Tag: office design

2017 Blogs

How to Solve the Inherent Flaws of Open Office Design

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date March 6, 2017

Vision office screens, acrylic and fabric combination

Adapting Open-Plan Designs for Success

The now infamous Google offices have generated substantial debate over the years between office design experts. The futuristic design, characterised by ping-pong tables, restaurants within a few hundred yards and THAT twisting slide, create this utopian image of office design from the outside. Visitors have often gawked at the freedom afforded to employees and envisioned how such a design could be implemented within their business. A post from Lindsey Kaufman has re-surfaced in the past month which her frustrations with open office design. Back then it was an upward trend, but now it has become the norm.

Stating that Google ‘got it wrong’ I would consider being an exaggeration. However, the blueprint they created has been haphazardly applied other workspaces which are often significantly smaller. The Google offices are admittedly open, but what makes these offices unique is their flexibility. Having 31.79km² at the Googleplex ensures there is abundant space for, quiet zones, gyms, cafés and the rest. Even relatively large businesses who take up multiple floors in tower blocks cannot hope to rival the flexibility that the Google model provides. As Lindsey found out, the result was a mess – neglecting factors which ultimately harm employee productivity and health.

The Problem with Proximity and Personal Space

Before we had the open-plan office, white collar workers endured the cubicle design often for the entirety of their working lives. When this was created, it promised to give employees privacy whilst enabling employers to cram them in like a well-played game of Tetris. Surprising really, that it took half a century to modernise such a flawed design. A simple combination of flimsy partition screens which did very little in the way of reducing audible or visual distractions. Interruptions caused by colleagues chatting, phones ringing and people passing through not only harms productivity but it triggers frustration, stress and the myriad of health issues that can result from the two.

The open office designs which we see created in the Google-style simply remove the screens and fail to address any of the issues which were harmful in the first place. For example, it’s rare for most businesses who design their own office to consider the acoustics of the area. The soundwaves reverberating from colleagues and their devices is incredibly unpredictable. This leads to persistent interruptions which are incredibly harmful to productivity. Hard surfaces such as hardwood floors and painted walls can look sublime, but they reverberate sound around the room causing it to echo. Instead; carpets, acoustic wall panels and acoustic screens should be considered to help keep ambient background noise to a minimum.

Transforming an Open Office Design into a Flexible Design

If there are multiple rooms available, then a flexible workspace is far more achievable. With all the detrimental issues associated with sitting at a desk for multiple hours a day, there has never been a better time to create an office which provides employees with freedom. Laptop computers are the key tool here (assuming they are required). Their versatility means that sitting at a desk all day is a thing of the past. Deadline approaching and you need space to focus? Take a seat in a designated quiet zone. Looking to collaborate while working through your tasks? Head over to one of the communal areas. Holding a meeting to discuss ideas as a group? There are dedicated spaces for that.

This freedom of movement is successful in several ways, but critically it appeals to a diverse workforce. We may hold ‘collaboration and innovation’ as our mantra, but throwing people together is not a guaranteed way to succeed. While some may excel in this style of an environment, others will feel overwhelmed. This risks alienating them further and creating a new batch of problems. Office design must consider the concept of introverted and extroverted workers, who are unique in their own rights and excel in contrastingly different environments. What you don’t see in the glamorous videos of the modern office is those tucked away in the corner, happily working away without the hustle and bustle of the open office.

Tailoring the Google Blueprint for Personal Use

When considering office design, it’s important to remember that most of the major corporations will have contracted expert interior designers to create a tailored office design. Their blueprints will take everything into consideration; aesthetic, acoustics, practicality and logistics. So, if you are looking at going down the same route, then I’m surprised you have made it so far down the article. Instead, where we see many shortcomings is when smaller businesses go it alone. They often adopt a lot of the stylistic choices on available, while neglecting many of the smaller factors which can make these areas so effective.

To begin with, the most important factor to consider is the opinion of those who already work there. What environments do they feel comfortable working in? What works about your current office design and what does not? What would they like to see? People can be resilient to change, so creating a design which is going to maintain harmony after the refurbishment is extremely important. Then you can begin to tailor the design based on your requirements. Which layout will work best? Is it possible to create different working areas with different conditions?

Before jumping ahead to pick out fabrics and colours, there is still the all-important factor of acoustics to finalise. If you have a large, busy office, then the noise is likely to be a concern. In situations like these, we would recommend using soft fabrics throughout to absorb some of those soundwaves. To protect yourself against any future issues then looks towards acoustic screens and acoustic wall panels to help control the ambient background noise.

