Tag: rap industries

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2017 Blogs

Introducing… The Clippy Notice Board

Clippy Notice Board
Clippy Notice Board

The Latest Evolution of the Notice Board

Notice boards should be something which we can be proud of. The freedom to completely customise them is what has made them such a staple addition to so many environments over the years. Unfortunately, the pinnable style, which we have become so accustomed to is gradually becoming outdated. Although, notice boards still provide a necessary service, which means they need to adapt to modern public places. For example, they need increased flexibility, which is a key factor for adaptable workplaces, offices and reception areas.

This is where the Clippy Notice Board comes in. It enshrines simplicity and flexibility at the core of the design. It is easy to move, features a professional appearance and provides freedom to customise, making it a natural successor to pinnable notice boards. Below you can discover the thinking behind the design and how it has been tailored for a variety of modern environments. There are even comparisons throughout with the more traditional pinnable notice board to help when deciding between the two.

Clippy Notice Board
Clippy Notice Board

The Basics: Design

The design of the Clippy Notice Board was developed around what has made its pinnable counterpart so successful. To that end, it can be customised in a variety of ways of the grip strips. These allow posters, leaflets and any lightweight material to be added without sticking pinholes through all of them. While the linear design lacks some of the freedom which you may find with its predecessor, it more than makes up for it in other departments.

For example, one of the main benefits is that the Clippy Notice Board is free-standing. Within the design is a robust yet lightweight core, which ensures they are easy to move and can adapt to any space. In particular, this makes the Clippy Notice Board ideal in busy environments, where they can be re-positioned and placed in the optimal position to be noticed. For the hospitality sector as well as businesses, this can become extremely useful when directing guests to meeting rooms and function areas.

To compliment this, the appearance of the Clippy Notice Board is tailored to be more professional as well as easier on the eye. For example, the top and bottom panels of the notice board can be customised with high-quality graphic design to promote branding as well as highlight the key content of the board. The result is a display which is more structured and organised than the pinnable counterpart. This ensures it excels when grabbing the attention of passers-by.

The Benefits of the Clippy Notice Board

To expand on that earlier point about positioning – the location of the notice board is crucial for getting the message across. We can all dream of designing the perfect display, but if it is going to get shunted to the back of the room, then it is not going to get the attention it deserves. For pinnable notice boards, this is a common drawback as all too often they end up just fading into the background.

The combat this, the Clippy Notice Board is equipped with two free-standing feet, which allows it to be deployed in any open indoor area. This positioning when combined with a clear and concise design guarantee that attention is drawn towards the content, and therefore helps to deliver any notices and announcements.

The limited options to be creative may be seen as a drawback, but in fact, there is some solid reasoning behind this decision. By keeping the core of the design the same – structured and organised, this helps to make content easier to view on the eye. Often, many pinnable designs are overcrowded with hundreds of fantastic ideas which can unfortunately drown out many of the key points being made. With the Clippy Notice Board, the appearance is kept clear and concise, delivering messages and notices to their target audience.

Clippy Notice Board
Clippy Notice Board

The Clippy Notice Board is designed and manufactured by Rap Industries. We have been creating bespoke office partitioning and notice boards for over 40 years. Throughout that time, our designs have developed to meet the shifting needs of the modern workplace. For more information on this notice board as well as other products we manufacture, please call 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

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2017 Blogs

4 Ways of Creating Stunning Notice Boards and Bulletin Boards

Getting the Message Across in a Digital World

In the world of smartphones, Bluetooth headsets and tablet computers, getting a message across is an escalating challenge for marketers and businesses. Our connection to the internet means we are being bombarded by notifications throughout the day. Whether this is via our phone or e-mail inbox, we are often trapped in a perennial cycle of people trying to nudge us towards using or buying their products. So, when it comes to getting the message across, we are going to have to be creative and be unique.

