Office Design Trends 2020

Following on from an impressive 2019, we are set to see plenty more progressive office design trends in 2020. From a peaceful colour of the year by Pantone to guilt-free vegan-friendly materials, this year’s eclectic haul will undoubtedly inspire some new ideas for your office refurbishment.

If you’re thinking of revamping your space, then make sure you check out our office design ideas for 2020 first. By the end of the article, you could be visualising something completely different!

1. Agile Working

Also known as flexible working or activity based working, agile working is one of the fastest growing trends at the moment. It allows staff to move around the office and choose a mode of working that suits them. The aim of this is to foster a more productive and efficient environment that also boosts staff happiness.

A typical agile working environment will contain multiple work “zones” for employees to choose from. Here are some examples:

• Collaborative Areas – Collaboration is key in any workspace, so creating areas specifically for this is a key part of agile working. Think booths and benches for ad-hoc meetings, and boardrooms for training and formal discussions.
• Social Zones – Social zones can come in the form of canteens, gaming areas and office lounges. These are great for staff morale and, in the case of lounges and canteens, offer additional workspace too.
• Quiet Working Areas – Noisy, busy offices are invariably bad for concentration, so offering “focus” areas will benefit staff. By offering a space where staff can work quietly, you can expect productivity to improve.
• Acoustic Meeting Pods – Another way of addressing a noisy office, having furniture manufactured from sound absorbing materials offers privacy and a quiet space to focus.

The great thing about agile working is that you can customise it to suit your needs. Indeed, this is not an exhaustive list: we’ve seen everything from laptop stations to yoga rooms to standing desk areas in our projects, showing just how versatile agile working can be.

Want to learn more about agile working? Check out our article about it here.

To see an example of an Agile workspace, take a look at our Hudl case study here. 

2. A Classic Blue Colour Scheme

If you’re unsure about a colour scheme for your 2020 office interior design, then Pantone is a great place to start. Pantone offers a huge range and helps you to choose by providing information on colour psychology.

For example, Pantone’s colour of the year for 2020 is “Classic Blue”: a restful colour that is said to aid concentration and help to re-centre our thoughts. Reminiscent of an evening sky, classic blue is peaceful and non-aggressive. This makes it a perfect choice if you’re looking to promote employee wellbeing.

3. Pro-Wellbeing Office Design

According to recent research by Fellowes, in just 20 years’ time the average office worker will have a terrible hunched back, protruding stomach and sore eyes. This is said to be the result of an uncomfortable, unpractical office environment.

To accompany the research, Fellowes created a life-sized model to demonstrate what we will look like. Named Emma, the model is truly eye-opening, and it will undoubtedly encourage more companies to look at ways to make their offices more comfortable and efficient.

If you’re looking to improve your working environment, here are some ideas:

• Ergonomic Furniture – Introducing ergonomic furniture is a great way to promote physical wellbeing. These days, you can get “active” seats that engage the core muscles, height adjustable desks for sitting and standing during tasks, and ultra-comfortable task chairs that alleviate back pain and stiffness.
• Have a Third Space – a location between workstations and formal meeting rooms to break up the office routine. It will allow the employees to take a break, encourage communication with impromptu meetings and be within a more relaxed environment.
• Activity Areas – To improve physical wellbeing amongst employees, you should encourage them to move around. One way to do this is to introduce activity areas such as yoga rooms for stretching, game rooms with fun activities, and exercise areas for quick, rejuvenating workouts during breaks.
• Environmental Elements – It’s easy to overlook environmental elements like light, air and temperature, but they are a key part of creating a comfortable and efficient workplace. Consider installing glass partitions for maximum exposure to sunlight, improve air quality by introducing an air purifier, and provide a good air-con unit which employees are able to control.

By thinking about wellbeing when conducting an office refurbishment, you can create a truly efficient and practical environment. This will boost both employee happiness and productivity, meaning everyone wins!

For more great ideas on boosting wellbeing in the workplace, read our article: “A Guide to Ergonomic Office Space Design.”

