Office Space Design: Is An Open Plan The Best Answer

Office Space Design

For the past several years, the open office concept has been the overwhelming trend in office space design. If you wanted to seem like a forward thinking company, you went with an open plan. People are coming to understand that an open floor plan may not be the answer for every company.

When it was a newer trend, the open office concept seemed like a must-have for companies who were just starting out and existing companies who wanted to revitalize their corporate culture. People wanted to break down the walls separating employees from one another whenever possible.

Office Space Design: Quiet On The Set

There has been a mentality of “remove these barriers to collaboration and productivity will be better.”  As time went on and the “trendy” factor wore off, people have begun to question the benefits of an open plan and its incorporation into their office space designs.

Many companies are finding that the open plan actually hurts productivity and can make it difficult to complete tasks that require a higher level of focus. Getting time to make or receive an important call may require that an employee seek out their own space to avoid the noise and distraction of coworkers. As a result, office design has begun to move back toward a more traditional (private or semi-private workspace) setting.

Evaluate Your Needs

If you are considering an open plan office design, you need to first address a few important questions. Does an open office solve any problems for your company? Do your employees/coworkers need to be sharing the same room to maximize their productivity? Would separate offices with additional collaborative spaces be a better solution for the times when direct collaboration is needed? Your startup office design doesn’t have to be completely traditional or open, it can be a mix of the two.

In the end, it is up to you to decide what is right for your startup office design. Take the time to research and consider what office style will be the best fit for your company. Don’t make choices based on what is “in” for office design at that moment.

Finally, with the flexibility of an executive workspace, you can move from one office design to another until you find the best fit for you.