Even though technology is sown into the very fabric of our lives, there is still great marketing value in notice boards. Yes, essentially those large tack boards which were a familiar addition to every classroom, ever.  Admittedly, the design has evolved since those days, but their core function remains very effective in public places. Whether this is in offices, reception areas, hotels and more, their purpose is to grab a person’s attention for just a few seconds. Great design and an eye-catching message are crucial for this, which is why we’ve looked at how to make your notice boards a success.

1. Get a Creative Member of Your Team on Board

This will be your most important starting point. If you’ve not got an eye for design, then attempting to create visually enticing notice boards could end up being a waste of your time. Even if what you have to announce isn’t quite as exciting as the latest viral trend, it needs to be able to demand the attention of a passer-by. Then by corroborating their design skills with your ideas, it is possible to create stunning notice boards and bulletin boards.

When selecting colours, deciding on fonts and finalising images, ensure you keep the location of the notice board in mind. Lighting in the room, as well as its location, will all have an impact on how it should be designed. For example, if it is placed in a large reception area, then a small dull font is not even going to warrant a glance. From here, you can begin to put together a fluid design which is personalised to impress. Even for basic announcements, a creative design can make it much easier to read on the eye.

2. Plan Where the Notice Boards Will Be Placed

A common problem with wall-mounted notice boards is that they often fade into the background. If this is in a spot where people commonly just walk past, then even an eye-catching design will not get the message across. This is why free-standing notice boards can be a much more valuable addition. Examples such as Clippy Notice Boards enable notices and announcements to be placed in the eye-line of the target audience. So even if they are glued to the screen of their phone, your content will at least be in their peripheral vision as they walk past.

The combination of a free-standing notice board with eye-catching content will help to get the message across. Importantly, they are effective in minimising the space required, leaving the area with plenty of room to manoeuvre. On top of this, they are also easy to move, enabling them to be adjusted and re-positioned for greater effect. This ultimately allows the area to be dynamic and capable of adapting to different events and visitors, depending on what is required on the day.

3. Create a Theme and Stick To It

One of the major reasons why notice boards can become so ineffective is a lack of effort being put into the design. Often, they are used in locations where people are passing through or just spending a few minutes there. As such, if the design of the content is dull and bland, then what kind of encouragement is there to take note of the message? If the announcement has been knocked up in a few minutes on a Word document, then what does this say about the importance of the notice?

To narrow down time, we recommend creating a theme and sticking to it. Even if this means spending a little longer to develop a creative template, this can then be quickly adjusted as and when required. One of the potential options here is to incorporate corporate branding to encourage people to take notice. An official design such as this makes the message appear relevant to the business and therefore relevant to the reader. As well as this, it also keeps the design of the notice boards consistent with the existing environment.

4. Notice Boards Should Be Dynamic

This final point is situational depending on the location you have. For example, if you have a reception area, then it is likely that you will have different people passing daily, meaning there is little need to adjust the design. However, if for example, it is in an office, then it is crucial to modify it to keep it fresh. This not only shows that there are new announcements but will also encourage them to glance over every day.

Simple changes keep things relevant and also gets your target audience into the habit of checking for notice changes. Ultimately, notice boards do not have to and should not be boring. You only need look online for some of the amazing creations produced by teachers for example. These are tailored to get children and adolescents looking, which is often a challenge on its own.

Clippy Notice Boards
Clippy Notice Boards

Rap Industries are designers and manufacturers of notice boards and office partitions. By working with schools and businesses, we utilise their feedback to create products which are effective in their relevant environment. For more information on how we can help, please call 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

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2017 Blogs

How Should I Design My Office?

Acoustic office partitioning used between chairs for noise absorption

The Basics of Office Design

So, you’ve decided your office needs a re-design to bring it up to scratch. Well, the blueprint for what we consider to be a ‘standard office design’ has evolved substantially over the past 10 years, in part due to studies such as this. Aside from installing dedicated gyms, a swimming pool and even a spa if you fancy, this means we are having to innovate to make the office more ‘healthy’. It’s worth noting at this point that a successful office design does not consider just physical issues, but also mental. This means looking past the fancy furniture & stylish meeting spaces. Instead, it’s important to consider the little things which we will be getting onto later.