4. Co-working

With the rise of the internet, it’s never been easier to go it alone and start your own business. In fact, the self-employed sector accounts for nearly 15 per cent of the UK’s workforce. That said, it is reported that many freelancers don’t like working alone, citing loneliness and isolation as an issue.

As such, many freelancers choose instead to work alongside others in co-working offices. These are workspaces where freelancers and small teams can rent a desk space, meet like-minded people and work flexible hours.

Given that loneliness is an issue for freelancers, a good idea is to create a community-focused co-working space. From an office interior design standpoint, this can mean bringing in shared workstations, meeting pods and even whiteboards for brainstorming. Additionally, you can set up areas for community events such as weekly morning breakfasts, happy hours, workshops and talks.

5. Vegan-Friendly Interior Design

According to an article by Dezeen, the growing vegan food movement is driving a demand for vegan elements in interior design and fashion. In fact, it is predicted that vegan design products will eventually become as popular as vegan food.

The article goes on to highlight the kind of vegan (or “cruelty-free”) products that are already on the market. For example, many conventional paints contain bone or bone derivatives, so a lot of people are opting for brands that fly the vegan banner. Notable brands that have vegan ranges include Lakeland Paints, Farrow & Ball Auro 524.

Dezeen also mentions how designers Bompas and Parr have created the world’s first vegan hotel room in London. The interior design of the room avoids all leather, feathers and wool, and instead relies heavily on Pinatex, an innovative leather-like material made from cellulose fibre in pineapple leaves.

To back up what the Dezeen article says, we recently saw a company showing off a vegan fabric for office furniture at Clerkenwell Design Week. This highlights how vegan material is creeping into office interior design, so watch out for more of the same in 2020!

Check out our Clerkenwell Design Week article here.

6. Exposed Ceilings

As we mentioned in our last office interior design trends blog, the modern-industrial look is all the rage right now. A key part of this style is the ceiling design, with companies typically going for a stripped-down, warehouse-style appearance.

To achieve the modern-industrial look, office design companies often leave pipes exposed and install hanging lights as opposed to LEDs. This is a departure from general suspended ceilings with internal LEDs, which, while still widely used, lack the aesthetic interest of their modern-industrial counterpart.

7. Client Areas

As we’ve seen in our recent projects, companies are paying more attention to how they look after their clients in the office. Indeed, given that plenty of meetings take place with clients in the office space, it makes sense to introduce an inviting space that makes a good impression.

To create a space that is dedicated to impressing clients, consider these options:

• Upgrade your reception area – You don’t have to re-invent the wheel when creating a client area. One smart idea is to upgrade your reception area by adding comfortable office furniture solutions and a modern desk. As this is the first port of call for clients, this will make a good impression and provide a spot to discuss ideas.
• Create a brand experience – The great thing about client areas is that they can really help to promote your brand. For example, if you sell or procure a product you may wish to integrate a small showroom so clients can see and test it. One of our clients produces rice varieties and set up an area in their office for tastings. You can see this project here.
• Introduce a bar – What better way to impress a client than by offering them a drink at your own office bar? If you have the budget, you can go all out with a luxury bar area with plenty of drinks to boot. Alternatively, a mini bar with a selection of store-bought drinks will also make the clients feel at home.

Remember, clients are key to any successful business, so inviting them in for a chat can go a long way. Dedicating an area to impressing clients will make them feel valued from the off, leaving them feeling confident in your company.

Take a look at how one of our clients, Pick Everard, created a stunning client area overlooking a London skyline.

Wishing You a Successful 2020!

We hope our office design trends for 2020 trends have inspired some fresh ideas for your office refurbishment. Remember, office interiors can have a huge impact on productivity and staff satisfaction, so thinking intelligently about your design can really push brand development. Choose wisely, and your company will reap the rewards!

For more inspirational office design tips for 2020, take a look at our news section. Alternatively, check out our latest office transformations in our projects section.