The Technology Industry and the Workplace Revolution

When we think of the typical workplace, it’s not uncommon to picture desks, divided booths and enclosed spaces that are constantly buzzing with working people.

However, the technology industry is quickly changing the way we think about the modern workplace. With open planned spaces quickly becoming the norm and slides becoming the most popular way to get around, technology giants such as Google and Facebook are bringing new ideas to the office.

At Officescape, we are fascinated with how offices are changing to become more innovative and more productive, and here we are going to take a look at some of the innovative ideas with which technology companies are influencing office design.

Open Plan

The idea that the amount of time you spend at your desk is equivalent to the amount of time you spend productively working is no longer the norm, and now technology companies are encouraging their employees to be more social in the workplace.

Companies such as Google are now encouraging workers to take time away from their desks to interact with their colleagues.

Chief designer of Google’s new headquarters, Ryan Mullenix, is of the firm belief that workers should be moving around whenever possible, such as when they are going to get a cup of coffee. “It’s who you see on the way to coffee, and the movement that charges your brain, which is really valuable and part of work,” he said.

Facebook is also incorporating an open-plan environment into its new office space, which founder Mark Zuckerburg claims to be the largest open-floor plan in the world.

The idea behind this concept is that employees have the ability to be more innovative and interact far more easily with their colleagues when they are moving around. An open plan office encourages movement and therefore encourages innovative thinking and promotes social activity in the workplace.

New Technology

In business, it’s important to practice what you preach, and for the companies that have set up their residence in Silicon Valley, this means using the latest technology in order to make their office more efficient.

This includes using mobile apps to search for and book available office spaces, which in turn will allow employees to quickly and efficiently arrange meetings and therefore be far more productive than they could be when using paper systems.

A new technology in the workplace, such as social media, opens up the social atmosphere of an office, allowing employees to keep in constant contact with their colleagues as well as being able to share their professional work and their company with the outside world.

Biosphere

Companies such as Samsung, Google and Facebook are all becoming more drawn to offices that open up to nature, whether this is through open glass ceilings, rooftop parks or indoor plant life.

Opening up an office to nature has many benefits. Most importantly, it can help workers to feel more in touch with the outside world; this will sub-consciously allow them to feel more focused due to an enhanced feeling of the passage of time and prevent them from getting ‘cabin fever’.

Using the biosphere concept as inspiration for office design can also enable your office to become more eco-friendly. This can be done by planting trees, installing solar panels and wind turbines or following in the footsteps of Facebook, who have chosen to place a park space on the roof of their new offices.

Relaxed Professionals

When most people think of the modern technology office, they can’t help but think of slides in the place of staircases and bean bags in the place of office chairs.

Although this may just seem unprofessional to some people, there is method to this madness. This type of office design is intended to inspire the creative and innovative thinking that have made the major technology companies some of the largest corporations in the world.

You don’t have to be Google to make your employees feel relaxed and inspired, and this concept doesn’t need to be over-the-top. Installing things such as office pods, new technologies and complementary food and beverages can make you stand out as an employer and boost morale in your office.

Indeed, the major technology companies and their innovative office designs are changing the way we think about the modern workplace, and soon enough you may find yourself working in a completely different environment. If your office space is in need of some innovation, Officescape can help you transform your workplace. Contact us today by calling 01553 811 833.