With the layout of your own office in mind, there are a few factors to keep close throughout the design process. Firstly, your staff. Everyone has their own frustrations with the office, whether it’s a lack of natural sunlight, lack of privacy or just a noisy co-worker. This feedback should be factored in at the start, as the design should be tailored to help make them happy. If the workforce is happy, then theoretically, they should be more productive and even more creative. Of course, quick disclaimer, even the perfect office design will not fix every problem within a business.

Working with the Existing Design of Your Office

Still with me? Good, now let’s start with the framework you have available. Your office; is it big or small? Multiple rooms or just one large ones? Where are the windows located? The latter is very important. Being close to a window or just being exposed to natural light is great for the mood. If you’re sat in a box in the corner of the room, things are going to get dull, fast. If you’re not graced with glass windows wrapping around the room like a New York skyscraper, then don’t worry. Knock down any interior walls which are preventing it seeping into separate corners of the office. If you desire some kind of structure, then Perspex/glass partition screens are the ideal solution.

Now, back to the first questions that were posed; what space is available? This is important as multiple rooms can provide more flexibility. One of the key issues with office work is that we often become trapped at a desk, for 8 hours a day, staring at a screen. This encourages fatigue and is one of the reasons why we start having issues with bad backs. Therefore, consider creating two separate areas; one for collaborative work, where desks are kept in close proximity and another for quiet work where distractions are kept to a minimum.

With this, your staff can move freely (laptops are a key consideration in a design like this) and work in an area which suits the work they are doing as well as the mindset they are in. Should there be space the spare, then an acoustic pod should be a consideration. These can be effective when used as a meeting room or group room.

Creating Balance Within an Office

I’ll expand on this idea of creating separate working areas. This is something which you are likely to pick up on by talking to staff. Some of them will love working side-by-side, bouncing ideas off each other and developing plans. Then there are others, often less vocal, who would rather just stick a pair of headphones on and crack on with the work at hand. Your design should be tailored to the people that work there. If nobody is bothered, then you can get away with keeping desks close together. But if your team likes their personal space and often conduct individual work, then this has to be factored into the layout.

Invest in Furniture for Long Term Gain

Furniture is always the most expensive part of any re-design. Because of this, many companies will choose to shy away from premium products to keep the overall cost down. Appropriately designed seating, partition screens, desks and peripherals are vitally important. This is because they create comfort. Even if employees are sat at a desk for a couple of hours at a time, the strain caused as a result of cheap furniture will create long term problems which could end up costing more than an ergonomic chair. Their modern design is not there to convince you to part with more of your budget. It’s there to make it easier to work and for longer – ideal when you are looking to get the most from your staff.

The Finishing Touches…

By now, you should have a strong idea of how the office is going to be laid out. Once that is set in stone, you can start to think about the interesting part – the decorating. Most modern offices have ditched those monotone colour schemes and dull shades. The reasoning is that people are hardly motivated to work in an environment which makes them feel miserable. Surprisingly, people actually like to work in places which are interesting. Therefore, you should be considering using bright colours where possible. There is nothing wrong with whitewashed walls as long as they are coupled with vibrant partitions and eye-catching furniture.

As a parting point, many indoor design experts would recommend infusing your branding into the design where possible. Whether this is a colour scheme or specific design, keep it consistent. The office should become part of a company’s identity, rather than just the place where people work. This point is crucial, especially if you are hosting guests and visitors as it helps to build your rapport with them.

Hopefully, this little post should provide the basis for you to begin designing your own office. We’ve barely touched upon elements such as the acoustics, which are an important consideration. Re-designing the office often only takes place every 5-10 years, so do your research and make sure the investment helps your business and your brand long term.

