March 1 2019 - The design of your office space can impact your employees' productivity, performance, and mood each day. Bare walls, windowless spaces and poor-quality equipment will slow your staff down, which can lead to a lack of passion and motivation in their career.

To maximise your space and help your business make the most of its environment, read the following five ways to increase productivity with your office design.

1. Create a Quiet Zone

While an open office design can encourage conversation and collaboration, it can also be detrimental to productivity. A lack of privacy could result in your employees being easily disturbed when working on important, individual tasks, as noise or conversation could slow your staff down. To boost internal productivity, create a quiet zone for staff to visit when they need to dedicate 100% of their focus on a task.

2. Install the Right Level of Toilet Cubicles

A queue for the bathroom will only take your staff away from a task or project, while causing frustration and denting employee morale. You must, therefore, install the right level of toilet cubicles for the number of staff on site.

It's also essential to adhere to your company's legal requirements when installing toilets in the workplace. For example, you'll need five toilets and five wash basins for mixed use or female toilets, if you have 76 to 100 employees on staff. Get in touch with Concept Cubicle Systems to install high-quality, long-lasting toilet cubicles.

3. Increase Natural Sunlight to Improve Your Staffs' Mood

Sunlight can reportedly make people happier, which can lead to a more positive outlook that can improve your team's productivity levels. If an office is dull and dreary, it can negatively impact your employees' mood, which can affect their performance.

A study also found that office workers who enjoy more natural sunlight exposure experienced:

• Better sleep quality
• A longer sleep duration
• More physical activity
• An improved quality of life

For this reason, you should strategically design an office space to maximise natural sunlight, which will allow everyone to catch a glimpse of the outdoors throughout the working day.

4. Add a Social Area

It is crucial your staff have a space where they can relax so that they can enjoy a little distance from their mounting task list. To create a stress-free environment, designate a social area in the office where your employees can eat lunch, enjoy a social coffee break or hold informal meetings.

Aim to make the social area as light, comfortable and inviting as possible, which will make people want to make use of the space whenever they feel tired or stressed. For example, you could incorporate:

• Bean bags
• A comfortable sofa
• Board games
• A TV

5. Personalise Your Office

A boring office can equal an unproductive environment. Inspire passion and creativity by creating a vibrant, personalised space, which can have a positive impact on your employees.

An attractive workplace that complements your brand will not only impress guests, but it can also make your team proud to work for their business, which can boost morale and job satisfaction. You also should allow your team members to add their own personal touch to their desks, which could range from family photographs to a small desk plant.