HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR OFFICE REDESIGN

An office redesign is rarely as straightforward as applying a fresh coat of paint and adding new furniture. It can quickly evolve into a significant project that risks veering off track or exceeding budget.

Before diving into colour schemes or floor plans, it’s essential to conduct thorough research. Here are four critical questions to answer before embarking on your office redesign to ensure it meets both employee expectations and business needs.

1) How Is Your Current Office Being Used?

Your office space is likely utilised in various ways by different groups of people. However, a closer look may reveal that senior executives' assumptions about space usage don’t align with reality.

For example, there’s little point in upgrading your breakout area if the current one is rarely used. Similarly, consider your conference room: is it only utilised once a quarter for board meetings, sitting empty the rest of the time as teams opt for informal desk discussions instead?

Consult staff across all teams to gain an accurate understanding of how the office is used. This insight will help you identify the most valuable areas to prioritise in the redesign.

2) What Are You Looking to Change?

Most office redesigns stem from a desire to address specific issues, such as improving company culture, enhancing the atmosphere, or making better use of available space.

It’s crucial to clarify the end goal of the redesign. For example:

• Has an internal restructure created the need for newly formed teams to sit closer together?
• Is a hiring push imminent, requiring additional desk space?
• Are you aiming to implement hot-desking to maximise space utilisation and reduce the overall office footprint?

Focusing on the broader business objectives rather than treating the redesign as an end in itself will help ensure your project aligns with executive expectations.

3) What Do You Actually Need?

Office redesign plans can easily spiral into ambitious visions, with input from senior executives, designers, and architects.

However, these grand ideas often come with hefty price tags and may need scaling back to stay within budget. Create a list of non-negotiable ‘must-haves’ for the redesign to ensure that only optional extras are trimmed. This approach prevents essential elements from being inadvertently excluded.

4) What Do Staff Expect From the Redesign?

Employees are a valuable source of feedback on issues with the current office layout. For instance:

• Are noise levels in the open-plan office disruptive?
• Are desks crammed so closely together that personal space is lacking?
• Do meeting rooms get fully booked weeks in advance, making it difficult to secure a space for urgent customer meetings?

Since an office redesign will affect everyone in the workplace, it’s essential to involve staff in the planning process. Consulting with colleagues not only helps address genuine pain points but also fosters buy-in from the entire organisation and manages expectations effectively.

Conclusion

By answering these four questions before starting your office redesign, you can ensure the project aligns with your business needs, stays on budget, and enhances the work environment for employees. Taking the time to plan thoughtfully will set your redesign up for success.