Delta Office Screens
Delta Office Screens

Rap Industries have been established for over 40 years. They design and manufacture office screens and partitions bespoke to create effective and attractive working environments. You can find out more about the services they provide by calling 01733 394941 or by sending an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

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2017 Blogs

Why There Has Never Been a Better Time to Buy British Goods…

How Brexit Makes British Products More Affordable

Every time there seems to be any uncertainty in Britain, we always here the same rallying call to ‘buy British’! You might be thinking it’s a broken record at this point, but this recognisable cry is not just a generic example of political rhetoric. Manufacturing was once the heartbeat of Britain, creating jobs, livelihoods and communities in its wake. Now, it’s largely outsourced around the world due to cheaper wages and higher profits. However, manufacturing still exists and the quality has not declined since Britain’s industrial heydey. Usually, you would expect to pay a premium for British goods, owing to a higher cost of living which hikes the price. Events over the past six months have begun to change that perception.

With the Brexit vote favouring a move to leave the European Union, this has caused the Sterling to slump. You may recall a similar speech being bandied around during the recession nearly 10 years ago. Essentially, when the pound slumps, this makes it more expensive for us to import. This is caused by the pound being worth considerably less when compared to a foreign currency. On the reverse, however, this makes exporting cheaper – ideal for foreign companies looking for quality goods. Even for British people, the weak pound is likely to drive up the price of everyday goods, making British alternatives more attractive.

What Have the Past 6 Months Suggested? 

Voting to leave the European Union placed Britain in a unique situation, one never trodden before. The experts and the analysts filled our news feeds with the supposed doom and gloom which comes attached to leaving what had become a comfort zone. In the months since Britain has yet to implode, the economy is stable… for now and exports have increased. Rejuvenating the manufacturing industry has been on the government’s agenda for at least the last decade. Now, in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, there are shoots emerging which suggest this could become a reality.

Demand for British goods has held and even increased since Brexit. As the value of the pound came tumbling in the weeks and months later, this led to ‘Made in Britain’ being cheaper abroad. For instance, the average spending by foreign credit cards increased by 11%. Meanwhile, importing goods became more expensive, driving the price of foreign products up (the Marmite debacle is a great example of this).

However, this is not to suggest that Britain is going to transform itself into a powerhouse, such as China or India. Instead, it is utilising an educated and highly skilled workforce to create quality goods. The ‘Made in Britain’ marque which you may see adorning some products is as much an evaluation of quality as it is telling you where it is from. Goods ‘Made in China’ come attached with this stigma of cheap materials, cheap product. The opposite can be said of Britain, despite a lack of evidence to suggest the contrary.

Why is ‘Buy British’ Regarded So Highly? 

The perception is that when you are buying British, you are buying quality. This all stems from brand Britain; the Industrial Revolution, the Royal Family and the British Empire. Its history is far from being covered in glory, but it creates resonance worldwide. In the east, China may struggle to shake off the image of packed factories, cheap labour and a lot of smog. Likewise, Britain is tightly associated with this identity of what it means to be ‘British’. This is not to say that goods produced in Britain are complete tat, quite the opposite. It’s a proven track record forged by Boeing, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, HP, Cadbury’s and so on. Each who forged this stock reputation, which every British manufacturer now follows.

Having an identity such as this gives the manufacturer’s something to strive towards. Products are designed and developed with the quality set as the main goal. For customers abroad, especially in developing countries, this is ideal due to high demand for quality goods. With the sterling at its weakest state in recent memory, there has never been a better time for foreign consumers to buy British.

Where Do British Consumers Stand?

Only a few weeks ago, across ‘the pond’, President Trump’s inauguration speech was centred around buying American and creating American jobs. The same theory was reverberated in the UK by Labour deputy, Tom Watson. The idea is that by supporting local manufacturers, this results in more jobs being created and more wealth being kept in Britain. Undoubtedly, as we move closer to Brexit, the government will look to shine the light on British goods to begin making up ground on its trade deficit.

