward distancing measures to outline with tape on the floor. But what about desks and workstation layouts?

We’re sharing some of our top tips, with some product suggestions from our furniture partner, Bene.

Image source: unsplash.com

Say goodbye to sharing

It isn’t feasible or realistic to continue implementing hot-desking areas in your business. There should be one person to one desk each day. Now is also not the time to be generous and lend out personal equipment – from pens and coffee cups, each employee should have their own equipment for their use alone.

If possible, employees should bring in their own personal keyboard and mouse. Just having the surface of the desk to disinfect means the challenge of keeping everything sanitary at the end of each day a little easier.

Employees should have their own cleaning products

If not for easing their own anxieties, it will go some way to ensure other employees feel more comfortable in the space, too. Think hand sanitisers, disinfecting wipes and sprays. Each employee is responsible for their own workstation, at least until a cleaner comes in after each workday.

To ensure work surfaces are kept clean, you need to implement a solution to keep desks clutter-free and generally very tidy. This could mean providing each employee with a tray or folder system to keep paper off the desks.

Install desk shields

Installing transparent shields between each desk means employees can still communicate with colleagues effectively while respecting social distancing guidelines. This can mean you won’t have to shuffle all your desk layouts around – this is a particularly good option if you’re looking to keep costs down or don’t have the space to move your office furniture.

This photo by Bene shows how effective a transparent screen can be in the office environment. You can work as usual from your desk and interact with colleagues easily. The protective shields from Bene can be used as individual elements or in combination. A universally applicable solution that offers employees, customers and suppliers the best possible protection.

SHIELDED by Bene

Additional steps for employers:

  • Installing hand sanitiser dispensers throughout your office
  • Motion-sensitive lighting, reducing cross-contamination via light switches
  • Wipeable and non-porous surfaces in high-touch areas (kitchen, coffee station, desks etc.)
  • All employees are required to eat at their desks
  • Trialling out half staff occupancy, if possible, to ensure social distancing is respected and maintained (or shift rotation, half staff in Mondays and Tuesdays, rest in Wednesdays and Thursdays at different desks)

Chat to us today about getting your office ready for a return to work. Make your employees your priority, and let’s get your business back on track. Email us on info@mbfurniture.co.uk or call us on 07833 310 671.

We’re all wondering when lockdown restrictions will be relaxed, but while we’re awaiting further instruction, it’s essential to tackle your home workspace. We could be in lockdown for many weeks or even months to come, and suffering from neck, shoulder and back pain shouldn’t play a part in your daily workday.

There are many small workspace adjustments you can make to ensure your home office is suitable. There are many obstacles to overcome when working from home during this lockdown period – juggling homeschooling, keeping focused and productive and generally not climbing your walls. So don’t let an uncomfortable workspace distract you further.

Having a space to call your ‘office’ even if it’s a desk in a bedroom is important. You need to fashion an area where you can comfortably and productively deliver work.

Here’s how to properly arrange your workspace…

Make sure your chair is set up correctly

Having a chair that lacks ergonomic lumbar support and is generally uncomfortable is a recipe for disaster. Not only will you not enjoy sitting there – your body will not thank you for putting it through unnecessary strain!

Align elbows and thighs correctly

Your elbows should align perfectly with your keyboard – and your thighs should be parallel to the floor. If you’re uncomfortable, or your feet don’t sit comfortably on the floor, consider using a footrest.

Lumbar support is imperative

It’s imperative that your task chair adequately supports the lumbar spine. If your chair doesn’t quite hit the mark, get in touch with us – we have a selection of task chairs available for remote workers.

Armrests can make you more comfortable

Armrests are relatively inexpensive and easy to attach to most task chairs. Armrests should help support your arms (imagine that!) and keep your shoulders relaxed. This enables you to relax the muscles in your arms and your shoulders. Sitting all day, tense and holding your arms as you type is not comfortable or sustainable.

Laptop and screen set up

Many of us don’t have access to a desktop computer – but instead have just a laptop. You’ll have noticed already – as we are five weeks into remote working – that you naturally stoop to read your laptop screen.

This position is only adding strain to your neck and shoulders.

Purchasing a monitor, monitor arm and a separate keyboard, is a relatively inexpensive way to build the perfect ergonomic workstation. You can find these items cheaply priced and can build this set up for a small investment of around £200.

Alternatively, you can purchase a device that supports your laptop, enabling the user to adjust how high the screen can lift and the angle of the screen. Or, if you’d rather not spend a penny on a laptop holder – use a box or a stack of books! You will need a separate keyboard for this setup to work, though.

Many users find purchasing a separate USB mouse can also help them use their laptop more efficiently – sometimes the trackpad just doesn’t cut it!

Extra tip: the top of your laptop screen should be level with your eyes.

Tips for combating eye strain

It’s easy to become consumed with work when working from home. Boundaries between personal life and work become blurred. With this in mind, it’s helpful to set and stick to concrete working hours if possible.

Specsavers has shared advice for minimising eye strain (which can take the form of eye discomfort, headaches, itchy eyes, difficulty focusing and more.) The high street chain suggests regularly looking away from your screen – looking out of the window or looking far away, helps relax the focusing muscles inside the eye, which can help reduce fatigue.

On some brands we’re offering FREE nationwide deliveries direct to your employee’s door – for mainland UK – on task chairs and desks. Treat your employees to a comfortable working environment! Get in touch on info@mbfurniture.co.uk