The trends for next year aren’t about revolution, but rather more about consolidating the trends and innovations of 2016. More and more business premises are going to catch on and implement styles and practices, so what seemed new and outlandish in 2015 and 2016 will become the norm.
Here’s the things you need to catch up on if you’re not already on the case, whether you’re in a swish London co-working office or beavering away in industrial units in Chessington:
Bringing the outdoors in
Working environments with lots of greenery make people happier; plants and grass can increase employee well-being and productivity by as much as 15%. So, if you’ve already invested in a few pot plants, why not go the whole hog and create a mini garden? Vertical gardening is on the rise (sorry…) and so if you’re short of space, look at making some frames for growing herbs, lettuce and tomatoes for a healthy lunch. Who knows, the next big thing may be keeping chickens…
Smarter lighting
As part of the move to make offices and workplaces more natural, a lot of focus has been on lighting recently. People want natural light as much as possible, and where it’s not possible, they will settle for daylight simulation and controllable illumination.
The aim is to do away with harsh overhead lights and to set lamps, LED strips and energy-efficient systems up. These combinations can create a lively, relaxed or intimate atmosphere, depending on what’s needed. LED lighting is going to replace halogens soon, so businesses can take advantage of their great energy-efficiency and flexibility.
Colour schemes
Colours are always changing, but bold and bright will still be the order of the year for 2017. Workplaces will carry on creating zones with colours, as well as using artworks and striking pieces of furniture to make a statement. Expect bold graphics and geometric patterns, wherever you are!
More integrated tech
People don’t want to be slaves to the desk and the plug socket anymore! We’ll be seeing more and more new furniture that doubles as a charging point for mobile devices. Some furniture may even become a device, like the touchscreen tables that are starting to emerge in breakout spaces. Even when workers are seated at desks, their chairs may be fitted with sensors that can warn them about their posture to prevent that most dreaded of ailments – the bad back.
Growing collaboration
Collaboration isn’t exactly new, but 2017 may be the year that it supersedes lone or individual working in popularity and prevalence. This shift will cause profound changes in the way offices and other workplaces are designed and furnished and over the next couple of years we’ll see these changes made flesh (or wood…) as companies adopt the new way.
There’ll still be private spaces at work, but they’ll be seen as the exception, much in the same way as breakout spaces were seen a decade or so ago.
So, what you may have viewed as a passing fad for That Fancy London is becoming the mainstream; what are you waiting for?