The Finishing Touches

Then, and only then is it time for the fun stuff. Office design is far more meticulous than meets the eye, and sloppy designs will only hamper productivity. A complete re-design is often only done every five years or every decade or so. Therefore, investing the time into getting it right will stand you in good stead further down the line. Many businesses appear to have gone gung-ho in the open office craze in recent years, which has led to feelings similar to those expressed by Lindsey Kaufman. While that opinion is shared by many, it does not have to be the case when working in an open office. Careful consideration for the office design can make a substantial difference to the productivity and wellbeing of those working within them.

Acoustic Screens - Office Design — Acoustic Screens – Office Design

Go Displays are expert manufacturers of office partitions and acoustic pods. With over 40 years of experience in the industry, we have extensive insight into how to create an effective office design. For further information on the services we provide, please call 01733 232000 or send an e-mail outlining your enquiry to sales@go-displays.co.uk.

Tags acoustic pods, acoustic screens, design, googleplex, interior design, love what you do, office design, office design trends, open office, partition screens, productivity

2017 Blogs

Examining the Future of Office Furniture and Office Design

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date January 12, 2017

Using Office Furniture to Respond to Evolving Ways of Working

The way that we work is constantly revolutionised by advancements in technology and changes in human habit. How we work compared to say, 20 years ago, has developed considerably. Back then, computers were installed in just a few offices. Now, the desktop is slowly becoming obsolete. With wireless technology and the Internet of Things, many office workers do not even need to be sat at their desk. Remote working is on the rise for several reasons, which is why the office is increasingly being forced to adapt to the changing requirements of workers.

Just because working from home can be more convenient does not mean that it is the most effective way available. The main advantage of staying in the house is the comfort it provides. No distractions, refreshments within 100 metres and pleasant surroundings. Environments such as these will help with concentration levels, enabling workers to produce more effective work. However, a key drawback is a lack of connection with the business. Barring video calls, the worker has no face-to-face contact with co-workers and the opportunity for collaboration is severely reduced. So, on a core level, the future of office furniture needs to create something which is comfortable and situated at the headquarters of the business, while incorporating collaborative spaces into the design.

Using Big Data to Peer into the Future

In the past, office design has been based on this idealised vision we have of how our offices should work. With a pair of rose tinted glasses, designers saw workers happily working away in their pods. However, this severely overlooks privacy concerns, lack of physical activity, and distractions from others working in close proximity.The resulting health issues, both mental and physical are well documented. This is why leading manufacturers are now collaborating with research institutes to get to the core of what should be prioritised in an effective office design. The aim is to create solutions which are moulded around how people really behave.

This means creating environments which are genuinely comfortable. Spaces which are completely free from distractions. A common misconception is that the working playgrounds of Google and Facebook are the future. While they may work for the coders and creative minds of those businesses, the same cannot be said for other fields of work. Some tasks require a more individualistic approach while larger group projects will need a larger, contained space.

Using Office Furniture to Make the Office Comfortable and Enjoyable

As discussed earlier, one of the key factors holding back office design and a host of businesses is being unable to make it an attractive proposition to employees. Not only does this affect their happiness, but it also influences the chances of retaining that member of staff. Many factors now need to be considered when hiring employees, otherwise, there is the risk they may join a competitor. Combined with a daily commute, creating a setting which is better than the comfort of their own home is a considerable challenge.

10 years ago, considerations such as privacy and comfort were only just being introduced to the design of office furniture. We began to see ergonomic chairs, wrist rests, monitors with varying heights, and much more. These addressed some of the more apparent physical health issues. However, they did very little to touch upon the mental strain which the office can have. The University of California established that humans can on average only concentrate for 4-5 hours a day before becoming exhausted. In fact, office workers were reported to become distracted every 3 minutes and it often takes another 23 minutes to regain full flow.

The solution is to create dynamic office furniture which allows different tasks to be completed in various environments. Rather than a static desk, workers are being equipped with a laptop and then given the freedom to pick out an environment which suits them. Need to concentrate? Individual acoustic booths provide the perfect escape from the rest of the office. Require the input of a colleague? Larger acoustic office pods are excellent for enabling collaborative activities without disrupting the remainder of the office.

Creating Privacy Within Open Plan Offices

The ‘cubicle farm’ which became the staple of most offices worldwide is finally being phased out. To address growing concerns about privacy, workers are being given greater freedom in the office to decide where they work. This has led to innovative new designs which adopt the features of an acoustic pod and integrate them into a succinct and individual pod. Equipped with acoustic screens, this cuts down on both visual and audible distractions. The result is a private workstation which makes the most of the space which is available.

The combination of collaborative pods and individual pods provides complete freedom for workers to pick out the best environment for the work they are doing. Including acoustic foam into the panels as well as the walls is effective at absorbing sound waves. This dampens the ambient background noise of every office, making it a more peaceful environment to work in. These then include ergonomic seating while providing consideration for other physical problems than can arise from sitting in an office for 8 hours and more a day.

