BlackOutDesign

Offices That Work

As many of you know by now, BlackOut Design is in the process of relocating its office. While the process of construction, renovation, and interior design has been overwhelming at times, it’s also been a fun and exciting new experience for us. From an efficient floor plan and ergonomically designed furniture, to brightly lit work spaces and colorful artwork, we’ve focused on ensuring each element in our new office is married perfectly to the next, creating a cohesive and unified space.

But does the exact right shade of paint really matter? Do two inches make that much of a difference in the length of a desk?

Turns out, it does.

Recently there have been dozens of studies linking the success or failure of personal interactions, performance, and innovation in the workplace to physical space. By combining emerging data with organizational metrics such as total sales or number of new product launches, scientists can demonstrate a workspace’s effect on the bottom line.

The consulting and design firm, Strategy Plus, recommends that businesses seek to design offices to reflect the way 21^st-century work actually happens. For most businesses, this means no more cubicles, beige walls and florescent lighting. Instead, highly networked, shared, multipurpose spaces are the offices of not only the future, but of today. The key to these types of workspaces is accelerated decision making and improved communication. Think of the space you work in as a tool, not as a piece of real estate.

Our new office will not only house separate areas for both design and development work, but also for strategic planning and business development activities. Each of these designated areas looks and feels differently through the use of varying pieces of furniture (swivel chairs and standing desks versus café tables and benches) but also through the incorporation of different colors, textures and lighting. A client sitting area feels less like a doctor’s waiting room and more like the foyer of a home. And the second floor holds a conference space equipped with state-of-the-art technology that’s been installed in such a way that one might feel like you’re sitting around your best friend’s dining room table.

It’s exciting for us to not only be one of the few advertising areas in the area to have such a space, but also to know that because of you, we’ve been successful enough to take on such an endeavor. We look forward to seeing you in our new space soon!