In the coming years, we can expect the price of imported goods to increase. Meanwhile, after Brexit is complete, there is a good chance the cost of British goods will fall. This will primarily be caused by an independent Britain looking to reinvigorate its ‘self-sufficiency’. As inflation rises, this is likely to happen in tandem with the price of imported goods also on the rise. As a result, while British goods may not necessarily be cheaper, they will be more comparable. Significantly, this is one of the reasons why there is such a drive to ‘buy British’ as doing so will see more money being pumped into the British economy, rather than being sent abroad.

Buying British, for Britons is primarily an ideological decision. The rising cost of inflation will start to pose the question to consumers as to whether they prefer British cheese or Swiss, rather than which is cheaper. For those outside of Britain, there has never been a better time to buy British, certainly not in recent memory. While investors may have been turned away by relative instability, one-off orders are sometimes up to 10% cheaper when using the US dollar, a significant saving.

Buy British - Universal Screens
Buy British – Universal Screens

About Rap Industries

Rap Industries are a British manufacturer, based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Established for over 40 years, we have designed and produced office partitions and exhibition stands for clients across the UK and the world. If you wish to find out more about the services we provide, please call 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

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2017 Blogs

Why Local Marketing Remains Relevant Despite the Online Marketplace

Building Foundations Locally Before Casting the Net Wider

When a new business starts up, one of the first calls to action is often to begin developing an online presence. After all, a website can technically provide access to anyone from around the world. Without it, outreach was restricted to a 10-mile vicinity. For many new and small businesses, It appears the logical choice when deciding on where to market the business. However, neglecting local marketing can and has proven to be the downfall of various companies. One high-profile example would be the supermarket chain, Tesco. With aspirations to expand their operations across the globe, the spotlight was pulled away from the core of their business.

As the company channelled its efforts into ventures in the US, competitors back in Britain regained ground on Tesco. Having invested upwards of £1.5billion into the venture, they eventually pulled the plug to re-focus its operations in the UK. While blaming their troubles wholly on the US venture would be inaccurate, but a combination of that and other serious issues led to customers staying away from its superstores. It is true that the target market is significantly smaller locally. However, those repeat customers form the foundations of any small business, so even with the rise of the online marketplace, local marketing must still be respected.

What is Local Marketing? 

Local marketing is commonly associated with knocking on doors, handing out flyers and standing outside shop fronts with signs. This is true in essence. Although in the age we live in, this approach is ineffective for your budget and your time. Digital technology has great potential for small businesses to access their local community without the need for time-consuming and expensive traditional techniques. In the past, communities used to gather in village halls and public houses. Now they have Facebook groups and Twitter feeds. Word-of-mouth has always held great value for businesses. Therefore, local marketing techniques must adapt to cultural trends to establish and nurture that trust.

If a customer is looking for a plumber, electrician or mechanic, the chances of them first going to the phonebook are far lower than in the past 10 years. The process is made simpler by going online, searching for the service they require, followed by their location. This will throw up tens of thousands of results to their query. If the first link that pops up is adorned by five stars and positive reviews, it is unlikely that the customer will look elsewhere. Local marketing now exists in a physical and digital space. So, nurturing techniques for both is crucial for any business to create a solid foundation of contacts.

Local Marketing Online

So, assuming your target audience is particularly ‘tech savvy’, the first thing you will be looking to do is to ensure your business is first for their search query. This is where having a website and ensuring onsite SEO is optimised will be crucial. Emphasising keywords on the page and optimising the design helps to show the search engine your website is worth ranking. Afterwards, improving the ranking further works much in the same way as word-out-mouth recommendations. Creating rich content which others link to or encouraging existing clients to feature you is excellent for demonstrating that your site is trustworthy.

