Insights from the forefront of future of work thought leadership

Few would argue with the notion that innovation is the lifeblood of successful and competitive businesses. If you’re a company that’s stuck in the grind of ‘business as usual’, technology may hold the key to unlocking your employees’ hidden potential for innovation. (And it doesn’t have to break the bank either.)

Here are 5 ways technology can support innovation in the workplace.

Improved communication and collaboration

There’s a reason why so many companies are trying to break down silos within the business and foster more collaboration – improved communication frees the flow of ideas, allowing for better insights and faster decision-making. Deloitte has even put a dollar amount on the benefits of collaboration, estimating that quality improvements brought about by collaboration are worth around $2517 per employee and manager per year.

Collaborative platforms like Google Docs or Slack allow people to share files, collate discussions around particular topics, centralise knowledge and work on documents simultaneously. This means you can get on with the business of working together without any of the frictions and frustrations that often go with it (‘Where did that email end up?’, ‘Why haven’t they got that document back to me yet?’ etc.).

Video and voice conferencing technology, such as Zoom, can help to tear down communication barriers, which is particularly helpful if your team is spread out geographically. Interactive whiteboard technology like Webex or Jamboard also gives your team the freedom of brainstorming on a whiteboard combined with the ability to pull information, images and documents directly from the web, while again allowing team members to participate from wherever they might be.

Improved collaboration strengthens ties across the employee organisation chart, including senior management. Better accessibility to managers, directors and the C-suite – whose buy-in is vital when it comes to actually implementing ideas – can smoothen the path to innovation, allowing for creative ideas to become reality much faster.

Increased efficiency and productivity

Just about every job is susceptible to automation to some degree. Many CRMs and marketing automation platforms, for example, automate tasks like data capturing or lead nurturing. And while the idea of machines ‘taking away’ certain aspects of our jobs can be somewhat anxiety-provoking, automation can often be good for workers (when implemented mindfully and in conjunction with good workplace design).

Technology can foster innovation simply by making our lives easier. By partially or completely automating repetitive and mundane tasks, employees have more time to engage in higher-value tasks such as strategising and analysis, which of course often leads to innovation.

Better access to data

Data is essential to innovation – without accurate, up-to-date data, innovation simply isn’t possible. Today, technology plays an essential role in information gathering, from a simple IoT sensor picking up a single data point, to dashboards that help make sense of the information, to cloud data stores that hold and compute our vast swathes of data.

Getting a good handle on data visualisation using tools like Tableau can also help pave the way to innovation, making data manipulation and analysis far easier, thereby putting innovative ideas at your employees’ fingertips.

More flexibility

Innovation means coming up with new ways to do things – and this, of course, requires a great deal of creativity. But employees who are sitting at the same desks, doing the same things day in and day out, aren’t going to be feeling particularly inspired.

Technology can help here, too. Collaboration tools like those mentioned above can be perfect for a remote workforce, allowing people to feel connected and involved no matter where they’re working from. You can also use technology to support flexibility within the workplace – sensor solutions, for example, can give you real-time information on things like desk and office availability, minimising time wastage and helping to facilitate a more agile, activity-based work environment.

The regular change of scenery, and interaction with different people in the organisation, that comes with such flexible work arrangements can do wonders when it comes to helping people think outside of the box.

There’s also a lot to be said for a fast, reliable wifi connection! After all, it’s pretty hard to be innovative these days without internet access.

Aside from these direct impacts on innovation, giving your staff flexibility at work can increase employee engagement, which in turn makes them more willing to search for and develop ideas that will benefit the company, rather than simply going through the motions of the daily grind.

Boosted wellbeing

It may surprise you to know that improving your employees’ wellbeing can also lead to innovation – after all, happy, healthy employees are creative, engaged employees! And believe it or not, tech can play a role here as well.

Things like wellness portals, where employees can do things like book gym classes or monitor certain aspects of their health, can give employees the tools they need to stay fighting fit. Sit-stand desks can help promote exercise and movement throughout the day, helping employees to perform at their peak. Even a simple app that reminds workers to stand up and move about on a regular basis can be a way to get the creative juices flowing!

Giving employees more control over their environment can also help boost employee wellbeing. For example, smart lighting solutions that give staff individual access to the lighting in their particular area allows them to adjust the lighting as necessary depending on the time of day or task at hand, ensuring optimal working conditions at all times. Similarly, individualised climate control, which enables employees to adjust the temperature in their particular area, can also help ensure employee comfort throughout the day, so they can focus fully on the job in front of them.

A culture of innovation

Fostering a culture of innovation is not just about providing your employees with the right tools – it’s also about seamlessly integrating these tools into your workplace design so they become as much a part of day-to-day business as email or the photocopier. Ensuring employees have access to communication tools in collaborative hubs, or conferencing software and equipment in meeting rooms, for example, can ensure everyone actually makes use of the technologies at their disposal, so they can get on with the business of innovating.

Is innovation a core value for your business? A workplace design partner can help ensure your office reflects this. To learn more about how a workplace design partner can foster innovation at your business, check out our free ebook How to choose a workplace design partner. Download it now!

If moving house is one of the top five most stressful events in a person’s life, just imagine what the stress levels are like when it comes to an office relocation.

While relocating an entire office is a significant undertaking, by planning carefully and breaking the process down into small, manageable chunks, you can have an easy transition, with minimal disruptions and associated costs.

That’s why we’ve put together this super-handy office relocation checklist, so you don’t miss a thing.

