What's New: Top 7 Office Design Ideas of the Future

The quintessential question of the day always seems to be "what's just around the next bend?" And when your business relies keeping up with the cutting edge, this is a very important question indeed. Unfortunately, no one can really see into the future, but with a little research, we have a much better chance of predicting it. The content network, PSFK, recently published a new report on great business designs that will likely take us into the future. For tips on hottest new tools, designs, and ideas for business, today's post is all about the future of the workplace. Enjoy!

Teamwork

Although teamwork really isn't anything new, all the talk that technology is keeping us away from one another is total hokum. In the workplace, teamwork relies on technology to expand a company's market, both across the nation and across the globe. However, technology alone should never be the only form of communication in the workplace. That's why open desking has become such a big thing. Instead of high-walled cubicles that separate coworkers, experts say the future will depend on coworker teamwork. Low-walled cubicles and efficient multi user workstations for business use eliminate barriers and unite the office. Look for models that have power outlets for future tech, and you're workplace will be well on its way to the future!

Health

Employee health should always be a top concern for business owners, and thanks to the demands of tomorrow, it likely will be. Experts and business drivers all over the nation agree that rather than sacrificing health for productivity, employers should try to raise the health of their employees as best they can. Popular strategies include offering optional opportunities for coworkers to collectively improve their heath, such as offering discounted gym memberships. Providing healthier snack options in vending machines and encouraging healthy life choices keep employees upbeat, focused, and it reduces a company's liabilities. Improving quality of life for employees can even be as simple as adding a few healthy air purifiers for office use, or indoor plants that do the same thing and double as decor!

Flexible Workspaces

In today's fast paced world, it helps to have furniture that can keep up with the demands of the workplace. Modular design is an innovative concept that has only gotten better with time. It relies on the idea of keeping everything at arm's reach, so the user can limit lengthly travels across the office for the things they need. Choosing modern executive desks with modular design helps to improve office productivity by increasing efficiency. In addition to open desking, multi user desks, and tables, modular workstations also provide futuristic benefits by being flexible. As more people are added onto the company's workforce, so can modular furniture units to accommodate them. They can also be just as easily moved into storage should the workforce diminish seasonally. Given the rise in popularity modular furniture has made in recent years, it's not surprising that experts expect it to rise further.

Heads in the Clouds

No, we don't mean daydreaming on the job. Actually, by "cloud" we mean "cloud services." Many tech companies that cater to the needs of business environments offer something like this. Here "cloud" can refer to the internet, or to a number of services, applications, softwares, and tech infrastructure that cloud service providers sell to companies through the internet. With cloud service, different technologies can sync up together and distribute the same information or applications all at the same time, providing invaluable tech support and connections to all employees in a company. It's part of why stylish computer desks for business use have skyrocketed in popularity. Their compact sizes and tech features like CPU holders and grommets for wires have made accommodating cloud services a breeze.

Working Wherever

Part of the benefits of cloud service, teamwork, and improved technology is that it allows workers to work virtually anywhere. One of the biggest trends in the modern workplace is "zoning" or providing workers with plenty of work environments to choose from, and it really does make sense. Some workers like being around others, some like working alone, some like traditional office environments, others prefer comfortable leather lounge chairs for office use, working by windows,  or even sitting on the roof. Big companies that can house their workers anywhere enjoy the benefits that come from their creative juices flowing at maximum. When workers are in their ideal environment, ideas flow, and companies profit, carving a place for them in the future.

Top Notch Equipment

Any farmer will tell you it's hard to wrangle sheep without a sheepdog, and in the future, the same will still be true. Running any business is impossible without the right tools to do it with, and sadly, whether you work on a farm or in an office, hard work can only get one so far. For the latter, having the right furniture, tech, and accessories is key. Sturdy desks and high tech desk chairs with ergonomic features play just as big a part in business as computers do, and if you want to keep employees healthy, it's best to provide those computers with monitor arms, CPU holders, and keyboard trays. The right office equipment for the future will be able to juggle convenience, functionality, comfort as well as any circus performer.

