What comes to mind when you think of corporate office design? Is the overhead lighting bright and the walls white? Open, spacious workspaces? These are all common ideas about what office space is or should be, but businesses are beginning to move away from these design trends. Today’s offices are more personalized and geared toward meeting the needs of their employees.

What Office Design Trends to Expect in 2023?

Though numerous factors influence office design, we’ve identified five common trends. They are as follows:

• Creating a Sense of Place at Work
• Including Associate Feedback in the Design
• Modular Construction
• Providing a Variety of Workspaces to Accommodate Various Work Styles
• Promoting Workplace Well-being

Below, we’ll go through each trend in more detail. Explaining what it means to design, how to apply the concept, and instances of trends in prior works.

Creating a Sense of Place at Work

Placemaking identifies distinctive community characteristics that speak to the culture, environment, and people. This concept has long been a driving factor in airport planning and design. It is now beginning to inform corporate office design. To apply this office design trend to the corporate world, look for unique qualities within a company’s culture to inspire innovation. Placemaking has been linked to increased job satisfaction and motivation in the workplace. You can combine community inspiration and corporate culture to create an inviting and engaging office space.

Incorporate community elements into your design by including artwork by local artists or using natural materials. Consider the company’s culture for the color palette and office layout inspiration. If a company values teamwork, the design can reflect this by including numerous open spaces for employees to gather and collaborate.

Thorough research is required to portray community and corporate culture adequately. Look to your community’s museums and cultural centers for ideas. Also, have open conversations with leadership and associates to get a sense of corporate culture.

Including Associate Feedback in the Design

Survey company representatives at all levels before beginning the design process. Inquire about any issues or challenges they are experiencing in their current office so they can be addressed. You may find agreement from all departments, but you may also discover a problem that one department is experiencing and, through design, help to resolve the issue.

You can also solicit associate feedback on design elements such as the color palette and onsite amenities. Surveying associates can assist you in developing a consistent design vision while informing your associates that their feedback is required to create a successful workspace.

Modular Construction

Modular construction is a method in which a building is built offsite in modules and assembled onsite. The same materials and building regulations are used in modular construction as in traditional construction. Prefabricated walls, room dividers, and flooring are examples of modular elements.

This construction method is gaining traction in various market sectors because it provides several strategic advantages, including constructing building components and systems in factory-controlled environments in locations less impacted by labor shortages. Modular construction is ideal for projects that must be completed quickly. Because most of the building is done offsite, disruption should occur only when the modular elements are ready for installation.

Modular construction also allows flexibility, allowing you to meet the critical needs of various departments during construction and in the future. During the initial construction phase, you may discover that different departments require a different number of private offices; modular construction will assist in addressing this concern. If one department grows in the future, you can expand quickly and with minimal disruptions.

Providing a Variety of Workspaces to Accommodate Various Work Styles

There are fewer private office spaces in many corporate offices today, as open-concept floor plans have taken over to increase collaboration. There is a shift now from open offices to offices with various workspaces. As associates return to work in the office, they want the same balance and choice in workspaces they had at home.

Smaller conference rooms where groups can brainstorm can help to increase collaboration, and pods in quiet areas of the office can help to increase privacy. These options allow associates to work wherever they want based on the task.

Promoting Workplace Well-being

Design can do a lot to improve employee comfort and productivity. Incorporate bright, uplifting colors, designate areas for associates to step outside, and, if space permits, include exterior windows that allow plenty of sunlight.

Improving workplace amenities can assist you in promoting well-being while also attracting and retaining employees. A break room with a ping-pong table or a relaxation pod lets employees relax and unwind.

Lunch breaks can be difficult to squeeze into a busy schedule, especially if your office is in the suburbs. Onsite cafes allow associates to take a break and grab a coffee or lunch while remaining in the office. Some restaurants are simple, with self-service coffee and grab-and-go items, while others are elaborate, with various made-to-order stations.

Whether you want to make minor office improvements or completely renovate a space, these office design trends can help you conceptualize an office appealing to both recruits and associates returning from home.

If you want to know how to incorporate these guiding trends into your next office upgrade, contact our interior design team.