Subscribe for Updates

    Coffee Break

    Here’s Why Office Trends Aren’t Always Good For Your Team

    Image Source: Pexels

    Now, it makes total sense that you want to have a shiny new office, something fun, something unique, something that’s, well, at the same time, really up to the uptimes. You don’t want to have an office that looks outdated, do you? Like the ones from the 70s all the way up to the 2000s, just have this way of looking gross and eerie, the stains on the ceiling, the concrete block walls, builders’ white paint, oh, and don’t forget the dusty vertical shades that have been up for at least a decade. 

    No one likes that, but at the same time, that whole “bright and airy” concept that you see everywhere isn’t inherently good either. Again, it makes sense to want something that looks more pleasing to the eye; you might like it, your team might like it, and when it comes to talent, well, it shows you’re keeping up with the times, unlike some businesses. But office trends can sometimes be good, and sometimes, they can be bad. Here’s how! 

    Trendy Office Design Doesn’t Mean Comfortable

    Yep, that immediately needs to be addressed here. Basically, you want a company that balances out aesthetics with real life, real life meaning people working, productivity, day-to-day things like that, and a lot of small and larger businesses turn to Arcade Office for just that. So, it can honestly help to get a professional because they know and understand that there needs to be a balance. Oftentimes, what happens is that a business owner only wants to work on aesthetics, and everyone else will “just deal with it”, but that’s not how it works. Plus, productivity just takes a nose dive anyway. 

    Nobody Actually Likes Hot Desking

    Well, hot desking is one of those ideas that sounds great in theory, like, flexible, modern, everyone can sit anywhere, isn’t that fun? But a lot of people don’t want “fun” at 9 a.m. on a Monday; they want their spot, their chair, their monitor, their mug, their little routine that makes the day feel normal.

    Because when nobody has an assigned desk, every morning starts with this mini scavenger hunt. Where’s a decent seat? Where’s an outlet? Where’s the charger? Where’s the keyboard that doesn’t feel gross? All of that wastes time, and all of that also means frustration, too.

    Being Packed in Like Sardines isn’t a Nice Feeling

    How exactly is that relevant? Well, it’s those trendy communal tables. These are the ones that look really friendly and collaborative, but in real life, they can be brutal, because it’s just so much sensory input all day. No, really, just give it some thought here, it’s constant keyboard clacking, constant little conversations, people breathing right next to each other, chairs scraping, phones buzzing,  and maybe even the sound of someone eating. Literally, children at school, even adults in university, get more personal space than people do at their jobs. 

    Open Plan Can be Pretty Exhausting

    You’re probably more than familiar with this, but open-plan offices are another trend that can work, but only if it’s done thoughtfully. Just everyone feels on display, like a zoo animal with those glass walls, it’s oddly dehumanizing.

    Industrial Style Can Wreck Acoustics 

    Well, your average person doesn’t really think about acoustics here. But those hard floors, hard ceilings, minimal soft furnishings, well, the whole industrial look, it photographs well, but it can sound awful. Keep in mind that noise travels. Meaning that everything echoes. Basically, every little sound becomes everyone’s problem. 

    Add Comment

    Click here to post a comment