Down Time

If anything good has come from science in recent years, it's the results of sleep studies. Scientists have found some striking connections between lack of sleep do to work and school and unhealthy lifestyles. Without down time, employees can become, overworked, overweight, inefficient, unfocused, and a total lack of asset to one's company. Employees are the backbone of any workplace, and experts say that they will undoubtedly contribute much more if they're offered some brief periods of down time. Break rooms, lounge areas, and places where employees can take a breather are predicted to be big additions in the future. Some companies have even taking to painting dry-erase paint on the walls so workers can get creative with one another, building rapport, or brainstorming ideas for the company while they relax!

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Simple and Easy Tips On How to Keep the Office Clean

It's no secret that offices can get dirty fast, especially around this time of year when companies are pressed for sales. With everyone working hard or hardly woking, papers can fly, desks can get dirty, and if nobody takes the time to sanitize, the whole workplace may end up with a cold. No one likes it, so why endure it all if you don't have to? Practicing cleanliness on both an individual and a group basis can help you better prepare for the holiday season so your workplace can get the sales without getting the bugs. It only takes 21 days to start a habit, and there's no better time than now! Here's some great cleanliness tips to help you get started:

Be Clean By Yourself

Proper cleanliness starts at the individual level. If you want to avoid the runny November nose, start by staying clean on your own. Watch where your food falls during meal times and clean it up right away. Constantly sanitize your office desk, especially things that you or others may touch frequently, like computer keyboards. Tidy up your office space as you go. Instead of waiting until the end of the day or the end of the week to sort through papers, sort through them on the spot. Have designated areas for papers you might end up using later, and toss the ones you know you'll never need again. This kind of meticulous organization not only forces a clean lifestyle, it also increases productivity and efficiency at work. However, while all of these tips are helpful, you must maintain the most important one of all to keep from getting sick - wash you hands constantly!

Be Clean With Others

Individual cleanliness is useful, but it doesn't do very much in a public environment unless everyone practices it. That's why keeping clean with others is so important. Group cleanliness will not only give a good impression of your business, but it also increases workplace efficiency and productivity exponentially! Think about it: cleanliness means organization which keeps important things from getting lost, jumbled, or cluttered, and sanitation keeps people from getting sick so they spend more time working. If you want to improve the cleanliness of your office, start by emphasizing group clean ups. Assign everyone a job and a space to clean with a group of co-workers at the end of the day. This technique is already used in schools in many Asian countries in order to teach responsibility and cooperation. When everyone works together, it works like a charm!

Hire a Cleaning Crew

If your workplace is too big and to bustling to effectively emphasize group cleaning, there is a great alternative. With cleaning crews, the only thing your workplace will have to emphasize is organization. The job of a cleaning crew is not to know what papers go where, but to sanitize, and they usually do a spectacular job of it. Both employees and customers will benefit from an organized and sanitized environment because the clean look gives a good impression of your business, while the cleaned surfaces prevent the spread of sickness.

Don't Eat at the Office Desk

Eating at the office desk can cause all sorts of problems where cleanliness is concerned. Repeated use of retractable keyboard trays for office use is dangerous enough without degenerating food particles festering between the keys. When food particles are lying around it can attract pests in the night, including bugs and rats that carry disease and spread germs even further. The good news is that if you and your coworkers clean your desks regularly and refuse to eat at them, the bugs will have no reason to show up. In addition, you also prevent the spread of germs from sharing computer keyboards. Finally, the greatest byproduct of microbial cleanliness is that, with all the intense sanitation, everyone can see your beautiful computer desks with modern design, rather than leaving them hidden under piles of papers!

Efficient Office Layout

You may never realize it, but the layout of your workplace actually has a lot to do with how your workplace functions. Inefficient placement of furniture can hamper workplace productivity and have a negative impact on the way your workplace looks and is perceived by guests. In this case, the best remedy to promote effectiveness and cleanliness is to change things up! When you've got a lot of employees, keeping them trapped in a field of cubicles or jumbled together at islands of office desks just looks cluttered. Instead, improve the efficiency of your workplace by adding stylish workstations for multiple users, so that they can work closely, yet comfortably. Multi user workstations are efficient, easy-to-power, modular, and often ergonomic. In addition, choosing comfortable ergonomic chairs for desk use can improve the way employees feel, leaving them with more energy and increased work ethic. With a more efficient office, it's much easier to keep things clean and functioning properly. Don't risk losing sales or employees to the dreaded cold season. Just keep things clean, and reap all the benefits!

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