Delving into SEO can get murky, especially if you are a sole trader as it can begin to eat away at your time. If this is the case, then a technique which is valuable for any small business is to employ a review system. These are integral to create trust, and there are various providers out there to help. One of the key problems when searching for products or services online is that you can never be completely sure who you are sending your money to. Amazon and eBay sellers thrive on their reviews. These demonstrate to potential customers who are unsure that their offer is not ‘too good to be true’.

Event Marketing and How Not to Waste Your Time and Money

Marketing is not restricted to sitting behind a desk all day, however. Getting out and about remains incredibly important for developing a reputation. Networking events are often the instinctive reaction in this setting. However, the value gained from giving up a morning to meet with businesses which may not even be relevant can be draining for both your and your business. Use the internet to gauge events such as these as well as exhibitions and trade shows in the local area. These bring potential clients and partners together and also offers the opportunity to show the face behind the business. In the same way that a web order may be swayed by the design of a site, a face-to-face customer may easily be convinced by the individual they could be working with. Exhibiting with panel and pole display boards are an excellent way of creating a professional first impression.

Begin any tactic with a well-thought through strategy. One which allows you to allocate your time to local marketing as well as to your business. Making your marketing strategy a success will require constant tweaking and testing to perfect. Whether it’s an event you wish you attend or a goal for your website, ensure the target is constantly in front of you. Local marketing is effective for your business when done correctly, but can become a horrible time-sink which can drain your effectiveness rapidly.

The Potential of Local Marketing

As we’ve discussed, the aim of local marketing is to create a presence within the surrounding community. Word-of-mouth is an incredibly valuable asset for any business, therefore local marketing serves to get that form of communication flowing. Whether it’s the quality of the product, the efficiency of the service or the friendliness of the staff, this is what the business should be shouting about. The way we consume information, however, has changed. Phone calls and leaflets are quickly passed off as spam and a nuisance, which is where local marketing is adapting. A positive reputation in the local community will provide the lifeblood for any small business and as a result provides solid foundations for future growth.

Local Marketing - Display Boards
Local Marketing – Display Boards

Rap Industries design and manufacture office partitions and exhibition stands in Peterborough, UK. Established over 40 years’ ago, we have worked with clients in local and wider communities to create tailored solutions. For further information on the services we provide, either call 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

Categories
2017 Blogs

Examining the Future of Office Furniture and Office Design

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.

Office Furniture
Office Pod

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.

Categories
2017 Blogs

4 Ways an Office Pod Can Enhance Your Environment

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.

Office Pod
Acoustic Office Pod

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.

Categories
2017 Blogs

The History of Open Office Design: Inspiring the Future

The Cubicle was Inherently Flawed, But the Future is Bright for Office Workers

When office workers sit at work like drones, churning away at a computer which grumbles whilst trying to run Excel in tandem with a web browser, it’s rare they take a moment to absorb their surroundings. The office is synonymous with clocking in at 8:58, sitting at a desk and staring longingly at the clock as it ticks towards twelve ‘o’ clock. It’s generally perceived the life of the office worker is full of misery, brightened once a year when Christmas is a few weeks away. Why this is the case is surprisingly easy to track, but the designers of the open office never intended it to be this way. Feel like a walking zombie when you walk into the office? Yeah, you can thank corporate suits for that.

The layout which adorns the vast majority of offices worldwide is 52 years old in 2017. The ‘Action Office Plan II’ as it was known back then has been so successful, that it has only undergone a few minor tweaks and changes since. We’ll get onto why the second iteration was such a longstanding success, whilst its predecessor barely got a sniff. To put things into perspective, George Nelson, one of the designers who assisted in the design of the action office, reflected on the creation. Simply put, the action open office design was “for employees, for personnel, corporate zombies, the walking dear, the silent majority. A large market.”

