Office Design Wars - Which Style Is Truly The Best? (Infographic)

When it comes to office design there is no ‘one size fits all’. As an employee, we all have different needs and different wants.

But as with most jobs, we rarely have the power to change up our office dynamic and we often have to either ride it out or find another job with an office environment more suitable to our preferences.

It is said that the most desirable elements of an office space are natural light, live indoor plants, quiet working areas, view of the sea and bright colours.

While nearly all of these elements are easily remedied, it’s the general office design that has the most effect on employees.

From the confined office cubicles of old, to the telecommuting work of the modern era, the infographic below explores the pros and cons of 4 of the most popular working environments.

Infographic Transcript: Office Design Wars - Which Style Is Truly The Best?

Workplace Satisfaction & Productivity

The most desirable elements for an office space are:

Natural light
Live indoor plants
Quiet working area
View of the sea
Bright colours

24% of workers claim Google is the biggest online time-waster, with 23% blaming Facebook.

89% of employees admitted they waste time at work each day.

60% of UK workers are happy in their jobs.

53% of employees said they waste time because they believe short breaks actually increase productivity.

36% of employees need between 1 ½ - 2 hours per day just to manage their emails.

Office Cubicles

Robert Propst designed the office cubicle in the 1960s. Originally designed to ‘save us’ from the pre-1960s offices of old (the ones where all the desks were lined up & facing the same direction like a school classroom). Cubicle workers are the most unhappy employees.

Pros:

A sense of privacy
Fewer distractions from co-workers
Cubicle walls are re-configurable

Cons:

Cubicles offer the illusion of privacy, not the real thing
More likely to partake in unsolicited distractions (social media, etc), unnoticed
Reduces collaborative working

Open Offices

Ideal for maximising a company’s space while minimising costs. Bosses love the ability to keep a closer eye on their employees. However, employees coming from more traditional office layouts find it difficult to adapt to open-plan offices.

Pros:

Social working environment
Promotes a more team-based culture and encourages a more collaborative atmosphere
Tears down hierarchies

Cons:

Lack of privacy
Increased noise levels
Easily distracted by co-workers

Enclosed Offices

Workers in enclosed offices are the happiest, reporting the least amount of frustration.

Pros:

Privacy and ability to shut your door
No noise, while helps concentration and decreases stress levels
More room/space

Cons:

Less social interaction
Lack of motivation - no ‘pressure’ of being watching
Reduced collaboration between coworkers

Working From Home

There were 4.2 million UK home workers in the first 3 months of 2014, amounting to 13.9% of the workforce. 1 in 4 of us would accept a reduction in salary if it meant we could work from home.

Pros: