{"id":12535,"date":"2019-07-17T15:52:16","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T15:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/work.life\/?p=12535"},"modified":"2024-10-24T06:16:02","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T06:16:02","slug":"why-workspace-design-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Work Happy: Why Workspace Design Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Quick Links<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#What_we_learned\" >What we learned:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#Designing_a_space_that_reflects_your_brand\" >Designing a space that reflects your brand:\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#Finding_contractors_who_understand_your_vision\" >Finding contractors who understand your vision:\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#Making_your_values_not_your_product_come_to_life\" >Making your values (not your product) come to life:\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#Sweating_the_small_stuff\" >Sweating the small stuff:\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#Panel_Discussion\" >Panel Discussion:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#How_does_workplace_design_aid_productivity\" >How does workplace design aid productivity?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#Should_work_feel_like_work\" >Should work feel like work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#So_can_you_measure_the_effect_of_design_on_workplace_happiness\" >So, can you measure the effect of design on workplace happiness?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/why-workspace-design-matters\/#Top_workplace_design_hacks\" >Top workplace design hacks?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On 10th July, we held the final event in our Work Happy series, this time honing in on the power of workplace design to boost productivity and happiness at work. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Over the past six months, we\u2019ve spoken to experienced entrepreneurs and visionaries who have shared techniques, tools and strategies to broaden our thinking. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Henry Stewart of Happy Ltd. told us how to own up to our mistakes and <a href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/work-happy-the-future-of-happiness-at-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">empower our people<\/span><\/a>, and Sally Lovett broke the news that <a href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/physical-wellbeing-in-the-workplace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">what you eat at lunch might ruin your day<\/span><\/a> (a hard one to swallow). Jodie Cariss eloquently explained the taboo of talking about <a href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/work-happy-mental-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">mental health at work<\/span><\/a>, whilst Tony McGaharan shared the ingredients of <a href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/creating-a-positive-company-culture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">Google\u2019s secret sauce<\/span><\/a>. Last month, our penultimate speaker, Ben Gateley, explained why <a href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/flexibility-and-trust-in-the-workplace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">you can have too much of a good thing<\/span><\/a> when it comes to flexible working. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Along the way, we\u2019ve heard from a whole host of other clever and passionate humans on how to engage the future workforce.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Closing out the series, our speakers this month hailed from notorious British boot brand, Dr.Martens. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Holly Smith, DM\u2019s Chief Culture Vulture, and Chris Sayers, the UK\u2019s Property and Safety Manager, spoke to us about their experiences in office design, and why the design of their workspace matters to their people.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_we_learned\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>What we learned:<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris began by explaining, in a nutshell, why he believes the philosophy around office design has changed,\u00a0<b>\u2018a collection of office cubicles are from a time when pay would motivate people. That isn\u2019t the case now\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris believes that because most people now view their work life as a continuation of their personal life, the office space itself should reflect the people-and what they\u2019re working for within it. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12552\" style=\"font-size: 16px;\" src=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2848-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"701\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2848-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2848-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2848-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"p6\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Designing_a_space_that_reflects_your_brand\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>Designing a space that reflects your brand:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris advised that the most universal alterations for creating a more modern office would be opening up the space, making sure there\u2019s room for collaboration, and ensuring technology works seamlessly in tandem with the people using it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">However, he finds that people are happiest when working somewhere where they can relate to their company\u2019s purpose as well as their own.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">It isn\u2019t enough to list the values on the wall, the essence of the brand should fill the building, <b>\u2018people need to feel inspired to work towards their brand values, and the right space should be inspirational\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Naturally, good office design won\u2019t just help you retain great talent but will help you attract it too, <b>\u2018when people come to interview at the office in Camden, we always get a great reaction\u2019.<\/b> Creating a space where people are excited to walk into is a crucial step towards keeping top talent in the building.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12555\" src=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2866-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"699\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2866-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2866-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2866-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 699px) 100vw, 699px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris also acknowledged the benefits of marrying design with culture, and the importance of guiding people to use the space effectively, <b>\u2018you can\u2019t just design the space and hand it over, continuing a wellbeing culture is key\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Another key point to remember is to always keep one eye on the future by leaving some room to grow, <b>\u2018our Camden office has grown from 120 to 280 people in two years\u2013adaptable space is key\u2019.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finding_contractors_who_understand_your_vision\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>Finding contractors who understand your vision:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">When Chris was called in to oversee the design of the new Dr.Martens head office in Camden, his first task was finding people to go on the adventure with him: <b>\u2018Finding the right people, be it architects or designers, will set you up for success because if your team\u2019s heart is in the project, they will want to deliver.\u2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris explained that the original brief for the Camden office was purposefully low on details and high on keywords, <b>\u2018The office needed to reflect our vision and the brief did too. We talked about rebellion and self-expression because that\u2019s something the business can relate to and so could our architects.