So… What was wrong with the pre-Covid office?
And how is the world of work evolving..?
It’s been a few years now since the lockdowns of the global pandemic, but for many of us, the way we work, where we work, and the technology we all use is dramatically different now compared to pre-Covid times.
The pace of change in just a few short years has been relentless – Zoom and Teams calls are commonplace for many of us, and yet, before 2020 most of us hadn’t been in a virtual meeting. Likewise, cloud storage has become almost universally adopted and it now operates alongside ‘real-time’ virtual backups such as Microsoft’s One-drive. Similarly, the widespread availability of Wi-Fi and high-speed mobile data has opened up a dramatically different way of working – Whether we’re in the office, sitting on the sofa at home, or grabbing a quick bite in a coffee shop… We can all now access files, emails, and documents in an instant.
Also, as hybrid and home working became more common, people began working in situations and scenarios that didn’t involve an office – or even a desk!… As people became far more accustomed to the generally softer, more colour co-ordinated and pleasant surroundings of their homes, it’s now more accepted at work for someone to seek-out a comfy sofa for a short informal meeting rather than holding it in a conference room. Office décor and furniture is slowly evolving, trending towards more design-led residential styles, with the typical hard-edged industrial look of the pre-covid office slowly being replaced with softer, more considered surroundings that help to evoke the right ‘look and feel’, whilst subtle branding and interior design features become far more familiar sights within the modern workspace.
These are all big changes – With the trend towards mobile work, the need for more agile and flexible spaces, whilst also having the ability to choose from various work settings, it’s been quite a rollercoaster ride for the humble office over the last few years. The fast-paced variations in our way of working and the latest technology that’s allowed it all to happen have led to a post-covid office space that now looks and works very differently indeed. It’s an awful lot to take in and fully comprehend – And most surprising of all, it’s all happened so fast!
So, let’s pause for just a second and think – If the way we all work has changed so dramatically, is it time to consider making a few changes to our workspaces to ensure that our office spaces we have are adequately supporting these new ways of working? Also, for some organisations, they’re actively trying to bring people back into the office and encourage them to move away from home or hybrid workstyles. Indeed, many companies are now actively implementing a ‘return to the office’ policy and as such, they’re fully committed to creating a comfortable, attractive and meaningful workspace where people can thrive and enjoy coming into work.
Whether you want to simply update your office to reflect a more modern workstyle, or create a workplace that brings people together, enabling them to work more effectively and give them a real sense of purpose, connection and belonging, the question is… will we need a complete office transformation, or just a ‘tweak’?
For many, the honest answer may lie somewhere between the two, so it’ll probably be a little more than just a tweak, but it probably won’t necessarily need to be a huge-budget wall-to-wall and floor to ceiling fit-out solution either. We’re often asked to go into a company and just get a feel for exactly ‘how’ their people are using the workspace, and with just a few simple answers to very basic questions, we can start to put a plan together. We frequently find that even with relatively small – but well-thought-out changes – the subsequent boost in overall productivity, employee engagement, and staff well-being means the impact is often far-reaching.
The simple fact is that most modern workspaces no longer resemble the offices of the late nineties and early noughties because those spaces are no longer ‘fit-for-purpose’…After all, for many of these rooms, there was no design process – They just used to fill a room with desks and chairs and hoping this alone will create a nice work environment.
However, designing todays’ work environment doesn’t have to be incredibly complex… but it will need to support a different, more modern way of working. It will almost certainly include an array of desks and team workspaces, but not only will these desks sit within a more thoughtful and spacious setting, there may well be some discrete work-pods that are conveniently placed, away from the noise, ideal for hosting video calls… There’s already a preference by many for using casual and relaxed style break-out zones for fast-paced meetings instead of traditional meeting rooms, whilst it’s also common for individuals to seek-out a quiet space that’s far away from the noise and hubbub of an open-plan office environment – Somewhere that offers an occasional sanctuary for creatives and managers who might need a more tranquil and considered space when they simply need to focus and concentrate – It’s just about getting the right mix of spaces that will support modern, productive ways of working – Not just for now, but for the next five years and beyond…
The pandemic was a catalyst for change for workspaces everywhere, and whilst some of the shortfalls of hybrid and home working have been laid bare in recent times – with feelings of loneliness, disengagement, and mental health issues being of significant concern – it’s surely now up to the office to ‘step up’ and become what it always should have been all along – A space where your team doesn’t just come to work, but rather a place where your team actually wants to be. Somewhere that can help boost productivity and positively reflect your brand, whilst also helping to influence your employees and visiting clients alike, making a very real and meaningful difference to their working day!
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Since 1989, we’ve been designing and creating meaningful, attractive, and affordable office spaces that really work. If you have an office project we can help with, or if you’d like to visit our showroom and find out more about what we do, please get in touch…
We’d love to hear from you.
