When a client visits your office for the first time, their first impression of your brand is set in stone as they enter through the front door. This first impression is hugely important and depends greatly on the quality and professionalism of your office fitout. Your fitout should reflect the brand you are aiming to project. If you are an advertising company, then you need an office fitout that will reflect creativity and innovative ideas. If you are a law firm or an accounting firm, then you need a fitout that will reflect professionalism.
If done correctly, your office fitout can complement and enhance your business image. In this article, we provide some tips on how you can create an office fitout that reflects and strengthens your company brand.
1. Be creative
Many large international companies such as Google and Microsoft invest in office furniture and fixtures that are a mix between modern and conventional, giving their office fitout a fun, creative yet professional feel. It is important to incorporate more modern pieces and layout designs in your office fitout because this can reflect your innovative products and services and can show customers that your company is thinking and moving forward.
Are you having your office renovation or office fitout on a budget? You do not need a huge budget to get creative. Try to incorporate your own products in your office fitout. If you are a magazine or book publisher, then perhaps you can gather all the covers of your bestsellers, have them mounted on screens and use these screens as partitions. If you are an IT company, perhaps you can showcase the evolution of computers by putting a mini-exhibit of the oldest to the most modern products you offer in the reception area. In this way, not only are you putting your own products on display, but you are also showing how much your business has progressed.
2. Be consistent
Implement a consistent design and theme in your office fitout. If you want to have an open office design, implement this across the entire fitout. If you want to adapt a green, environment friendly theme, make sure all areas of your work space have this theme. Being consistent makes your brand appear clean and professional.
3. Keep a clean office
A messy and cluttered office will translate to a messy and unorganised brand. It will appear as if you and your employees have no regard to be clean and orderly and this will reflect very poorly on your products and services. Implement a clean desk policy wherein employees are required to have their work areas clean and clutter-free before they leave for the day. If they wish to have photos and other mementos on their desks, they may do so but limit the number of personal things they can display.
Also provide segregated trash bins, one for biodegradable and another for non-biodegradable trash, to keep the office clean.
Another tip for minimising the cluttered look of an office is to incorporate sleek and slim office furniture into your fitout. This will create more space in your office, making the office appear less congested.
4. Have a well-thought out layout and design
Make sure that your office layout and design reflects the culture and values of your company. If you want your company to be known as an advocate for the environment, then implement earth friendly pieces in your office fitout design. Also, make sure to include items such as lighting, phone and power outlets and ventilation in your layout. Providing items such as adequate lighting or office chairs that properly support the body will show that you care about the health and wellness of your employees. Surely, a business owner who values his employees also values his products, services and customers.
5. Keep office furniture and equipment up-to-date
Make sure that your desktops, fax machines, printers and other equipment are some of the latest technologies today. New equipment not only gives your office a more professional feel, but also tells your customers that you use the most modern technology in your products and services. Again, having modern office furniture and the latest equipment and technology reflects that your company is thinking and moving forward.
(source: Integrity Office)