It wasn’t all that long ago that the word “office” was synonymous with boring, dull and lacklustre. It brought to mind the fluorescent lights, cubicles and Ricky Gervais grunting and dancing. Inspiring offices were rare at best.
But that’s all changing. More and more we see companies investing in inspiring office spaces in London. Most of the time, “inspiring” is an understatement. Many of them look like places you’d choose to hang out in when you’re not working. So what’s caused this shift in office design, and what are the benefits for businesses?
If you’re thinking about renting office space in London, you may be wondering whether you should follow the trend and invest in a beautifully designed space. This guide will give you everything you need to know to make your decision and find your next office space.
The global shift towards inspiring office design
Before signing a lease, find an office space that suits your business and, importantly, your team. Photo: Canvas, Luke Street Offices in Shoreditch
For many years, the office was a solid concept. It was desks, chairs and separate offices for management. It was a space to get your head down and work. Think the first few seasons of Mad Men, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what most offices were like from the 1950s through to the 21st century.
But now, the idea of an office is far more fluid. With recent events, it’s become clear that most of the work done at the office can be done at home if needs be. But that doesn’t mean offices are defunct, they just need to change. They need to become places where teams get together to be creative and collaborate. They need to be a place where employees want to work.
For that to happen, businesses had to do away with white walls, cubicles and panic-inducing fluorescent lights and create, or invest in, an office with modern features and a fantastic design. While the pandemic sped up the process, some businesses were already embracing design as an integral part of their office space. Huge companies like Google, Shopify and Airbnb created incredible working spaces for their teams with features including:
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- – Breakout spaces
- – Meeting rooms for teams and clients
- – Collaborative environments
- – Open spaces and open plan designs
- – Modern kitchens with good facilities
- – Natural lighting
- – Secure access
- – Hot-desking areas
- – Drop-in hubs
- – 1:1/ consultation rooms / phone booths
- – Quite zones
Office design is a chance for companies to show off their brand vision and offer their team a remarkable space to work in. Some companies like Bark, who create products for dogs, embraced their brand entirely with their office design by creating an office for their team, clients, and dogs.
Find An Inspiring Office Space For Rent in London
At Canvas, we work with interior designers to create homely, inspiring offices for all teams. We include everything you need with a simple, flexible contract.
The benefits of well-designed office spaces
But while it’s all well and good seeing what other companies are doing, you might be wondering what the benefits of a well-designed office space are. Is it worth the time and investment to find a new office space to embrace this new trend?
The answer is yes. Here’s why:
Better creativity, collaboration and productivity
With different areas in your office, your team has everything they need to get creative and collaborate with each other. Photo: Canvas, Bond Street, Mayfair
Studies show that office design has a significant impact on productivity. Light, layout, furniture and design all have an effect on your team, and by creating an incredible office space, you can take your team from good to great.
Having a space where your employees want to work makes a massive difference to their output. By making them feel comfortable in the space, they’re far more likely to push themselves and develop new, exciting and creative ideas. Plus, there’s more room for collaboration on projects with breakout spaces and open-plan offices.
Improved wellbeing and happiness
Your team will get a massive boost by working in an inspirational space and having different spaces to get creative, collaborate or focus. Photo: Canvas Offices
If you’ve got an office space in London, your team will usually need to commute to get to work. Let’s be honest, commuting is nobody’s idea of fun. The early morning alarm, packed tubes and expensive train fares can make even the most dedicated employee dread the next working day. Throw in an uninspiring office, and it only gets worse.
But if you’ve got a space where your team genuinely want to work, it can make a huge difference to their wellbeing and happiness. It makes the commute worth it. Plus, if you offer flexible or hybrid working and other benefits, employee satisfaction will go through the roof, resulting in a boost in productivity, fewer sick days, and reduced staff turnover.
Builds and reflects your brand culture
Create an office that reflects exactly what your business is all about. It helps gets new clients and talent but also keeps everyone on-brand. Photo: Canvas, Corsham Street Office
Your brand image is a massively influencing factor for potential customers and clients. But it’s also crucial for your team. For example, if you run a health food company that emphasises the importance of a healthy lifestyle, but your office and work culture is stuck in the 1990s, it won’t inspire your team and can actually have the opposite effect.
By creating a space that builds and reflects your brand culture, you can ensure that your entire team are aligned with your brand vision. Your team will subconsciously be more on board with your branding, which will come through in their work, customer interactions and new ideas. Alongside embracing standard features of a modern office, you can include specific elements that show exactly why your business is the one they want to work for and continue working for.
Draw talent
By having an inspirational office, you can impress talent as soon as they walk in the door.
But alongside keeping your current team happy, productive, and engaged, a beautifully designed office space can boost your recruitment efforts. You can use your office space to show potential team members exactly why they want to work for your business over the competition.
When you’re putting together job descriptions, you can include the perks of the office space. But you can also show off your office space on your website and social media so that any potential applicants can see what your business is all about. A great working environment can be a massive influencing factor for talent and can make an applicant want to work for the company and not just apply for a job.
Make the right impressions in client meetings
Make the right first impressions with clients by having an office space and meeting rooms that inspire trust and collaboration. Photo: Canvas, Luke Street, Shoreditch.
While your employees will enjoy many of the benefits of a well-designed office space, it’ll also impress your customers and clients. First impressions significantly impact business decisions, and your office is your chance to make the best (or worst) first impression.
By investing in a beautifully designed office space in London, you can show clients exactly what your company is made of the moment you welcome them. They’ll be able to see your team collaborating in breakout spaces, getting their heads down in quiet areas and see that they enjoy their work. Unfortunately, a beautiful office design doesn’t take care of your meeting preparation – but it’ll make it more enjoyable.
Find an office space that works for you and your team
A converted warehouse office space near Old Street, London.
There’s no doubt that a well-designed office space is worth the investment but completely updating your office design is a daunting and potentially expensive choice. A new layout, furniture and decorations can be pretty costly, so many businesses are choosing serviced offices.
Serviced offices allow companies access to beautifully designed office spaces with breakout areas, meeting rooms and other facilities, usually for a fixed monthly, all-inclusive fee. Alongside that, some serviced office providers allow their clients to customise the space to suit their needs and create a space that truly reflects their brand.
About Canvas
At Canvas Offices, we work with you to help visualise, design and create a personalised private space that reflects your brand and culture whilst being conducive to the way you work. If you’re looking for your next office space, we can help. Find a serviced office space that reflects your brand with Canvas Offices. We have a number of serviced offices for rent in Shoreditch, Mayfair, Old Street and Dalston. Expert interior designers have designed every office we offer, focusing on productivity, employee happiness, and making the perfect first impression. If you have any questions about our office spaces to rent in London, get in touch with us today.
