With the summer here, the trees and flowers and the skies are providing colours a plenty, but how about the inside of your workplace? Is it white and clinical or is there no recognisable tones or themes to the décor? 

The trend as we know is very much on making the office or workplace more homely to entice workers back in, and to also make hybrid working or full-time office based working more productive. So, to make the atmosphere and surroundings brighter and bolder, what simple things can you do to bring more colour into the workplace? 

Businesses, corporations and employers/employees, like the rest of us, are very aware of sustainability and reducing our impact on the environment. May sees the national awareness days of National clean air month and Water saving week. And June is World environment day and World oceans day to name but a few. 

We have been told and learned a lot over the years about the impacts on our physical, and mental, health of sitting for prolonged periods of time. Being on your feet the whole times isn’t ideal either, so a combination of both has been proven to have great impacts. Sitting and standing used to be done by a few, but this way of working is becoming more and more mainstream. 

With WFH continuing to affect many employees, more people are looking to fit out their workspace with a designated standing desk which can help them move from one posture to another throughout the day, without interrupting workflow. We recently sent out a mailer showcasing a new sit to stand desk we have available. Find more details here  

In many of our recent blogs and posts, we have talked a lot about and mentioned the changing face of the office and how this face is a friendlier one. Post pandemic, we are seeing a trend from our client enquiries and projects as well as reading pieces from the office interiors world about how employees are wanting and asking for a friendlier office space or working environment. And with talk of 4 day weeks and working from home remaining a thing for some, employers and business owners are needing to respond to this need and want and therefore approaching companies like Sygnus to help make this transformation. It is all about being inclusive and accommodating. 

In our industry of office space planning and office design, some workplaces and offices have always been more traditional in look and style with open planned spaces of bench desks, meeting rooms, reception areas for meeting and greeting and closed, smaller offices for management. There have also always been the more quirky and fun workspaces with bars, dart boards and soft seating. 

There is no right or wrong way to have your office designed, as long as it is fit for purpose, ergonomically sound and safe and that it also matches your company’s ethics and working ethos. But what else do you need to consider? 

Many of you as customers will know by now that at Sygnus we offer 4 core services. And these are: 

Project Management 

Office Design and Office Space Planning 

Office Furniture 

Office Interiors 

 

Over our many years working in and growing in this industry, we have built up a trustworthy, reliable and professional team and also a responsive and experienced network of contacts whom we work with to complete projects from office refurbs to office moves to redesigns. By calling upon this network, Sygnus can and does provide a one stop shop style of services to you our customers for all your office fit out and internal office needs. If we cannot do it ourselves, we know someone who can. Therefore we can always add value and be of service to you. 

Currently, there is a renewed focus on workspace design in the wake of Covid. Pretty much everyone is agreed that workspace has to change, but there is also an assumption that such change will be hugely expensive and disruptive. Nook is helping to re-shape this thinking. 

As the flow of employees gradually increases, businesses are being challenged to provide spaces that work both in terms of social distancing and everyday productivity. Furthermore, with greater numbers opting to work remotely – at least for part of the week - the workspace has already started to evolve with a greater focus on collaboration and social functions. 

 

Nook, a family of personal pods, exists to help make positive changes – to workplaces, to event space, to hospitals, to schools – in fact anywhere where people gather. Read more ... 

Sustainability and the environment are very much in the press and the political arena  

This topic is also front of mind for many business owners and consumers right now, as it should be. 

So when it comes to office space planning and office furniture, what are people doing and offering? 

You must have sat in a reception or waiting area of an office or workplace on the past that didn’t strike the right chord or leave you feeling enthused at the meeting or appointment ahead. Perhaps there was a rip in the seat covers or the fabric wasn’t overly clean? Or perhaps the furniture was scratched or scuffed with out of date reading material, dying plants and a water machine that was empty! This is not the memory that you want any visitors to your workplace to have. 

With Schools and Universities returning, we are also pleased and encouraged to see a slowly but surely style return to offices and workplaces. We are pleased for many reasons as this could see a boost for the economy and the knock on effect this will have, signs of a more positive outlook and attitude and the hopeful lift for local and small businesses too. 

So what next for offices and workspaces?