Consider an open desk configuration next time you rearrange your office.
As we’ve learned from our posts about furnishing an office for millennials and designing a productive office layout, collaboration is key in 2016. With focus in many workplaces shifting from individualized efforts to teamwork, new office arrangements have begun taking hold. One such idea is the implementation of open desk configurations. Let’s dive a little deeper into the matter to find out just what’s so great about open desk configurations.
Fresh Design
Perhaps the greatest benefit you stand to gain from open desk configurations is the freshness of the design and layout of your office. Removing cubicles or other separators will make the space feel much larger and more open, which in turn has been shown to increase the flow of creativity and collaboration in an office. The newly open space may also allow for more natural light, better air circulation, and easier communication among colleagues. Each of these offer their own unique benefits. Natural light has proven health benefits. Improved air circulation keeps the office more comfortable while also probably cutting down on heating and cooling costs. And easier communication is an obvious benefit in and of itself.
Room to Grow
Another big benefit of open desk configurations is that they’re flexible and expandable. It’s much easier to add a desk or two to a space that isn’t confined by the rigidity of cubicles, so bringing on some new team members won’t be a problem. It’s also nice to be able to use open spaces for multiple purposes and to reconfigure your layout on a whim.
The Other Side of the Coin
Of course, as with all things, open desk configurations are not without their drawbacks. The two big, obvious ones are noise and privacy. Noise is able to flow as freely as creativity and collaboration, which can be a negative thing if your employees need quiet time to focus. Similarly, privacy is limited for phone calls or just for the sake of a moment alone. Either way, there are workarounds, like submitting only a portion of your office to the open layout, or adding smaller, unobtrusive barriers to help subdue noise and add some privacy.
Now that you’re more educated about open desk configurations, there’s only one more step: finding office furniture to use for the new layout! For that, well, we’ll talk to you soon!
Find the Right Office Furniture at Edwards & Hill
Edwards & Hill Office Furniture is proud to furnish corporate offices as well as providing quality furniture for hospitality businesses, educational settings, local casinos, and healthcare facilities. Tony Hill, Managing Partner, and Hans Edwards, Partner, have been working together since 1998 to provide quality multimedia and furniture products and services to a number of different businesses and industries.
To get started with Edwards & Hill, call us today at 301-317-4250. You can also fill out our online contact form to ask specific questions about one of our specific services.