\u2019 <\/b>Chris<b> <\/b>told us that a lot of the design came from the keywords in the original brief.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Once the design team are on side, it\u2019s important to find out what your team see their space looking like.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12554\" src=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2856-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"701\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2856-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2856-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2856-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris stressed the importance of interviewing separate teams: <b>\u2018Delve into how they work, how many meetings they have and what creative space they might need to work in.\u2019<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\"><span class=\"s1\">Although you won\u2019t be able to cater to every individual, it\u2019s worth remembering that each team requires a slightly different working environment. If you can account for that variation, your people will thank you. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Making_your_values_not_your_product_come_to_life\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>Making your values (not your product) come to life:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris acknowledged that it would have been easy to create an office for Dr.Martens with boots placed artfully around the building. What him and his team instead decided to do was to hone in on the intellectual property of a classic, Dr.Martens boot to subtly introduce clever elements to the office design. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Amongst many ingenious design touches, Chris highlighted yellow lights along the corridor which resemble the stitching on a Dr.Martens boot, boot heel loops instead of door handles, and meeting rooms named with different music genres:<b> \u2018It was important to show we were heavily influenced by music but we wanted the space to be refined and authentic too.\u2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">To thoughtfully design an open-planned space, Chris suggests kitchens in the middle (<b>\u2018it creates intrigue and brings people together\u2019<\/b>), and using foldable walls to make four small rooms into a space big enough to hold 80. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">When Chris was given a lower budget to revamp the third floor of the Camden office, his team picked key elements from the other floors (the open space and central kitchen), and furnished the rest of the space with neon signs and posters, <b>\u2018a small amount can make a fairly large difference\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\"><span class=\"s1\">To emphasise the collaborative nature of the company, and their democratic values, Chris ensured only directors were given offices. Selflessly, the CEO has a view of the bathroom windows, <b>\u2018We wanted to make sure that the team have the best view\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sweating_the_small_stuff\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>Sweating the small stuff:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">The facilities themselves should also reflect what\u2019s important to the people in the space: <b>\u2018We realised no one enjoyed the coffee and people were spending money on coffee outside of work. We installed a new machine which wasn\u2019t overly expensive and it\u2019s massively engaged people in wanting to be there.\u2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Allowing people to bring animals into offices is becoming commonplace. Although the Dr.Martens London office doesn\u2019t allow furry friends, their American colleagues in Portland can bring in their pooches pending proof of their sociability,<b> \u2018All of the dogs need to do a test to be allowed to be in the office to make sure they aren\u2019t hostile or too distracting\u2019<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Culture Vulture, Holly, then took the floor to discuss how Dr.Martens are channeling their success into their team after a year of 23% like-for-like growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12553\" src=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2880-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2880-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2880-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2880-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">She first stressed that,<b> \u2018people work to make money to live their life outside of work\u2019.<\/b> So, at Dr.Martens, they focus on four areas of wellbeing to improve the working lives of their people, <b>\u2018physical, mental, social and financial\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">All members of staff receive perks and discounts off local gyms and health venues, and are also offered in-house yoga. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">When it comes to mental wellbeing, Dr.Martens offer an employee assistance program and \u2018music rooms\u2019 which are sound proof booths where anyone can work alone and take some time out of the often manic London environment. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\"><span class=\"s1\">The team also like to host quiz night socials, music events or even BBQs on the roof to encourage team members to bond outside of work, and form stronger working relationships. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Panel_Discussion\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>Panel Discussion:<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s3\">For our panellist discussion, Chris and Holly were joined by David Kosky (Work.Life), as our host, About Time Magazine&#8217;s Angelica Malin, probed the trio on ways to implement good workplace design.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12557\" src=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2903-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"701\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2903-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2903-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2903-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">David is one of the co-founders of Work.Life and believes that life is too short to work somewhere you don&#8217;t love. Since setting up Work.Life, David has been instrumental in opening nine new workspaces, and is passionate about workspace design and how it influences our behaviours and emotions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\"><span class=\"s1\">Angelica kicked off with the million dollar question&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_workplace_design_aid_productivity\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>How does workplace design aid productivity?<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">David believes that good workplace design aids productivity by offering variety: <b>\u2018People have different needs and reasons to focus throughout the day. Perhaps your mood changes, you need to relax, focus or think, or the type of work you\u2019re doing requires a different environment.\u2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">David has found that if you\u2019re able to change your working set-up to meet these needs, then you\u2019ll find your most productive self at these different times in the working day. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris agreed, noting that open plan working means creating pockets of different areas and offering flexibility to move around the office, but stated, <b>\u2018you still need a culture in place where if you\u2019re not at your desk, your manager still trusts that you\u2019re working\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_work_feel_like_work\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>Should work feel like work?