How the Cubicle was Born and How it Set Out to Revolutionise Open Office Design

The open plan office has been around since architect, Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Larkin Administration Building in New York, in 1906. Its design took inspiration from factories of the time by incorporating as few walls as possible. Workers would sit in lines of desks, surrounded by their managers. The idea being there was a constant figment in their mind they were being watched. For sixty years, office workers were merely seen as cogs in the machine. If the cog does not work efficiently, the bosses at the top simply pop out the ineffective part and replace it with one which does work. The concept of humanisation was hardly popular at the time.

George Nelson and Robert Propst finalised the designs for the ‘Action Office I’ in 1964. The result was a combination of their theories of how the office should operate. This design was the first to consider that flexibility and freedom might have some place in the office. It was well known at the time that Nelson and Propst rarely saw eye-to-eye. However, they collaborated to create an office which would promote productivity, privacy and health. Unfortunately, these factors come at the cost of space efficiency and the ever-important tipping point; money.

Early reviews raved about this modernist approach to open office design. It was supposed to mean liberation for workers who were trapped in their classroom style layouts. However, for corporate managers, even during a period of economic boom, the revolutionary design simply was not worth the outlay. As offices grew, they wanted a design which would cram them in tighter. Nelson was removed from the project after refusing to accept this, but Propst finished the product. What became known as ‘Action Office II’ would forever burden him with the tag as the ‘Father of the Cubicle’.

How Open Office Design is Changing in 2017 and How Those Ideals Are Finally Being Realised

The Action Office II sacrificed style for sustenance. While Propst managed to incorporate privacy and adaptability into the design, it’s unlikely he realised the human cost. Corporate managers loved it, cram them in like cattle, cut the cost over a long period, with the only offset being that they must give employees a bit of privacy. So here we are today, victims of a demand for a ‘cubicle farm’. The Action Office was conceived to help people enjoy the office environment, rather than being racked by stress, anxiety and depression which the mundane nature of the work often induced. While the design was certainly a great solution for corporate bosses, both Nelson and Probst knew that it failed to achieve what they set out to create.

52 years on and there may be light at the end of the tunnel for white-collar workers. Led by start-ups and forward thinking businesses, the new generation of corporate bosses are beginning to realise the value of developing a happy and healthy workforce. While it is elementary now, it is baffling that for nearly 100 years, nobody latched on to the idea that keeping people happy and healthy would lead to better results, more efficient results and increasingly innovative results. Who knew that treating employees like humans would lead to a more productive business, boosting the flow of money into a business’ coffers?

How the Office Pod is One of the Key Tools in Realising These Ideals…

Courtesy of new technology, modern open office design is finally starting to achieve the ideals of freedom and flexibility which the Action Office never could. Being anchored to a desk is becoming a thing of the past. Rather than all employees being clumped into a large cattle-grid, offices are now being laid out into ‘neighbourhoods’, keeping relevant groups together. For noisy group work, separate spaces are even being created to maintain harmony in the wider office. It all sounds so simple, but the effect it can have is substantial.

Acoustic screens, adjustable desks, ergonomic chairs, the office pod and glass walls, all just a snapshot of modern furnishings. 50 years ago, office furniture was manufactured to be cheap and needed replacing every few years. Now, quality is at the heart of modern designs and they are produced with the future in mind. Rather than being viewed as a constant outlay every few years, businesses are now realising the value of designing offices as an investment. With adaptability at the core of the design, the office can flex and grow in tandem with the business.

Open Office Design Innovations
Office Pod

At Rap Industries, we have manufactured office partitioning to meet client’s demands for over 40 years. During this period, we’ve seen the market shift and all of our current products are designed with this mind. For many information on the products we produce, please get in touch. Either send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com or give us a call on 01733 394941.

Categories
2017 Blogs

Behind the Design: Acoustic Pods

Acoustic Pods
Acoustic Pods

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.

Acoustic Pods
Acoustic Pods

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.

Acoustic Pods
Partially Closed Acoustic Pods

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.


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