Workspace design has changed
Many offices still subscribe to the idea that you should cram as many cubicles into a drab space as possible, and budgets for workspace design tend to be skimpy, but employee’s surroundings have a dramatic impact on their performance, a fact that many tech companies, startups, and growing firms have picked up on and run with.
Google Ventures Startup Lab recently hosted a panel on the topic, addressing best practices for creating an environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, innovation, and general well-being in the office environment.
So, how can inspiring office environments actually improve all of these things? Google’s global Real Estate & Workplace Services Team discuss these topics below, sharing data from Google’s own research and even a historical tour of Google’s workspaces through the years:
[pl_video type=”youtube” id=”j0wM_NIXUYY”]
SO what about your workspace?
You may not have a giant office space, a floor in a highrise, or an endless budget, but remember that Confucius said, “Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.” Even a dumpy 1980s office condo donning 900 square feet can become a space more conducive to collaboration, innovation, and well-being.
Review the Google Ventures Startup Lab video for inspiration, and reconsider everything from your layout, building materials, colors, desks, chairs, extra areas, and more. It has been scientifically proven that you can improve your employees’ productivity and happiness by providing an office environment that is conducive to creative thought – you don’t have to add a skateboarding park in your waiting room or bean bags in a lounge room, nor do you have to host boozey parties every week, you simply have to consider the philosophies outlined in the video above to help boost employee productivity companywide, no matter the budget.
