Guide to Startup Office Design

When considering a startup office design, deciding what kind of layout, office furniture, and decor will make the space as productive as possible is a key factor. You obviously want to create an office with an interior design that encourages maximum efficiency and creativity in your team so that they can put forth their best work.

A startup with a team that is productive and on fire is a startup that will succeed and will do so exponentially faster than a startup with a team that is unmotivated and uninspired. Your startup office space can play a massive role in your team’s overall effectiveness and motivation as they go about their day-to-day work tasks.

What is Office Design & Why is it Important? 

Essentially, office space design is all about giving your people what they need. Your team, depending on your industry, needs specific things to hit their daily targets and complete their tasks. It’s always a great idea to ask yourself some questions before getting started. For instance, questions like:

• What do your employees need to work comfortably? 
• What would boost their productivity? 
• What would allow them to put their best foot forward? 
• What do they need to be surrounded by, so they feel comfortable enough to get creative? 

These are all questions important to consider before designing your flexible office space. If you simply design with your own aesthetic in mind, but don’t think of the people who will be working in that environment, then you may do your business a disservice by accidentally creating a work environment that simply isn’t productive. 

A good office design should be comfortable, without compromising on work efficiency; stylish, but not enough to be distracting; personalized, while also being somewhat standardized. In other words, it should be balanced. 

According to science, the places we exist in––our environments––have a huge impact on mindset and company culture. Following that logic, that means the design and atmosphere of your office interior design and common space will undoubtedly have an effect on the mindsets of your employees working there. This effect on your employees could impact their creativity, their mental and physical health, and even their motivation behind working.

How Does Design Affect Employee Productivity?

According to research, almost 50% of people agree that their workspace or office layout has a direct effect on their productivity. The neater their surroundings, the clearer their mind. 

A workspace does not refer only to the physical office design, but also to the atmosphere of the office; a poorly designed office space will have a direct effect on the atmosphere of the office as well. 

For example, in an office space that is properly designed and equipped with the right necessities and accessories, including a meeting room or conference room, reception area, designated team workspaces, personal cubicles, lounge areas, waiting areas, and a kitchenette––every individual will have a place where they belong. 

When everyone knows their place, there is no crowding, and no extra noise or disturbance in the atmosphere. However, in a poorly designed office space, everything is jumbled up, causing great distraction, and there is no fixed place for all the necessities. Who can work in peace in such a disruptive environment?

What are the Factors to Consider to Create a Productive Office Design?

There are a few important things to consider for your startup office design, especially if the goal is to maximize productivity. 

Space 

The first and most important factor to consider before designing an office space is the amount of space you have. The smallness or largeness of a space is completely subjective when it comes to office design. 

A good office floor plan should make the best use of all the available space regardless of it’s a small office or a big office, and it should divide it up efficiently to cover as much of your requirements as possible. If your space is on the smaller side, consider overhead desk storage to make the most of it. A well designed and easy to navigate office frees up that much more space in your brain and has different areas for different functions. When choosing a space for your office, you should keep in mind whether you can scale up or down with your business, as needed. 

Lighting 

Lighting is another key element to think about when designing an office. It’s true that you can set up artificial lights in any room, but nothing has quite the effect natural sunlight does. 

The natural bright day light can offer a sense of openness and make any space seem larger and more inviting. So when designing an office, always try to maximize the natural lighting sources. 

Additionally, always include multiple artificial lighting fixtures in every room so that every individual has at least one light source they can control independently. Good lighting is necessary regardless of the source, otherwise productivity can plummet and the dull room could impact the mental health of your employees negatively. 

Color Scheme 

The color scheme throughout a startup office design should be a big factor, too.  The colors you surround yourself with in your open office can have an impact on your psyche and even impact your brain function. 

For example, bright colors may create sparks of creativity, whereas blue often lends a professional vibe and enhances productivity. Black can create a sense of luxury, while a pop of green here and there can foster a sense of calm and freshness. Learning to use color theory effectively is essential for a productive and efficient office design. 

Types of Work

When designing a productive office space, another important consideration is the type of work will be done in said office. For example:

• Will your employees or team mostly be working on their desktops and laptops? 
• Will they require work tables for manual work such as designing or drawing? 
• Will they require free space to display their presentations or creations? 
• Will they need a lot of storage room? 

These are some of the questions that need to be carefully weighed before dividing up your available office space and designing it out. 

Size of Your Team

Lastly, the size of your team should be taken into account as you design your office. How many people will need to be using the space? If it’s being divided into multiple areas with office room dividers, how many people could potentially be in any area at one time? A small team might fare well with an open concept office design, whereas a big office with multiple teams might find a divided office space works better.

What are the Top Productive Office Design Ideas?

Every office design will be different based on the type of business, the industry you’re in, and your own unique needs for your team members. A law office floor plan design might be different from a marketing firm floor plan design. However, there are a few universal ideas that can translate well regardless of the type of office design you create, and more importantly, they can help boost the overall productivity of everyone.

Get a Little Green

Not with envy, obviously. However, one of the best tools to help boost office productivity through design is to go green. In recent years, offices and workspaces have seen a big shift with this design trend, with more businesses wanting to focus on bright lighting and greenery. 

Plants can have many benefits––depending on their type––but one thing they all have in common is they help create a sense of peace, tranquility, and life in whatever rooms they’re used in. Even more attractive, plants have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, and absorb sound waves as well as carbon dioxide. Why not give plants a try? Invest in a few low-maintenance plants and place them strategically throughout your office.

Open Design Vs. Traditional 

Instead of engaging in a long debate on whether you should go with open concept office design, or a traditional one, our recommendation is to try to find a balance between the two work environment types. 

Where a traditional office design can sometimes be too rigid and strict for your needs, an open coworking space design might be too flexible in some situations. Instead, try to find a happy medium and design your office space by combining the best of both worlds. 

For instance, try creating an open floor plan for one part of the office, yet also create designated meeting and conference rooms, as well as work booths for times your team needs privacy to do their best work. 

Ultimately, the most productive startup office design is one that simply works, without you having to think about it too much. When your team walks into the office, they should feel excited and inspired to be there. People who feel excited and inspired are the very people who will help drive your startups initial growth and direct your path to success. A great office design can help you get there! Juniper is your trusted teammate with endless office furniture solutions to achieve a workspace that is just right for your company.