Employers looking to optimise their work organisation present a challenge for interior designers: how can enough shared workspaces be created to make the office feel welcoming and ensure that no one feels left out?
Traditionally, hot-desking is a system focused purely on shared desks. There are fewer desks than employees, and no one has a permanently assigned spot. When employees arrive at the office, they choose an available desk and use it for as long as they need. The system is based on the assumption that not all employees will be in the office at the same time.
In addition to cost savings, the system’s main strength is providing a more flexible working environment, allowing employees to choose a different spot each day. Employees’ preferences for lighting, temperature, or nearby colleagues can change daily. However, a potential disadvantage of hot-desking is the ‘traffic jam’ during peak hours, when there are not enough desks for everyone. This can be very demotivating for employees. Nevertheless, smart interior design solutions can mitigate these risks.
Since the pandemic, hybrid working has become the norm. Now, almost every team has members who work from home part-time and come into the office only occasionally. Accustomed to working from home, these employees now seek a cosy, living-room-like atmosphere in the office. They often feel more comfortable on a sofa or in an armchair than at a desk. This means that designers must now consider these preferences when creating shared workspaces. However, these ‘office nomads’ are not the only ones to think about.
Even regular office-based employees want variety. While an open-plan office with moderate background noise is suitable for most tasks, some employees need complete silence and seclusion for activities requiring greater concentration. Smartly designed shared workspaces can offer quieter ‘work islands’ – areas that are visually and acoustically separate from the rest of the office.
The problem of overcrowding can also be easily solved. When more employees show up than expected, multifunctional furniture that can double as a workstations is the perfect solution.
The Intuit product range includes several solutions that take hot-desking to a new level while also enhancing the aesthetics of the space. Below are just a few examples.
How could Intuit’s solutions fit into your project? Try them out in pCon today, or contact us for advice directly at or through your nearest distributor.