5 ways to add visual impact to your workplace this year

You probably already know the importance of working in a place that, quite simply, looks good. Attaching importance to this kind of thing wouldn’t necessarily reflect superficiality on your part; you might have already noticed how, say, color and layout can affect your working habits.

What you might not be so sure of, however, is exactly what types of changes would be most effective. Here are some simple but effective ways to make your workplace that little bit prettier.

Let there be light – natural light, that is

The adverse effects of poor lighting in the workplace can too easily be underestimated. Inadequate lighting has been linked with headaches, fatigue, stress and anxiety.

In one research report cited by Forbes, 80% of office workers deemed good lighting crucial to them in their workspace. However, 40% were daily dealing with uncomfortable lighting, while 32% said that improved lighting would increase their workplace mood.

Fortunately, exposing workers even to just 13-15 minutes of natural light can release endorphins.

Create “overlap zones”

If you want to encourage spontaneous collaborations between your workers, you might not have to insist on the potentially distraction-ridden environment of an open-plan office.

Instead, you could consider setting up what HubSpot calls “overlap zones”. These would be spaces that are not only designed for work but also where employees are especially likely to run into each other during the day. Consider where your workers tend to go as they move around the office.

Make it easy to be green

You can make a green, lean, workplace machine – ahem – by adding plants and greenery to your office. According to research, you could be rewarded with a 15% growth in employee productivity.

“A green office communicates to employees that their employer cares about them and their welfare,” psychology professor Alex Haslam has commented.  “Office landscaping helps the workplace become a more enjoyable, comfortable and profitable place to be.”

Use complementary colors

Around the internet, it’s not difficult to find a wealth of information about the effects that particular colors are said to be capable of bringing in the workplace.

You would be excused for wondering which theories are firmly rooted in truth and which aren’t.  It would be fair to say that various contexts can influence a particular color’s effect.

You could benefit from opting for complementary colors. Green, for example, can work well in hospital settings because it complements red, which staff might often see on medical equipment and blood, as Work Design Magazine explains.

Use similar colors – in the right areas

You shouldn’t rule out using various shades of the same color, assuming that the workplace in question would suit this approach. In a swimming pool complex, for example, varying hues of blue can have a calm but focusing effect.  That’s ideal for athletes who could regularly use the building.

Still, given the many dos and don’ts of workplace design, it’s reassuring that Maris provide luxury office design for businesses uncertain what approach they ought to take.