What will office life look like post-pandemic? There’s no doubt that the legacy left by COVID on the ways we work will be significant, especially as we return to reduced office occupancy with masks, screening and other distancing measures in place. But over the medium to longer-term, we at DesignTonic see a fantastic opportunity ahead for businesses to use good commercial interior design principles to create a “new normal" that’s better than before - one with workplace wellbeing at its heart.
The many benefits of wellbeing in the workplace
Workplace wellbeing is by no means a new concept but, where it may once have been dismissed as a passing trend or only relevant to certain industries, it has fast become a prime consideration as studies repeatedly demonstrate its many benefits to both staff and organisations: • Greater productivity • Improved morale • Less time off sick • Better staff retention • A positive organisational culture For staff returning to the office after long periods in the perceived safety of their homes, offering an environment that feels safe, welcoming and that prioritises their mental and physical health will be key to alleviating initial anxieties and helping a smoother transition to your new normal.
So how do we use design to promote wellbeing in our post-pandemic offices?
Embracing flexibility
We’ve heard it said that the pandemic will bring the end of open plan offices, but not in our opinion.
Organisational psychologist Cristina Banks of the University of California identifies three primary drivers of a person’s sense of wellbeing - safety, belonging and autonomy.
She told NPR.org that “an employer can contribute to worker’s sense of autonomy by giving them control over when, where and how they perform their key tasks.”
We think the ability to choose where to work is absolutely key to wellbeing - as well as to effective collaboration and innovative thinking.
Just like workers might now prefer to do some of their tasks from home, so they should have f
lexibility in the office to move away from desk space and work together more freely.
Not only does this offer that all-important choice, it also reduces sedentary time and allows for sensory stimulation - great for firing the imagination and nurturing physical wellbeing.
When our Team design a commercial space, we work with clients to create a range of collaborati
ve and breakout areas, each designed to fit a different purpose.
From informal spaces where colleagues can bounce ideas, through tech-enabled areas where in-office and remote workers can collaborate to dedicated formal meeting spaces providing privacy, giving staff a choice is the huge strength of a more open-plan setting.
Bringing the outside in
If you follow our work, you’ll know we’re huge fans of
biophillic design and build nature into our commercial
schemes wherever we can!
So we’ve been excited to see the beautiful living wall
alternatives to sterile plastic screening, and are looking
forward to introducing them as a much more aesthetically
pleasing solution for our clients.
(As well as these versatile acoustic screens from our friends
at Agile Acoustics - but that’s for another blog!).
Say no to sterile spaces by introducing safe sensory elements
Staff coming back into the office from home don’t need to find they’ve left the comfort and safety of their home to commute to a stark and sterile office space.
At DesignTonic, we’ve always championed the use of plush, luxurious, tactile materials throughout our office interiors as a way to please people’s sense of touch, increase comfort and reduce stress - but a new awareness of how some surfaces might harbour and transmit germs will alter how we designers pique these senses going forwards.
Some materials are inherently anti-microbial, like silver, copper, bronze and brass, and so we expect to see their use increase. And thankfully there’s absolutely still a place for beautiful natural woods and stone, which also have some anti-microbial properties.
“Offices devoid of pictures, souvenirs or other distractions are “the most toxic space” you can put a human into, say psychologists…”
The Guardian
We might not be able to touch things and workers’ personal items might need to stay at home, but we can still safely nurture sight, sound and smell to offer the necessary creative distraction.
Sight
The clever use of colour and imagery (in combination with biophillic design) are fantastic ways to boost employee productivity and happiness via the sight sense.
Colour can be injected everywhere - through paint and furniture; floors and imagery.
Whether you employ key brand colours throughout or work with colour psychology to identify shades that fit the function of different areas, there are endless ways to use colour to positive effect.
Our choice right now? We think Pantone have nailed the colours of the year for 2021 with their pairing of an optimistic, uplifting yellow and a grounding, calming grey - a great combination for a fresh, positive and innovative office.
Imagery too is a key consideration in office design. Proven to elevate performance and mood, thoughtfully-chosen pieces can foster employees’ connection with a space as well as communicating a message about your company and culture. For working spaces, realistic nature scenes have been proven to restore mental energy, lower negative emotions and boost brain performance.
Giving staff a choice of artworks to be displayed is also a great way to promote their sense of belonging, one of the three primary drivers of employee wellbeing.
Sound
With noise the most common unwelcome distraction for workers (especially in more open spaces), we’ve long considered acoustic comfort in our commercial office designs.
After working at home for so long, it’s likely that some workers will be more sensitive to sound and so commercial designers will be looking to introduce acoustic panels, tiles and screens to reduce noise, like the versatile ceiling-hung baffles from Agile Acoustics that we used in our redesign of Yorkshire County Cricket’s Hawke Suite at Headingley Stadium (below).
Smell
Though not always one of the senses we focus on in commercial interior design, the sense of smell is an obvious way to enhance wellbeing and create positive experiences in an office setting.
Especially in the immediate post-COVID workplace, the increased use of cleaning products may throw up extra stinky smells, so subtle office aromatherapy is something we see companies paying more attention to going forward.
The introduction of more fresh air required post-pandemic (see above) should help work environments smell sweeter, but companies could also look to integrate natural aromas which calm and foster productivity through fragrant or oxygenating plants or flowers, or fragrance diffusers.
The right light
Our final pick of the key “new normal” trends for office design post-COVID is considered lighting design.
Another “safe sensory” way to foster employee wellbeing, it’s crucial in a working space to allow both the free flow of as much natural light as possible and to build in well-planned lighting specifically designed for each working area - from stronger task lighting for working areas to softer, ambient lights in spaces designed for downtime.
Before, during and post-pandemic, we’re here to create amazing spaces for work, rest & play. If you’re ready to think about your new normal, our Team are here to chat through your business needs. Get in touch today.
