Are Private Offices Going Away?

As interior design advances along with technology and these modern ideas of "working", the open floor plan has become increasingly popular. So much so, that many CEOs don't even use private office for themselves anymore. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, says "in 30 years time, as technology moves forward even further, people are going to look back and wonder why offices ever existed."

The truth is, most young talent coming into the workforce is already immersed into this culture of working remotely. With technology's hand in nearly every aspect of our lives, the office could be just a reach away at any point in time, literally, right there in your pocket. Though this may sound alarming for us in the "office furniture" sector of the business, we're not too concerned. Sure, technology is taking over a bit, but we're not convinced that offices will be completely extinct any time soon. Many successful owners, managers, CEOs, etc. prefer to be mobile and out in the open areas of their employee spaces to provide a secure sense of camaraderie among the office and really get a sense of what's happening with the business - which is extremely smart.

Jack Dorsey, the master mind behind Twitter and Square, says "I don't have an office. I don't have a desk. Mainly I am just walking around the office. Sitting down with people. Figuring out what is going on. What the biggest challenge is. What we've built. Resolving any issues that occur. I have my space in my iPad, I have my space in my head."

So, office buildings in general won't be going away any time soon. Businesses still need a place to get work done and a productive space in which to share ideas. However, the more open the floor plan, the more technology utilized, and the more modern the ideas for collaboration...the better - and we're planning on being around through that shift.

Branson adds, "The key for me is that in today's world I do not think it is effective or productive to force your employees one way or another. Choice empowers people and makes for a more content workforce."

How do you utilize these new ideas for your own workspace?

Get Your Office on Board...Literally.

Clever puns aside, we're seeing more and more collaborative designs pop up all over the interior design community. The classic white board may be old news, but how about entire walls dedicated to note taking? Interactive work places are proven to be more productive work places. By getting your office on board with things like the Smart Board technology and truly interactive walls, you can boost both your collaboration and creative idea potential - then turn those bright ideas into sales. Think brainstorming and mind mapping on a giant scale.

Along with providing private meeting areas for collaboration, Workspace Design Magazine encourages writable wall surfaces in centralized spaces to provide a more informal spot for employees to come together and express new thoughts. tvsdesign’s Don Ricker says “Our most successful office designs feature writable walls in large open spaces where multiple people from diverse teams gather to exchange ideas and feedback. This fosters genuine collaboration along with a sense of play and fun, which in turn, opens the floodgates of creativity while serving as a potent morale booster.”

According to MMQB, one of the oldest building materials - glass - is gaining popularity in the office world yet again and a Texas based company, Clarus Glassboards, is first in line with the newest innovation in wet and dry erase technology. Clarus boards are made in a variety of sizes from 2'x3' to 4'x10' and may be fully customized to fit specific project dimensions if necessary. They're compatible with any dry erase pens, permanent markers, grease pens, etc. The glassboards easily wipe clean and are also made with eco-friendly and recyclable materials. Clarus even provides magnetic options, calendar grids, and customizable colors, logos or branding of your choice. Our showroom utilizes both the Smart Board technologies and Clarus Glassboards, shown below. Both of which we can help you get for your own office!

Come visit us for a look at some interactive options!

What We're In To: OFS - Eleven

OFS is just one of the many success stories in the industry running with a clearly minimalist design pattern. We love the Eleven workspace, designed around this concept of "Architecture Uninterrupted" by Swiss architect and designer Daniel Korb. He "developed Eleven around a fundamental concept: 'Furniture is Architecture on a Different Scale'." Korb was able to use this to design an effortless blend of function, storage, and media integration for interior spaces. Inspired by the international style and backed up with an architect's eye for detail, Eleven "presents an adaptable, sustainable aesthetic that scales from private to collaborative and open spaces."

We're definitely into making lives easier at the office, and we're always looking for new ways to integrate fresh technology into our spaces. The Eleven tables are perfect for charging up iPads, iPhones, laptops, you name it. When work goes uninterrupted, office productivity can only follow suit. Their sleek design is just an added bonus to these extremely functional tables. There are no visible fasteners or bulky eye sores to interrupt the visual aesthetic of the product, remaining faithful to a truly minimalist design idea. What a perfect addition to your newly renovated space, bringing your office to the 21st century.

Coming in a variety of finishes, these well designed tables aim to match the look you're hoping to achieve...and that's something we can get behind. Here's a closer look at Eleven at work: 

Contact us at NWOI for more details!

Products shown include: Eleven Workspace, Madrid chairs, and Flexxy Swivel Chairs

Introducing: The Smart Board

As we've been trying to drive home recently, offices everywhere are transitioning from the typical 9-5, cubical, dry and ancient work environment to a more modern, fresh, and technologically savvy spot for employees to enjoy doing what they do. In an effort to stay ahead of the game in that respect, we've recently invested in the Smart Board technology for our working showroom.

This awesome piece of equipment acts as an interactive white board and allows us to give appealing client presentations, show product typicals and CAD drawings during design consultations, and even keep track of and share meeting minutes with the staff on Monday mornings. By creating an engaging learning environment, we can make sure clients are in touch with the product they'll be buying and feel like they're a part of the design process from start to finish. Not to mention, the board makes for a more exciting early morning meeting for workers, too!

As a touchscreen device, we're able to use a finger - or the provided stylus - to quickly write, draw, and swipe from application to internet and back to client documents. When adding text to a form, snapshots are captured and sent off to clients or staff with those handwritten updates included. Think high-tech NCIS media boards...for the office! With all this talk of new gadgets and technology updates for virtually every aspect of our lives, why not give a little refresh to your typical meetings or appointments at work? The board is great for new educational environments as well!

We're proud to be one of the first companies in the NW to use the Smart Board and can't wait to help you become one of the few in the industry to utilize this awesome new technology.

Stop by our showroom to get a look at the board in action!