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Modern Office Design Trends, Ideas & Examples

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Author: Sylvia Mauro | Senior Vice President
Modern Office Design Trends, Ideas & Examples

Modern office design trends reflect the needs of the workforce. Teams thrive when creativity, collaboration and productivity are supported by thoughtful modern office design. Whether you’re redecorating, considering a renovation or designing a new workplace, creating inviting and engaging spaces for your employees will help attract and retain your industry’s best talent. It will also convey your company’s vision and culture to visitors.

Remote and hybrid work schedules are becoming more common and in-demand, especially for organizations that prioritize employee health and work-life balance. More fluid ways of communicating between teams — in and out of the office — are changing the way business is done. What does this mean for your modern office interior design?
It means creating opportunities for creative, spontaneous brainstorming balanced by comfortable, open common areas. We’ve pulled together modern office design ideas, trends and examples of stellar design to help you on your way to the perfect modern office interior for your unique company.

Modern Office Design Ideas

Create defined spaces

Creating defined spaces allows employees to work in an area best suited for them. Some may prefer private, quiet areas, while other employees may prefer a more collaborative atmosphere. Here are just a few ideas to create defined work areas.

  • Lounge areas: Think past the concept of the break room or kitchen. Consider a space that feels more like a casual café or chic living room where employees can gather for lunch or a snack, or to chat and have a few moments of downtime. You never know, your company’s next great idea might happen in the lounge!
  • Quiet areas: Old-school cubicles and closed door offices for heads-down work may suit your organization and the work you do. Consider trying a more library-like space with a mix of long tables and carrel desks, plus high-quality acoustic management that better supports your team’s quiet time.
  • Private phone areas: Give employees privacy for client or personal calls. This also helps reduce distractions for other employees, especially in a quiet space.
    Meeting/brainstorming areas: Conversation clusters with cozy chairs, diner-style booths and architectural nooks can all be places for impromptu meetings and ad hoc brainstorming sessions. For more formal meetings, you’ll need a traditional conference room.

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The R&R Realty Group has clearly defined areas for collaboration, private work spaces, lounging and meeting/brainstorming areas.

Utilize technology to make work simpler

  • LED video walls and displays: Provide your team with useful information like company calendars, conference room availability, news and updates. Video walls can also contribute to modern office design by displaying art, animation and pops of brand-centric color. In a lounge setting, a large-format LED display can even show movies or TV shows, which is great for team bonding.
  • Power and connectivity: Modern office workers rely heavily on portable technology. Make sure conference rooms, common spaces, lounges and heads-down spaces are equipped with outlets, USB and ethernet ports, and conference phones to keep workers connected, powered up and stress-free.

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Inovio Pharmaceuticals installed a large LED screen in their lobby to convey important information to visitors.

Create an open floor plan
Open floor plans don’t necessarily mean cold, cavernous spaces. As an element of modern office interior design, open floor plans feel less stuffy and constraining than a maze of cubicles.

By defining spaces that flow into an open floor plan, you can have the best of both worlds. Think outside the cubicle when it comes to partitions and other defining characteristics. Acoustic products, architectural accents and strategic furniture placement can all lend themselves to creating a unique open floor plan.

  • Communal workspaces: An open floor plan encourages collaboration. You can help foster and support this with comfortable furniture, long family-style tables and semi-private breakout spaces.
  • Positive workplace culture: Open floor plans allow teams to see one another and know who’s around. That sense of community is important for successful collaboration and a positive workplace culture. Be sure to balance any potential goldfish effect with options for private and semi-private work and conversation like smart glass, clings and creative partitioning.
  • Encourage flexibility: Modern office interiors often feature furniture that can be easily rearranged to suit your team’s needs as they change throughout the day.

Fluid workstations are a great way to encourage collaboration, shake up perspective and share resources, especially if your team is hybrid — but they come with special considerations.

  • Support your workforce’s health and safety with signage and software that helps them coordinate cleaning and avoid doubling up on a space.

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Ouster’s office has an open floor plan with workstations and collaboration areas. On the second floor, the furniture is easily movable for different needs.

Tips for Working from a Home Office

Many modern offices are in the comfort of one’s own home. As remote and hybrid workforces become more common, a home workspace is a must. Here are some tips to maximize productivity:

  • Have a designated working area stocked with everything you need to work, including power and connectivity outlets.
  • Invest in a desk. It’s tempting to work from the couch, but it can be hard to feel professional on the sofa.
  • Take breaks like you would in the office for water, coffee, stretching and reaching out to friends and colleagues. Schedule “coffee chats” or social lunches over video chat to keep in touch.
  • Separate work and non-work times. Make sure your family knows when you are and aren’t available.
  • Create a professional background for video conferences and meetings. Use a partition/divider, built-in backgrounds or blur to avoid distraction.

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A home work area with a designated desk and plenty of natural light.

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This modern home office space has plenty of privacy, ample outlets and a professional background for video calls.

Our Favorite Modern Office Design Examples

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Google HQ
The mix of conference rooms and open plan workspaces with a strong local theme, bright colors and focus on wellness is a great example of modern office design.

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Hubspot
Hubspot is a leader in business communication. It’s no surprise their modern office interior leads the way as well with designated and fluid working areas, collaboration spaces, “living room” and fitness areas.

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Federal Center South Building 1202
This modern office interior features lots of natural light, green and sustainable materials, natural elements and examples of biophilic design in its mix of open and designated work spaces.

Looking for more examples? Check out HubSpot’s list here.

Today’s best talent is looking for more than a paycheck and a top-shelf benefits suite. An employee-friendly workplace that reflects modern work values will help your business attract and retain your industry’s brightest stars. Many employees spend long hours at the office. Creating a welcoming space shows your company’s commitment to their most important assets: their people.

Let your employees in on the planning. They’re your best resource for what will make them feel happy and productive. When you’re ready to make those ideas a reality, reach out to DGI. Our team of dedicated professionals is here to craft a unified design for your organization.

Author:
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Sylvia Mauro | Senior Vice President

Sylvia E. Mauro has been with the DGI Communications since 1998. She began her career at DGI as a customer service representative and later became the manager of the sales support team and installation departments. Since 2009, Sylvia has served as a senior project manager and account executive for several of DGI’s top clients. As a member of the executive team, Sylvia is instrumental in informing the vision of the company from both a marketing standpoint as well as improving the customer experience.

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