Have you ever questioned why certain organizations provide the most advanced amenities for their employees? Have you ever wondered why these businesses are so intent on creating the ideal office experience for their employees? Such businesses provide a variety of amenities, ranging from a functional office layout to some cool ergonomic furniture, and even a dedicated wall of fame where employees may display pictures of their beloved family and pets. 

These firms are passionate about providing employees with an atmosphere that encourages and stimulates them to grow, excel, and attain job satisfaction. These businesses are making serious efforts to ensure their employees' well-being. But why do these businesses do so? It's because they believe in, and possibly have firsthand experience with, the benefits of offering the ideal office experience for their employees. 

“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person- not just an employee- are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers which lead to profitability,” states Anne M Mulcahy, former chairperson and CEO of Xerox Corporation.

If there is one thing that successful firms follow to achieve success and customer satisfaction, it is to achieve employee satisfaction. Since a happy employee is inherently motivated to contribute their best performance, creativity, innovation, team building, etc. Fortunately, history has demonstrated this in an unlimited number of instances.

Aside from these advantages, an ideal office experience attracts potential employees. Unhappy employees, on the other hand, are quick to seek alternative employment and, worse, can propagate negativity and enmity among the rest of the team.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room. You've probably got a lot of questions regarding what constitutes an ideal office experience for an employee and how to implement it in your workplace. We hear you. Hence, we created this post to help you in creating an ideal office experience using design, light, and art. Before we get into why design, light, and art are important, let us help you understand what defines an ideal office experience.

An ideal office experience is where employees are motivated to work regardless of organizational rules/pressure, enthusiastic to come to work every day, he/she is naturally driven to upskill, be creative and innovative, feel safe when presenting their ideas and opinions, he/ she is productive and collaborative.

The aforementioned aspects can be achieved through office culture, organizational policies, and workplace facilities.

In today's article, we'll take a look at the workplace facilities that can boost your employees' overall job satisfaction. When we talk about facilities, we're referring to the office's inside environment—the design, lighting, and decor (art)

Using Design To Build The Ideal Office Experience

Have you noticed when and where your staff performs better? Every employee is unique and excels in a certain setting. Certain employees do well in a quiet and focused workplace, while others function well in an active, collaborative setting, and yet others perform well in a variety of both private and shared environments. As a result, an office environment should support each employee's sense of individuality and control over their workspace.

According to the findings of a Genser workplace study of 6000 Americans done in 2019, 45 percent prefer working alone, 44 percent prefer working in collaboration, and nearly 80 percent believe that a combination of shared and personal settings provides a great office atmosphere.

Providing a work environment with an array of choices gives your employees control and flexibility over the layout and structure of their workspace. Employees experience a feeling of empowerment and independence when they have the option to pick their desired work environment. Both of these factors contribute to their personal and professional well-being, as well as a pleasant atmosphere and a sense of fulfillment. 

Segment your workplace into different work zones- private zone, shared zone, social zone, and desk zone.

A private zone is a location dedicated to focused work with no distractions. It is often a tiny booth or pod with soundproof furnishings (noise-muffling acoustics) to allow employees to completely focus on their tasks without interruptions. A private and a quiet zone is essential since a distracted employee is less productive. Hence your staff needs to have access to this opportunity.

A shared or collaborative zone is used for team meetings, conferences, idea brainstorming, problem-solving, and so on. These are often designated conference rooms equipped with a working wall and other technology to facilitate conversations and collaborations. When there are no scheduled meetings or conferences, these shared spaces can also be used as co-working spaces.

A social zone is used for time-outs, post-work gatherings, or a quick 5-minute meeting. It is a space for employees to connect and interact with one another. Engaging in activities after work or during breaks gives employees a sense of satisfaction, openness, and a desire to be sociable. Ideas are born and brought to life in a social zone. Because an engaged employee is more likely to be collaborative and inventive. To create a social zone, provide comfy collective seating in an open-plan room with greenery or a view of the outdoors.

Desk zones are the most popular type of workplace space. It is a space for desk work such as admin, emails, and everything else to get the job done. Employees spend the majority of their office hours with their team and department here. This area is often made up of curved team workstations with ergonomic seats that allow for eye contact with other employees. 

Using Light To Build The Ideal Office Experience

Did you know that the quality of lighting in a workplace has a direct influence on employee productivity? It's because bad illumination (too low or too bright lighting) causes eyestrain and headaches. It also has an impact on employees’ health and sleep quality. However, there is a simple solution for providing adequate illumination in an office: substituting artificial lighting with natural daylight.

Employees who are exposed to natural light report increased levels of productivity, excellent health, and job satisfaction. This is because natural light regulates our body's inherent circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle). It increases sleep quality, so employees are healthier and happier, and they can function at a higher level.

Natural light boosts mood, lowers tiredness, and does not strain the eyes. Several surveys and studies have shown that employees value natural light as a significant aspect of their workplace.

Here are several lighting strategies for your office that you can adopt based on your office layout, staff demands, and budget.

1. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels are an excellent way to uniformly disperse natural light around the space. It is recommended to design high-traffic or active work areas and social zones near floor-to-ceiling glass panels.
2. Install skylights for workstations in the center of the room when the light from the side windows is insufficient.
3. To prevent glare, hot spots, and shadows, use frosted glass and diffuser screens.
4. Use auto-tunable desktop task lights that adapt based on the amount of light in the room or change color depending on the surroundings.

Using Art To Build An Ideal Office Environment

Offices may quickly become a source of stress and anxiety, and employees might feel mentally weary after long periods of intense work. You may improve your employees' physical well-being by incorporating artwork into the workplace environment. Here are some of the advantages of incorporating art into your workplace.

• Art is inspiring and thought-provoking because it sparks meaningful debate.
• Viewing artwork improves cognitive performance and mental function.
• It also decreases stress and restores mental energy.
• It promotes client and employee relationships by serving as a discussion starter.
• Certain types of art can boost one's mood and lessen one's degree of anger.
• Art can serve as a source of inspiration for employees to be creative and innovative.

Here is a catalog of artworks that can be used to gain the benefits indicated above.

1. Play with fun designs to act as stress relievers and help to create a soothing environment.
2. Place 3D sculptures and other art forms as solitary pieces to distinguish a certain department or represent the organization through nonverbal brand messages.
3. Apply creative textures and finishes on furniture, carpets, fabrics, and plants to showcase creativity. 
4. Use multicultural art to celebrate diversity
5. Make use of unusual, fascinating art pieces to inspire staff to think outside the box or to demonstrate how your organization does things differently.
6. Utilize realistic natural scenes to alleviate task-related aggravation and contribute to the creation of a collaborative and pleasurable workplace.
7. Apply functional (wayfinding) art that provides directions to specific places.

To Wrap Things Up

We hope that this post has helped you to properly use design, light, and art to build the ideal office experience for your employees. If you're looking for an innovative co-working space in Miami, look no further. At Iconic Workspaces, we provide a variety of amenities to our members to create the perfect workplace atmosphere to ensure they are highly productive, creative and enjoy a stress-free work life.