Employees, especially those working 9-5, spend a huge chunk of their day time in offices. A study shows that employees who love their workplaces are 18% more likely to stay, and 16% more productive. Business owners are realizing the importance of a good office designer.
A great work environment is promotes your company’s core values. It should foster collaboration and cater to all your employees’ specific needs. Aside from that, it should be based on modern, working office design trends.
Information on how to develop an awesome workspace is all over the internet. But you’ll need the help of an interior office designer to implement the ideal design.
Some things to consider when choosing an office designer include:
1. Check Out Reviews on the Prospective Designer
The designer you’re about to choose has probably designed offices for several companies. The first thing you need to do is find out what other companies are saying about their work.
Nowadays, this is quite easy as all you need is to make a few clicks on your phone or desktop and you get the reviews. Most of them are found on review platforms and social media. This will provide insights on the reputation of the designer.
If they mostly get bad reviews from clients, you might want to avoid them. However, if most reviews are positive, it could be an indication that they do stellar work.
2. Are They Experienced?
Experience seems to matter in almost all professions. Office interior design is not left out. Oftentimes, commercial design firms that have been in the game for long are better than those that are starting out.
The wealth of experience derived from years of working on various commercial design projects is crucial.
You will realize that experienced office interior designers are more creative, provide great customer service, possess a good sense of colour and so on. So, don’t go for a rookie designer.
3. Their Knowledge of Good Office Designs
Find a designer that has a deep knowledge of effective office designs. Look at the office as a place where your employees live. It’s a home away from home. Your objective should be to create a welcoming environment.
The designer you’re looking ought to create an environment where employees will thrive. Whether it’s through spacing, improving natural lighting in the office or creating amenities that will boost employee morale.
You can research about their understanding of modern workplaces by going through their blog. Alternatively, you can look at their design philosophy.
4. Is Their Work Top Quality?
Sometimes, companies hire designers to revamp their office designs and only get disappointed in the end. This is why you need to assess the quality of a designer you’re about to hire.
But wait, how can you do this if they’ve not worked for you?
You can do it by simply asking for their portfolio. Some have portfolios published on their websites. You may also want to see what their design process is like. This will give insights on how the final design will look like.
5. Whether They can Deliver on Time
You can’t afford to lose time, especially when you are in a competitive industry. Any time lost and your competitors will move miles ahead of you. When refurbishing or building your office from scratch, you’ll have to use a temporary office as you wait for the design firm to finish.
When they take too long, there will be a massive backlog and this will only put a strain on your employees. As a result, productivity will be greatly reduced. Ask the prospective designer how look it’s going to take to design your office. Also, you can talk to former clients to find out how long it took to get their offices designed.
Having a great office design is a sure-fire way to keep employees happy and increase your business’ bottom line. Make sure you do a thorough research before settling on an office design firm.
