Now Trending: Collaborative Offices

Another growing trend in today's workplace is the importance of collaboration among employees. Studies from Gensler show that top performing companies spend their time socializing and engaging in collaborative work 16% and 23% more than average companies, respectively. Those top performers consider collaboration to be more than twice as critical to job success. So what exactly does "collaborative work" mean?

The most current office furniture is designed to initiate employee interaction throughout the day, thus promoting a more exciting, busy, and overall more creative place to work. With bench desk layouts and low panels separating employee space, workers have the welcomed option to interact with their desk-mate and receive creative and necessary input from others while maintaining enough privacy to work on individual projects as well.

Collaboration doesn't necessarily mean "loud", however. In our own working showroom, benching has kept the noise level of phone conversations and side by side collaboration significantly lower because we're constantly aware of the employee across from us. Previous panel style desks really only provided perceived privacy. Hiding behind panels, phone calls were unintentionally louder due to the cubicle effect of the once popular desking solution.

Not to mention, being confined to a cubicle-esque work space all day doesn't exactly breed happy employees! Employees of the top performing companies surveyed were "uniformly satisfied" with their work environments, further proving the success of collaborative offices.

Amp up your collab potential by providing other informal meeting areas for your employees to sit down together in small groups. This could be in the form of couches and occasional tables in common areas or in simple, small scale conference rooms. Wide aisles in the office also allow for chance meetings among workers without disrupting individually focused work in the office.

Check back on Wednesday to get a closer look at the product we suggest using to get your company operating in an open plan up there with those "top performers".

Get the Look: OFS

Earlier this week we pointed out a new trend in interior design: sleek, simple pieces with clear European influence. So how do you get that look in your space? The answer is in OFS Brands. Presented with two Best of Year 2012 Awards in Product Design for these two chairs, OFS is a leader in modern office furniture.

The Madrid Seating Collection, pictured first, was designed to complement a variety of table heights. This is key in keeping a cohesive look throughout the office. The collection offers a great seating solution for conference tables, personal desks, and occasional table environments alike. Its clean lines and modern design add to the trendy, refreshing
aesthetic of your newly revamped workspace.

Similarly, The Flexxy Swivel, at right, is another great example of modern design by OFS. The chair was "inspired by the surface flow of the Sansevieria plant," so "continuity among edges and surfaces was critical" during the design process. The twisted structure provides strength, allowing for a consistent thin edge throughout the frame, while its unique mechanism offers chair adjustment without disrupting the visual flow. The Flexxy Swivel is available in two back heights, three frame colors and, in keeping with the idea of a cohesive aesthetic, it has a series of complimentary stacking and nesting side chairs to complete the family.

 

Pair these new seating solutions with the Eleven Work Space from OFS and bring your office in to the 21st century with clean, low storage, open concept work areas, and overall visual simplicity. Swiss architect and designer Daniel Korb developed Eleven with a "seamless blend of functionality, connectivity, storage, and media integration" in mind. To get set up with this adaptable, internationally inspired look in your space, contact us at NWOI for a consultation.

Now Trending: Clean & Simple

This year, interiors continue to make the shift from heirloom bulky to modern slim. In an attempt to adapt to the New Normal of the current generation, we'll be parting ways with the overly adorned to make room for the purely minimalistic.

According to Furniture News, one of the freshest trends we'll be seeing throughout 2013 is referred to as "Fraction". As you might guess from the name, new products will begin to embrace direct, angular properties with interlocking shapes and an abstract, European feel. Think geometric, Ikea-esque fashion with finishes at an extreme - either ultra-glossy or subdued and raw.

Design will begin to have strong Scandinavian tones, showcasing "pure forms, and smooth and compact finishes" that are controlled and totally non-excessive.

The point is for new age product to act as "discreet, yet direct" functional furniture. Meaning, super sleek lines and non-cumbersome pieces that are pleasing to look at, yet their function is simple and plainly obvious. In our over complicated world, we can begin to feel "freed by the plainness" of this new trend as our furniture starts working with us, not against us.

Patterns this year should draw from cubist mentalities, with repetitions of small scale geometrics being key. Mondrian style grids and bold, typographic patterns will be seen as well.

Find some inspiration in these photos and leave your thoughts on this architectural, low profile trend in the comments!

DigsDigs, The Luxe Home, HomeOOfficee, Maze Home, Lincah Design, Coco Cozy, Decor Advisor, Home Swiss

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog - a place for all things office related. We'll be here often to report on current and upcoming industry trends, highlight fun new products and designers, share interesting articles and, of course, the occasional update on our own projects.

Check back soon to see what we've been up to!