Huge wooden desks, cubicles, and austere interiors are a thing of the past. As the world is becoming increasingly digitized, new businesses or startup office are adopting a more modern office vibe—and for good reason.
When you think of startup offices, bean bags and ping pong tables in the break room might come to mind. But designing startups isn’t all about adding vibrant colors and exciting yet superficial things to the office.
Modern startup design mainly focuses on two things: openness and collaboration. These two factors are often expressed through tangible design elements found in the workspace. Because of this, most startups today ooze a distinctive creative vibe, which encourages a productive atmosphere among employees.
If you’re designing your startup office, read on and find out how to design each of the areas in your workspace.
Reception area
The first thing that customers, as well as employees, see when they step into the office is the reception area. That means this room can leave a lasting impression on anyone who sees it. When it comes to doing business, first impressions matter, which is why the design of your startup’s reception area should already speak for your brand.
That being said, try incorporating some of your brand’s colors here and there while maintaining that professional office appearance. Most importantly, ensure that the reception area is a comfortable place to be in for customers and employees alike. It should show how your business welcomes everyone with open arms.
Another tip is to put creative signs that point visitors in the right direction. No matter what you think of adding to your reception area, just remember that it should provide people with comfort, ease, and a sense of your brand identity.
Casual lounge area
What’s a cool startup without an awesome lounge room? This place is where your employees can take a break from the inevitable stress that comes with any startup. It’s also the place where your team can celebrate victories—be they big or small.
Like your reception areas, make your lounge areas comfortable for employees, maybe even more so. It’s also practical to combine your lounge area with your office kitchen or pantry. You just have to remember to stock it up with healthy snacks to fuel your employees’ energy, of course.
As long as your lounge area is well-maintained and comfortable enough for employees to take a break and relax, then it’s no doubt ideal for your team’s productivity.
Meeting space
The modern work environment has moved far away from traditionally stiff meeting rooms. Nowadays, meeting spaces are geared toward creating a flexible collaboration atmosphere. Instead of boardrooms shouting “corporate” and “rigidity,” meeting spaces in startups seem to encourage productive brainstorming and creativity.
To foster creativity and collaboration in your startup’s meeting space, consider an open environment rather than holding meetings in closed doors. Not only will this encourage people to participate, but it will also let any employee feel comfortable about how transparent the business is.
When it comes to choosing office furniture for your meeting space, just think of the essentials. You don’t need to spend so much money on furniture. A whiteboard or two, some comfortable chairs, and a long desk should suffice. You might also want to consider covering one wall with chalkboard paint and write down your team’s ideas there during brainstorming sessions.
Workspaces
Speaking of collaboration, why not organize your employee’s workspaces according to their departments? That way, they won’t have to go around the office just to coordinate with each other. While this kind of setup is already being put into practice by traditional offices, it’s still best to keep this in mind.
If a specific department requires an enclosed room, you don’t have to commit to the idea of having a completely open startup environment. For instance, servers and other sorts of IT equipment need to be placed in a server room, and IT specialists have to be stationed in that room as well. Before getting a server room, however, you might have to learn a thing or two about setting up and organizing a server room.
This isn’t to say that your employees are not entitled to their own private workspaces. Yes, startups are well-known for their open collaborative environments, but it doesn’t mean employees shouldn’t have a quiet corner to work in. That said, you might want to consider giving your employees privacy screens, which they can place on their desks.
Creating an ideal startup environment should revolve around these things: productivity, creativity, collaboration, and comfort. Just like designing any other office, setting up a startup office all boils down to what your business and employees need.