Designing an office is a bit of a balancing act. You need the working environment to be comfortable and suitable for the business. You also need to make sure that the office is good enough to impress clients. Remember that what the client thinks about your office can make or break the deal you are trying to close. Designing an office that will impress clients is not as difficult as you think. Whether you are creating a new office for your business or want to improve your existing space to win more clients, these are the design tips and tricks to follow.
Think About the Business – The nature of your business will dictate how your office should look in more ways than you realize. If you are in the creative industry or IT and have an office that looks old or outdated, chances are you will not be impressing clients with the space.
On the other hand, adding colorful images and pieces of artwork to an office for your accounting or financial firm isn’t always the best way to go. In certain industries, you want an office that incites confidence and boosts credibility with serious and modern elements.
Add Credentials – Speaking of boosting confidence and credibility, there are reasons why lawyers and financiers often hang their diplomas and certificates on the office wall. These are small details to add to the space, but they are the details that increase your profile as a business or a professional.
Don’t just hang diplomas and other certificates randomly around your office. You want these credentials to be easily visible; you can even direct attention to them with other elements added to the interior. Use custom diploma frames and certificate frames from a company like Church Hill Classics to keep the room seamless and well designed.
Keep It Organized – Another thing you don’t want is an office that looks cluttered and messy. There are times when even some documents on your table can make the whole space appear cluttered, so you need to be mindful of your office’s appearance. The key here is adding more storage to the space, especially concealed storage that fades into the background when not in use.
You have more options to choose from when it comes to cabinets and storage solutions for your office. You can, for example, optimize the use of existing storage space by using dividers and drawer organizers. You can add more storage space and eliminate clutter by utilizing areas like the empty space beneath your desk.
Keep It Simple – Despite the extra freedom you now have when designing an office, it is still highly recommended to keep the space simple and elegant. Adding modest lines, using furniture and accessories that play well to that simplicity, and limiting the number of colors you use to bring the space to life are tips you need to follow in this department. Keeping the office simple also helps with keeping the clients focused and interested. You can close more deals and keep clients comfortable during meetings and discussions with fewer distractions around the office.
Feature Your Best Work – As architects and interior designers, the design of your office actually says a lot about who you are. The office design is your opportunity to shine and show your best work, which is why you must never hesitate to go the extra mile.
Thinking that your office doesn’t need to look good—usually due to budget constraints—is a mistake. The first thing a potential client will review when visiting your office is how well the space is designed.
When designing offices for other professionals and businesses, the same approach can be used as well. Feature mockups, posters of products, and other elements that really show the business’s best achievements.
Mind the Reception Area – One last thing to focus on when designing an office is the first impression you make. The reception area, in particular, becomes very important due to the fact that it is the first area of the office that potential clients see.
Don’t stop at featuring your best work. Add a lobby board, make sure there are today’s newspapers in the waiting lounge, and add elements like good lighting and greenery for that warm and comfortable ambience.
Accessorize Smartly – Speaking of adding elements to the office, accessorizing to impress is also a good idea. We’ve talked about how adding diplomas and certificates can help boost your credibility in the eyes of clients. It is now time to add other things to the space.
First-edition books and classic titles on the bookshelf can help start conversations. The same can be said for a musical instrument (one that you can play), treasured artwork, and cultural artifacts. You will be surprised by how well they work in getting the conversation going.
With these tips in mind, creating an office that will impress your clients isn’t difficult at all. All you need to do now is get started with implementing these tips to improve—or create—your own office space.