Rap Industries designs and manufactures bespoke office partitioning and acoustic pods for clients from a variety of industries. Established over 40 years ago, our designs are inspired by the needs and requirements of our clients. To find out more about how we can enhance your office, please get in touch. You can either call 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

Tags acoustic booth, acoustic pods, acoustic screen, brody worklounge, collaboration, ergonomic office furniture, group work, modern office design, office design, office furniture, office partitioning, office pod, open office, open plan, open plan office, rap industries

2017 Blogs

4 Ways an Office Pod Can Enhance Your Environment

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date January 9, 2017

Enabling Open Plan Offices with Modern Design

The open plan office is something which most white collar workers can sympathise with. Barring a career path working for a slew of forward-thinking companies, chances are that at some point, we have all experienced the ‘cubicle farm’. Packed in tight like sardines and equipped with a desk and computer, the hum of offices like these can be deafeningly depressing. Studies have lamented this now 50-year old design for its propensity to ‘dehumanise’ humans, rather ironically. Fortunately, some bright spark in the last decade decided to find out what would happen when people were given freedom. Unsurprisingly, the result has been overwhelmingly positive and the office pod is the result of such thinking.

Rather than focusing on figures, statistics and the bottom line, corporate management is finally having its eyes opened towards alien concepts such as; innovation and collaboration. Rather than trying to squeeze every bit of life out of an employee, they’re starting to see the value in allowing people to be creative. Innovation and inspiration are the only way we move forward and stifling it has held many businesses back over the past half-century. Office design continues to evolve with modern innovations such as the office pod, paving the way to a brighter future for office workers.

1. The Future of the Modern Office is in Fluid Design

The ‘cubicle farm’ is notoriously structured. Strict regiments of workers, contained in fabric boxes, with only a computer and a few possessions to accompany them. Hardly the kind of setup which is going to convince people that company is going to be worth working for. Modern office design needs to introduce fluidity. The structured approach strangles innovation, although, it’s important to note; full freedom will lead to a business losing sight of its goals. Therefore, any office design should seek to strike a balance between the two. Forward-thinking office designers envision this taking place in the open plan layout, with clearly defined neighbourhoods.

Teams are increasingly scattered in clusters, allowing group discussions to be contained without needing to be bellowed across the office. The design should consider the type of work taking place. For example, if you have a customer service team on board, consider the audible distractions they produce. Situating them next to designers will cause more problems than you are trying to solve. Collaborative and spoken tasks should be contained in one neighbourhood, reducing further disruptions for the rest of the office. This creates a comfortable environment for each team, allowing them to concentrate and ultimately, produce more effective work.

2. Office Pod – Tailored for Meetings

We discussed the office pod briefly before and to expand, it is increasingly being considered as a cornerstone of modern office design. Equipped with an innovative design, these can provide an additional layer of fluidity in an open office. Sometimes collaborative group work will need privacy and the freedom to express itself and the main office is no place to thrash out ideas or practice presentations. So, the office pod can become an adaptable space, separate from the office and acoustically equipped to cope with audible distractions.

Whether it is for group meetings or meetings with clients, an office pod can provide privacy for anyone without requiring a permanent room. Even for individual workers, the office pod is effective at providing peace and quiet when working to close deadlines. The traditional open office is renowned for becoming a cacophony of noise and distractions. Therefore, separating these groups enables creativity and innovation to flourish.

3. Conduct the Ideal Interview with an Office Pod

The clear majority of modern start-ups are incorporating these fluid concepts in their own designs. Nowadays, the design of your workplace has become a reflection of the company culture as a whole. Blanket white tones and a rigid layout set a more serious tone. Meanwhile, floods of colour and savvy technology strike resemble a more positive and relaxed company. For many of these start-ups, the goal is to attract the newer generations. Ideally, those with fresh ideas and a firm handle on whatever social media is. Even at the interview stage for prospective employees, a candidate is often assessed for how well they could fit in with the team.

Turn up for an interview at a ‘fun’ company wearing a suit and you may actually risk costing yourself the job as you do not fit in with the culture they are trying to achieve. Once again, it is no longer the bottom line (CV) which seals the deal, but the characteristics which make you human. In terms of office design, an office pod provides an ideal environment for such interviews to take place. Separate from the main office, yet with an insight into how things operate, this is designed to provide flexibility. As the business grows with new employees, should you need the space again, the office pod can be packed away or simply moved.

4. Learning without Distractions

As one of the main features of the office pod is its ability to create private space, this means that its usefulness extends outside of the office. To be specific, when learning is taking place, whether that is of children in school or new employees, creating the right conditions will help to provide them with a head start. In an office, you may be fortunate enough to use headphones. However, without a block on external distractions, the distractions caused by open plan layouts will undermine the learning process.

