We get to see a lot of workplaces all year long, and we get to work with a lot of smart architects and interior designers creating the modern workplace. We also talk a lot about what the ideal workplace of the future SHOULD look like when I get together with my fellow interior plantscapers and WELL Building Standard advocates across the country.
There are plenty of studies where people have told us what they like, and also telling us what makes people more productive, more creative, and more content at work.
With 2018 nearly on top of us (how did THIS happen?), we offer our fearless predictions about the top trends for successful workplace design.
- Conference Rooms That Aren’t So Cold
Most conference rooms feature a huge flat table to accommodate meetings of a dozen or more people. They might have technology for presentations or access by offsite participants. Beyond this, they’re generally given little thought.
These cold, dreary conference rooms sit empty most of the time. They aren’t conducive to creativity or even collaboration. It’s time to rethink the old conference room. Take out the big table. Add couches and chairs. Bring people closer together, literally. You can still hang a flat screen on the wall for presentations. Give it the feeling of a coffee house or living room. Your employees will loosen up, and speak up. Co-working spaces like WeWork are embracing this idea already.