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When I was thinking about writing this blog post, I wanted to talk about something that relates to my position here at HON. I work in the Integrated Design Solutions team and we work on specifying furniture and creating layouts for our dealers. With that being said, I wanted to hit on the top office design trends we are seeing on a day to day basis and how HON is a key player.
A lot of the changes we are seeing today started in that last year or two and have made a huge impact on the office furniture industry. Recently, HON has come out with many new products such as Voi®, Motivate®, Height Adjustable Tables, Flock™ and Accelerate™ which capitalize on these trends.
Open Workspaces. Being closed in is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to productivity and creativity. It is believed that people work better when they can engage with others. Open spaces can make people feel more comfortable and not so “boxed-in”, fostering productivity and efficiency. Keep in mind, some jobs may require more privacy, but there are always methods to creating privacy without being trapped between four walls and a ceiling. Below are some typicals our group has drawn that work well in an open office setting.
Collaboration. Collaborative workspaces are an essential component to the open office layout. Collaborative areas are designed to get people more involved and connected with one another. We are seeing more and more layouts with low panels and/or glass tiles to allow for more communication between coworkers. See some examples using HON products below.
Decline in available space. The economic recession has led to people purchasing smaller offices or downsizing current offices. That means that individual workspaces are getting smaller. We are left with the challenge of making use of every available inch of space. Voi has been a great solution because of the variety of storage and large span of surface sizes. See the 5’x5’ example below.
Technology is key. The need for technology in every space has increased immensely over the past several years. With the growing use of open plans and collaborative spaces, we need to have a way to integrate technology. HON has kept up with this demand by introducing Voi power and Voi power ready components. When Motivate launched, we also introduced a softwire power application, Interlink IQ. One of our newest additions, Flock, allows power to be routed through the tables that are used alongside Flock seating.
Fewer private offices. In the modern workplace, it is common for managers and supervisors to want to be closer and more available to their direct reports. Ditching the private office creates extra useful space for more collaborative areas, breakout areas, or touchdown areas.
For more layouts showcasing these office trends, be sure to check out our planning typicals located on the HON Ready Portal. IDS would be happy to help you specify furniture for your space!
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