Considering initial training will almost always be the first thing a new employee does, it is still important for you to make a good impression as a business. Simply throwing them on a spare desk and leaving them to their own devices hardly strikes of a considerate business. Employee expectations for working conditions continue to grow in tandem with evolving office design. Therefore, as competitors continue to adapt, failure to do so makes your business a less attractive proposition to potential candidates.

The office pod is a key innovation in modern office design. Here at Rap Industries, we have manufactured office partitioning and exhibition stands for over 40 years. Throughout this time, our products and designs have adapted to meet the evolving requirements of our clients. To find out more about the office pod as well as our other products, please get in touch. To do so, either call 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

Tags acoustic pod, acoustic pods, classroom, classroom design, interview space, interviews, Learning, manufacturer, meetings, modern office design, Office, office design, office pod, portable classrooms, rap industries, the office

2017 Blogs

Behind the Design: Acoustic Pods

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date January 2, 2017

How Acoustic Pods are Revolutionising the Modern Workplace

Acoustic pods are an emerging trend in modern office design and this has happened in tandem with the integration of wireless technology. As tasks are no longer restricted to the static workstation, people now have greater freedom to work more efficiently. Collaboration is the latest buzz word being bounded around as the key to inspiring innovation. While this statement is not absolute, the potential for ideas to be created from multiple minds, rather than just one, increases the chance of a well-rounded result. However, individual work remains essential and acoustic pods can play a key role in maintaining harmony in the workplace.

The open place office sets the standard for any modern office design, however addressing its issues is vital to creating an efficient workplace. Open plan designs commonly struggle with escalating volume levels and a plethora of distractions. Fortunately, the cubicle layout is in the past, but the idea at the heart of that design is driving modern innovations. Acoustic pods are a key development in this. Equipped with acoustic technology, these pods excel at dividing office space and providing an area for collaborative work to take place.

What are Acoustic Pods?

The design of acoustic pods has undergone extensive development over the past decade. At the core, the concept of the pod is to create separate and private working spaces. While the cubicle attempted to create privacy for every individual, acoustic pods succeed in creating working spaces which are separated from the main office. When equipped with acoustic foam in the panels, this creates the ideal environment for collaborative work. Importantly, this feature enables the acoustic pods to be used for meetings, presentations, interviews and other group work.

In theory, acoustic pods are simply just another room, however, it benefits from being free from several strings attached. Importantly, when the pod is being installed, there are next to no disruptions. No building work and no logistical nightmares ensure they are incredibly practical for businesses looking to keep the momentum going. Being simple to set up also ensures they can adapt if the office design changes in the future. This should be an important consideration if you expect the size of your team to grow.

Why are Acoustic Pods Worth the Investment?

Acoustic pods are designed to accommodate the important changes of thought behind office design. With modern technology, the nature of work has drastically changed over the past 15 years and as the result, the way we think about where we work has subsequently adapted with it. Having our own workstation is still common, but the tasks we complete there are changing. A growing amount of work undertaken is now seen as collaborative and it is these tasks which the office pod is targeted towards. If meetings and group discussions take place in a fixed office design, the amount of audible and visual distractions is considerable, causing issues across the office floor.

Acoustic pods address this by containing both these audible and visual distractions. This allows the static office work to continue to operate without interruption. Because of that, group discussions have the freedom to take place without risking a few grumbles from those trying to concentrate in peace. Flexibility is a key issue now being incorporated into office design. Importantly, this looks at giving employees the freedom to choose where they work to be the most efficient. When an employee is happy with where they work, their morale and job satisfaction will steadily improve and as a direct result, so will the quality of their work.

Flexible Options to Enhance Any Office

Many manufacturers of acoustic pods out there, Rap Industries included, will create every product bespoke. This means designing around the existing office layout, company culture as well as the thoughts of those who will be using it. As such, there is a huge range of materials available, with fabrics, woods, glass, Perspex and much more on offer. Like the result which the acoustic pods are designed to provide, flexibility is at the heart of every project. Individual pods can be designed to integrate into any corner of the office, with various sizes, shapes and finishes.

If there is plenty of open space to spare, then pods can even be designed to be partially closed. As such, it is possible to divide open plan layouts to incorporate break rooms and individual meeting areas without disrupting the rest of the office. Often, this is achieved by introducing acoustic office screens. Their stylish design can be manufactured in a straight or curved panel, allowing the area to be customised in any way required.

Integrating Acoustic Pods into your Open Plan Layout

All the acoustic pods are unique and because of this, it is easy to find a design which fits in with the existing aesthetic of the office. Colours, accessories and final touches of detail can all be included to add your own stamp to the pod. For example, the acoustic office pod from Rap Industries is available with a huge range of fabric colours. If you opt for a Perspex screen, we can even add printed graphics. This enables the pod to be completely customised with branding, therefore helping to embed the company’s ethos.

Tags acoustic booth, acoustic pods, meeting room, modern office, office design, office dividers, office pod, open plan office, partition screens, rap industries