Creating a Seamless Hybrid Work Environment with Technology and Interior Design
In recent years, hybrid working has become the standard in most industries and workplaces. As an employer, you need to make sure that your teams can continue to communicate and collaborate effectively while split between the office and home. To facilitate this, you need to carefully integrate technology with your interior design to combine functionality and style.
At Jade Aden Interiors, we have been working with businesses across the South to transform their workplaces with new office-fit-outs and designs, helping them move with workplace trends to facilitate focus, productivity and a welcoming environment.
When it comes to integrating working from home with office-based work, you don’t need to have bulky technological pieces ruining your interior design. In this blog, we share tips on how you can design a trendy workplace while including all the technology you need for your teams to work together no matter where they are.
Use Audiovisual Technologies
Installing audiovisual technologies within your office will make communication easier for split teams working in the office and at home.
Ensure team members have access to the following:
- High-definition cameras
- Quality microphones and speakers
- Interactive displays and large screens
The most common way to incorporate these within your workspace is to install them in your conference rooms. But you should consider how these will sit in that space. As this is likely to be a client-facing space, you want to make sure this technology neatly fits in with the room.
You can achieve this by:
- Using built-in or mounted cameras and screens that blend in with the decor
- Using wide-angle cameras that will capture large sections of the room
- Fit speakers around the room, preferably on walls, so they are out of the way
Create Dedicated Meeting Spaces
Creating dedicated meeting spaces equipped with the above audiovisual technologies will also encourage collaboration and constant communication.
Make this space as functional as possible for those using it by installing quality technology and considering the layout of the space.
- Arrange seating so that everyone can be seen on camera and can see the screen
- Use flexible furniture that can be rearranged for different meetings
Allocating a dedicated space to internal communications offers your teams a space where they can collaborate with colleagues without worrying about distracting those around their desks.
While you have ensured the room is fit for purpose, you also want to make sure that it doesn’t disturb others around the meeting room. You can do this by fitting acoustic partitioning.
Cloud-based Technology
Utilise cloud-based technology to store and save your working documents and details.
This will mean everyone will have access to everything they need, whether in the office or at home.
With access to all the information they need, your staff will be able to get their heads down and work without any gaps or missing information, ensuring their work is complete and of a high standard.
Hot Desking
If you have a smaller office space or simply like to encourage your teams to mingle, you might want to consider hot desking for when people are in the office.
This means that you don’t have to worry about having a desk for every team member when the reality is they may not all be in the office at the same time – giving you the potential to rent a smaller space and save some money on your expenses.
When designing an office for this, we can work with you to work out the optimal number of desks and the best layout for them that will encourage collaboration between members and flexibility.
However, to ensure efficient and effective use of this system, you will also need to include a booking system to manage the number of people in the office and the seating arrangements.
Technology will be included in the designs and plans when scoping out the ideas. This allows you to see what hardware might need to be incorporated into the office space and where these can sit so that they can easily be found and used without getting in the way of everyday work.
Things that will also need to be considered when implementing this within your office fit-out will include:
- Easy access to power outlets and AV connections at each workstation
- Adjustable chairs
- Segregation of space to include quiet zones and communal areas
- Lighting that blends with the room’s style while keeping the desks well-lit for work
- Need for privacy screen or partitions
- Storage lockers for personal equipment
- Walkways and traffic flow
Quality Internet Connection
These days, any workplace needs a quality internet connection as we all rely on the internet for at least a part, if not all, of our jobs.
This is even more important if you have hybrid workers, as those in the office need a good internet connection to ensure they can video call team members at home to talk through work.
Without a good internet connection, colleagues will feel disconnected and uncoordinated, resulting in a jagged workflow.
Soundproofing Partitions
As mentioned above, if you implement audiovisual technology, be it in set meeting rooms or you provide portable solutions, you will want to offer spaces that have soundproofing so that those on a call don’t disturb others in the office.
Soundproofing can be easily achieved in line with your interior design, as you can incorporate soundproof glass partitioning for meeting rooms and offices.
If you want a little more privacy or glass doesn’t fit your interior design theme, you can add acoustic insulation to any walls and partitions being added, and materials can be chosen for the furnishing to reduce noise.
Lighting
Finally, when integrating technology with interior design for hybrid working, you will want to make sure the lighting in the office enhances your staff’s presence on camera rather than detract from it.
This means positioning lighting behind cameras so that faces are lit rather than the light shining directly at the camera.
It will also mean thinking about where screens are positioned under lighting to avoid reflections that might reduce what can be seen on the screen from the meeting room or dedicated call room.
Contact Our Experts
If you are struggling to create a working environment that facilitates collaboration and communication, contact our team today.
We can help you identify any issues you and your team might be facing and work with you to create a solution.
Whether you are simply looking to improve your meeting room to allow better calls between staff members or would like to complete a full office refurbishment, with hybrid working at the centre of the design, Jade Aden Interiors can help.
Our 30 years of experience has seen us working across a wide range of sectors, helping our clients achieve their vision and combat inefficient workspaces through innovative and considered design.
Learn more about how we can help you integrate technology with your interior design to enhance your hybrid working experience. Call us on 01425 689199 or complete our online contact form, and we will call you back.