<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">With ping pong tables lingering in canteen corners in offices around the city, Angelica asked our panellists what they think about making offices spaces for play as well as work. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">David thinks it does, explaining,<b> \u2018work has become a consumer experience\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">He reasoned that if you spend time and money building an office, you need to incentivise people to come in and reap the benefits of socialising with their colleagues,<b> \u2018From an anthropological view, I couldn\u2019t work alone. I\u2019d say the majority of us want interaction, though it depends on your workplace strategy\u2019.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Holly said that at Dr.Martens, they\u2019re wary of forcing fun,<b> \u2018To avoid pressuring staff into socialising, we offer something called \u2018club budget\u2019, where if enough people are interested in something, they\u2019re given budget to form a club\u2019.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12556\" src=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2920-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"701\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2920-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2920-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2920-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">She also noted that psychological safety and security at work is vital. Holly has found some people struggle in social, open-planned workspaces, just as some may find working alone at home difficult:<b> \u2018I have people tell me that flexible working makes them more stressed because they can\u2019t see how they\u2019re measuring up against their peers.\u2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Angelica then noted that aside from kitchens and private booths, many bigger businesses are now placing creches into offices to support their staff with families. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">David agreed, stating that he\u2019s seen a real shift in the amenities office landlords offer in the past few years: <b>\u2018It used to be that they\u2019d maximise their square footage with desk space, but we\u2019re now seeing them take away lettable space to create amenity. They\u2019re putting in better showers, small cafes and gyms.\u2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris said that it comes down to people looking for an experience from their work: <b>\u2018If they\u2019re going to come into the office, they expect an experience which will make their work day better.\u2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12558\" src=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2914-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"701\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2914-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2914-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2914-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">However, Holly noted that it can go too far in the other direction. She cites the rise in nap pods as an example:<b> \u2018These sorts of things can create a negative work-life balance. It can encourage passionate workers to stay all night and we don\u2019t want to encourage burnout culture\u2019.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">When it comes to softer furnishings like plants and artwork, all of our panelists agreed that they\u2019re maximum impact, minimum effort additions to any office. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">David cited the success of <a href=\"https:\/\/work.life\/blog\/plant-some-creativity-how-plants-boost-productivity-workplace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s4\">Work.Life\u2019s collaboration with Patch<\/span><\/a>, where all Work.Life members receive office welcome plants and exclusive discounts to further spruce up their offices. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\"><span class=\"s1\">At Dr.Martens, a new balcony has inspired staff to start a gardening club, \u2018<b>We have 20 volunteers already and it\u2019s an inclusive way to create collaboration and teamwork\u2019<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_can_you_measure_the_effect_of_design_on_workplace_happiness\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>So, can you measure the effect of design on workplace happiness?<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Holly believes that you can through workplace design surveys which should be <b>\u2018a major part of your annual or biannual engagement survey\u2019<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Dr. Martens have an open communication policy on which to receive feedback, <b>\u2018we use a slack channel and the facilities manager in that office will get back to everyone who voices concerns\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">This has also leaked into Dr.Martens retail stores, where they have recently launched a competition to revamp the small back-spaces of the stores, <b>\u2018we\u2019re asking the shop teams what they\u2019d put in the back areas to improve physical and mental wellbeing within a certain budget\u2019<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\"><span class=\"s1\">Holly has seen that if people are able to see their feedback being actioned, it has a marked effect on their happiness at work.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Top_workplace_design_hacks\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>Top workplace design hacks?<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">David: <b>\u2018Feedback. Ask for your teams&#8217; opinions on the design and function of your space\u2019. <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris: \u2018<b>Make offices adaptable. Rigid spaces that can\u2019t evolve are difficult and will cost more money in the long run. Also, spaces grow and evolve like businesses, take ideas on board and start to implement them\u2013people will remain inspired to be there.\u2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Holly: <b>\u2018If you\u2019re doing something to tick a box, don\u2019t do it. Everything you\u2019re doing should be to make someone feel good\u2019. <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Finally, if you want to implement change in your organisation, our speakers agreed that capturing data is key. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris explained, <b>\u2018it\u2019s not cheap to refurbish an office. Go to stakeholders with positive engagement on your ideas; whether it\u2019s a separate survey or a larger survey on engagement, they\u2019ll want to know their investment will be worth it.\u2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12559\" src=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2871-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"701\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2871-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2871-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_2871-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">We\u2019re now at the end of our Work Happy series, where we set out to find the building blocks of workplace happiness. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">After six months of questioning people in the know, one thing that we\u2019re certain of is that thoughtful investment into the happiness of the lifeblood of your organisation will reap big rewards. Please check out our previous blogs and stay tuned for the next series!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 10th July, we held the final event in our Work Happy series, this time honing in on the power&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":12561,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"post_type_category":[],"authors":[168],"class_list":["post-12535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-work-wellness-and-culture","authors-laura-morton"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Work Happy: Why Workspace Design Matters - Work.Life - Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How can the way your office is designed influence productivity and work happiness? 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