Offices are no longer about long rows of boring cubicles, we look at some of the best office designs in vogue now
Much like how our lifestyle changed with technology and business, so has our work places too changed shape over the years. There’s another phase of change waiting to happen to offices and workspaces. PwC conducted a recent survey which stated that almost 80% of the workforce will be millennial by 2016. This means, new age offices in India will be filled with colourful workplaces dominated by gadgets, where teamwork will be a defining point.
There is an increased need for informal spaces, interactive and innovative designs that focus on the comfort factor at work. No matter how small the office space is, present day entrepreneurs love
it to be colourful and funky with an aesthetic interior that aim for positivity.
Let’s take a look at some of the concepts of workplaces that are catching up fast in the Indian entrepreneurial scenario.
Flexible Workspaces
The rigidity that was previously present in workplaces is now diminishing. Since everyone owns a smartphone and a social media account, there is no way you can keep one out of the social circles.
Besides, social media is also looked upon as a branding strategy. Therefore, employees are now given the freedom of social media interaction during office hours, provided they don’t disrupt the
productivity required. Moreover, in current times, one is free to work from anywhere they choose, at any time, place or way they desire; all that matters is timely completion of the project.
As of now, works pertaining to the IT sector are being done this way, but the processing centres of other sectors are evening the race, as more work is being paperless and are being delegated online. Getting it done is the priority, not how you get it done.
Lifestyle Workplaces
This new age trend is set up by corporate giants like Google and Facebook, wherein they incorporate lifestyle portions like eateries, shopping, workouts, and play area. This trend is fast catching up with companies in India as well, and future office spaces will be prone to emphasis on work-life balance. SMEs can also take this as an opportunity to create new businesses from the add-ons
attached to their workspaces. Alternatively, employers are looking to gain employee satisfaction by making work a non-erroneous task. As the months roll on, we will be seeing days of social communities sharing their work, brainstorming for innovative ideas and branding their presence online.
Comfort Conferencing
Round table conferences are practically non-existent these days. And they being boring, uncomfortable and a dreadful event didn’t seem to make matters better. These days the conferencing happens on comfortable sofas and recliners over a steaming cuppa of coffee and tea. The introduction of comfort conferencing basically happened in the artistic industry, where informality is the norm. The productivity of such events has led to its adoption by other companies in many other industries.
Unlike the old ritual of round table conferencing, comfort conferences take people into confidence rather than trapping them into sticky situations. Many find this helpful and open up more comfortably than before, which enables better connections and a positive business intake.
There is also the factor of increasing the niche appeal of an office through comfort conferencing. A coffee table, a couple of bean bags, a seating space of low stools and a certain formality is all that’s needed to have an amiable conference.
Transparent Door Policy
Another thing that new age office spaces have slashed through is the closed door policy of the past. Entrepreneurs are now staunch believers of connecting their work force through a glass door.
The advantages of this are twofold. While it helps them to keep an eye on their workforce, this also motivates them to work efficiently. Because the glass door policy is a two-way window, the workforce can also see them working; thus a two-way accountability is put into place, which can increase productivity.
Another face to this policy is the aesthetic appeal. The concept of transparent doors has an intrinsic beauty within the office. Privacy is, of course, a problem but that can be achieved through the use of shades, curtains or sliders, if needed. In such cases, keeping the material of a light tone, within the colour palette of the company’s branding would be ideal.
Shared Spaces
Sharing of spaces are getting common with start-up companies, especially since hotshots like 91Springboard, ShareDesk, Regus, Share your Office etc. are offering shared spaces. And these spaces are not just available in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, but also in up and coming destinations like Kochi, which is making a name for itself in the business world.
Such a movement has revolutionised the way of traditional schools of thought, and are moulding a new age concept of connectivity and inter-business relations. Office space ideas are pouring forth by the dozens, and some can only be applied to a niche industry. However, the ones spoken of above can be allotted to any company in any industry. Nothing stays forever. The dynamic nature of all things ushers in change at certain points of time; some are inevitable, others are brought on by behaviour.
Text: Vishnudas Nandan Photos: Various Sources