The goal of a minimalist office is to eliminate distractions. Elaborate breakrooms, recreation areas, and common spaces might be a good reprieve for employees but they have the potential to create productivity issues. A minimalist approach to the workplace provides a company with functional office furniture while maintaining a clean and sleek aesthetic.
A minimalist office can help improve concentration and creativity and save time. With less to focus on it’s easier to focus on the tasks at hand. A clean and well-designed workspace can help with creativity by freeing employees of distractions. One of the biggest benefits of a minimalist office design is how it can help save time. In a minimalist office, there is less to occupy yourself with. This means fewer gadgets, less stuff gets in your way, and less time is spent trying to learn or use new things. Ultimately, an employee needs a desk, a chair, and the necessary tools to do their job.
What is a Minimalist Office Design?
The minimalist approach to interior design has been around for a long time but it has now made its way into the workplace. Minimalism is synonymous with simplicity. A minimalist office has clean sleek lines and is free of clutter and distractions. A workspace with limited distractions sounds great. It isn’t always the easiest to find the balance between what is needed and how the space is used. A desk in the middle of the room might look minimalist but it probably isn’t the most functional. That’s why it’s important to make the right decision when designing a minimalist office. But what are the necessary pieces of furniture that can help you maximize functionality and promote productivity?
The Minimalist Desk
A worker’s desk is one of their most important tools. It’s usually where they spend most of the time in the office and it’s also a place that can become easily cluttered. A desk can become covered with rarely used gadgets and unnecessary technologies that can sometimes hinder an employee rather than help them.
More traditional desks might have excessive storage solutions. An example of this would be a desk that has cabinets above the work surface and filing cabinets beneath the desk. With cloud technology today all data can be stored and shared with the right parties on the cloud. This renders the majority of these solutions obsolete. We no longer need as much storage in the office.
The typical minimalist desk is just a work surface. A desk might have minimal storage or none at all depending on the scope of the work. Some companies might want to encourage a more active work experience by having standup desks. Standup desks occupy very little space and can have many health benefits. The American Diabetes Association has studies showing these types of desks can help lower blood sugar levels and limit the risk of heart disease along with many other benefits.
Whether you’re sitting or standing, a desk should be nothing more than a place to complete your work. A desk big enough for a laptop and a clean work surface is all that is needed in a minimalist office. With less space to store or hold things, it is easy to free your mind of distractions.
Desk Clusters
When we think of desk clusters, cubicles usually come to mind. A desk cluster is a grouping of desks connected at some point. Although old-fashioned cubicles aren’t part of a minimalist office design, a modern workstation arrangement provides an area for several employees to work at once. These clusters can also serve as a collaborative space for workers. For a minimalist office, a desk cluster should have little to no partitioning and minimal features to prevent distraction.
Furniture that matches the aesthetic of the office creates the perfect balance between comfort and functionality.
If the scope of work requires collaboration amongst employees it is important to provide an open space for them to work in. A desk cluster with minimal partitioning can let employees work together while still providing an individual workspace. In a collaborative environment, keeping employees in close proximity to each other can help encourage communication and creativity. A desk cluster can sometimes create distractions among employees because they are so close. This is why it is important to make sure this solution is suited to the scope of work.
Seating Solutions for the Minimalist
The less is more approach in the workplace may lead people to believe the furniture is uncomfortable. This is especially true of minimalist office chairs. When we think about a desk chair we’re used to the look and the feel of oversized, comfortable chairs. Surprisingly, some of these chairs don’t offer the support necessary for good posture.
A minimalist office chair has the characteristic sleek, clean lines. The ergonomically designed chairs provide support and maximum comfort. Research2Reality explains the benefits of an ergonomic desk chair and what is important to look for when picking the perfect one. Like a desk, employees will usually spend the largest amount of time sitting in their office chairs. It is also important to have furniture that matches the aesthetic of the office. This can create the perfect balance between comfort and functionality.
In a highly collaborative work environment, employees have designated areas where they can work with others and they need seating that can support them. A minimalist office should have additional comfortable seating. Ideal seating for a minimalist office can easily be stored or have multiple uses.
A Minimalist Partition
A typical minimalist office uses an open layout. An open layout can create the appearance of emptiness and simplicity. This creates a large shared space for workers. While workers are using an area as a collaborative space they might need some level of privacy. In this case, they could use a partition to limit any distractions they might cause others. These partitions are often multifunctional which can help save space and add more functionality to an office.
Simplicity and functionality are at the core of minimalist office design.
While the primary use of a partition is to create private or separate areas in a larger space, a partition can also serve many other purposes. Many partitions have a writing surface such as a dry-erase board to add additional workspace. They might also be canvas or cork-lined so they can function as places to hang things. This would be very beneficial for collaboration. These different surfaces can be used to pitch ideas, give presentations, or for brainstorming sessions. When the partition is not being used it can be stored flat against a wall.
Partitions can also be used to manage acoustics. Some partitions are lined with specialized foam to absorb and dampen noises. The acoustic partitions can be used as needed or as a permanent fixture in the office. The ability to manage acoustics is especially beneficial in an open office setting.
Partitions serve many purposes and provide the flexibility for movement out of the way or out of sight. Along with separating and creating private areas, a partition can add extra functionality throughout the office.
A Minimalist Office for a Hybrid Team
A minimalist office can be beneficial to employees in a hybrid work model. Hybrid work models require employees to be in the office for less time than a traditional model. In this case, it makes sense to limit amenities and distractions in the office. Since workers aren’t required to be in the office quite as often, there is no reason to provide workers with more than they need.
A minimalist office is also well suited for the hybrid model because it makes it easy for workers to transition into the office from their remote location. Employees that spend a limited amount of time in the office might not feel the need to make themselves feel at home. They will be less inclined to bring personal belongings into the office like pictures or office supplies. Employees won’t have to spend time cleaning, organizing, or making the area their own. A minimalist office design can help prevent these distractions.
Is a Minimalist Office for You?
A minimalist office design should have as few distractions as possible. Providing your workers with only the necessities to do their jobs might seem counterproductive. This design approach can lead to an increase in productivity and efficiency. According to an article from Yahoo!, cluttered desks full of pictures and trinkets can have a negative effect on an employee. Avoided these distractions by limiting the space an employee has and encouraging a cohesive and clean look throughout the office.
A company’s needs vary greatly depending on the scope of work. Do you want to encourage employees to collaborate? Do workers have requirements around specific office times? These are a couple of questions you can ask that can help when designing your minimalist office. It’s important to remember that simplicity and functionality are at the core of minimalist office design. If you want to limit distractions and increase productivity a minimalist office is something to consider when designing your next office space.
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