Does your Office design suck? The answer is “yes” if it is dull, boring and distracting enough to make you unproductive.

Office Design Affects Productivity

Whether you work from your home or own a business that employs hundreds, there are ways to make your office a comfortable place to be.

Follow these five tips to turn your office from ho-hum to extraordinary:

1. Color

Method, the popular cleaning product company, has an office space in a historic section of San Francisco.

What makes their space so special? Pops of color amid an all-white interior.

The space, designed by the firm Garcia Tamjidi, includes beautifully-shaped desks and tables decorated with shades of aqua and spicy reds. You can do the same in your own space.

Instead of forcing yourself or your employees to work in a bland
environment, choose colorful accessories to liven up the space.

2. Light

Nothing makes an office more draining to the human mind than a lack of light. If you have the capability, let the natural light shine through.

If you don’t have banks of windows, choose incandescent lighting instead of fluorescent.

Fluorescent light is irritating to many people, especially those who have to sit under it for eight to 10 hours each day.

3. Paint

If stark white walls aren’t your thing, do a bit of research into the psychology of colors. Paint your walls with colors that will enhance productivity, not dampen it.

Choosing colors that are too relaxing or 
too stimulating can be counterproductive.

Pick lighter shades if your office is small in order to open it up. If your office is large, on the other hand, medium to dark hues can make it feel cozier.

If you have a tough time deciding, neutral colors are always safe; color can be added through accessories.

4. Furniture

Ergonomic Furniture is always the best choice for any office. Functional, ergonomic furniture will keep you, or your employees, from being forced to deal with sore muscles and stiff necks at the end of the day.

Look for chairs that are supportive to the back and desks that are built to the proper height for the task at hand.

Desks should have keyboard trays to reduce stress on wrists that can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

If you don’t have the money to buy brand new furniture:

• Look for pillows, keyboard drawers, monitor mounts, and other supports that can be added to the furniture you already own.
• Check out our tips in where to Discover Hot Bargains for Your Home Office

5. Life

In a study conducted by Texas A&M University, both men and women were shown to have more innovative thinking and enhanced problem solving when working in an environment that included plants.

If you don’t have any life in your office other than the human variety, consider adding plants or freshly cut flowers.

If you don’t have enough natural light to support flowers, consider installing an aquarium or even surprising your employees with their very own pet Beta fish for their desk.

Your office doesn’t have to sap your energy. If you pay attention to how you decorate, your office can easily be transformed into a place where you love to spend time.

Following the tips above are guaranteed to make your space a more productive place to be.

Note: originally published 5/12/13; updated 8/20/20 and added infographic.

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