With an office move, there are many moving parts. It’s important, therefore, to get your ducks in a row as early as possible. Careful planning and preparation can help ensure the office move is not just smooth, but that it actually benefits your organisation in the long term.

12–18 months before the move

• Determine what your key objectives are for your move (e.g. do you want to reduce costs, boost productivity or attract top talent?)
• Find an expert: a workplace design partner to help you with a workplace design strategy to identify your key objectives and determine the future way of working for your company. This will determine how much space you will actually need.
• If based on the above, the decision is made to relocate:
  • Look into your current lease and determine how and when to give notice to your landlord. (If you need to vacate your current premises before the lease is up, you may need to sublet or assign the lease to another tenant or negotiate a termination. You may want to seek advice from a property solicitor to work out what may be the best option for you.)
  • Do you have a make-good obligation? Consider the budget for this and adequate timing to have it completed
• If the desired outcome is to create significant change in the environment, then refer to your workplace design partner for a change management program to ensure all staff are brought on the journey
• Conduct a location feasibility study of shortlisted sites to determine the most suitable space – your workplace design partner can also assist with this

6-12 months before the move

• Negotiate and finalise the terms of your new lease
• Put together a detailed timeline to ensure the move is completed on time
• Liaise with the building manager at the new property to help determine the layout
• Create an inventory of your existing furniture and fittings, and determine what will be moved to the new office, and what new furniture and fittings will be required
• Involve IT with your workplace design partner to perform an audit of your current IT and communications systems (computer, photocopies, phones, etc.), and determine what equipment will be kept and what needs to be upgraded. (It is essential that all your IT equipment, systems and phones are all fully functional on the day you move in to ensure minimal disruption.)

3-6 months before the move

• Select a moving day
• Devise a detailed moving budget (for moving costs only, separate to your relocation budget)
• Schedule wiring and cabling of all computers and phone lines
• Create a master change-of-address list, listing clients, vendors and suppliers that will need to be notified of your new details and order new stationery
• Hire a professional moving company
• Hire a professional cleaning service for the vacated property
• Create a company moving team, ideally with a representative from each department, to help coordinate the move across the organisation
• Depending on the extent of the change, ensure the staff are regularly informed about and involved in the moving process, in conjunction with the change management program (if applicable)
• Keep a hand in with your workplace design partner, ensuring everything is going in the direction you need it to

1 month before the move

You’re on the home stretch! This is the time to make sure things are still on track, and to double (and triple) check nothing has inadvertently been left by the wayside.

• Hold a meeting at the new premises with all the parties involved (design/construction/movers/IT etc.) to ensure all details have been covered and responsibilities for the upcoming weeks are clear
• Put together a welcome pack for employees, outlining information about the building and the neighbourhood, so employees can quickly settle in
• Organise an office warming party to welcome employees to the new office
• Finalise employee seating plan
• Implement a clean-up program (purging files, disposing of rubbish, moving old files to storage etc.)
• Back-up business operations
• Acquire packing supplies for the move
• Create a detailed moving day plan
• Reserve loading dock and elevators, and acquire any necessary permits (such as parking)
• Sort out keys and access cards
• Start setting up IT and communications systems
• Give staff a tour of the new premises so they know what to expect when they arrive on day one

On the day

The big day is here. While much of the work will be in the hands of professionals (thanks to all your careful planning), you’ll still need to be keeping an eye on things and ensuring everything’s ready to go when employees walk in the door.

• Arrange with the building manager to have air conditioning switched on prior to entry (this will make the day much more comfortable!)
• Ensure workstations are assembled and correctly labelled with numbers or employees’ names, so employees can easily find their desks
• Test computers, phones, internet, and other technologies to ensure everything is connected and working properly
• Ensure old site has been cleaned thoroughly
• Ensure the new site is clear of excess furniture, crates and packing materials

After the move

Hooray! The hard part’s over. Now it’s time to tie up any loose ends, let your clients know about your new location, and reap the benefits of a brand new office.

• Brief staff on new premises, such as workspaces, break areas and amenities
• Distribute welcome packs and new phone lists
• Address any residual issues reported by staff
• Confirm termination of the old lease
• Schedule press release and client announcement
• Review office fitout and design, and track relevant metrics to see if key objectives are being met

As you can see, an office relocation is a lot of work! That’s why you want to ensure you reap maximum benefits from it. To help your business get to the next level, choose a workplace design partner that can help you achieve your objectives and prepare your new space for you. To learn more, download our free ebook How to choose a workplace design partner now.

If you want your business to perform at its peak, then you need to ensure your employees can perform at their best, and this means looking after their health and wellbeing.

It’s important to bear in mind that employee health and wellness is not just about physical health, but also emotional and social wellbeing.

Prioritising employees’ health and wellbeing can have myriad benefits for your business, including:

• greater productivity
• reductions in work-related sickness and injuries
• lower workers’ compensation costs
• a decrease in absenteeism and staff turnover
• improved employee satisfaction
• enhanced corporate image

If improving employee health and wellbeing is an important goal for your business, one of the first things to look at is the environment in which your employees spend up to 40 hours (or more) a week.

Here are 5 ways you can improve employee health and wellbeing through your workplace design.

Encourage activity

You might have heard that “sitting is the new smoking”. Doctors have found that sedentary behaviour can be highly detrimental to health, leading to an increased risk of chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

That’s why forward-thinking organisations are implementing ways to encourage movement and activity throughout the day. This could be by installing sit-stand desks, to encourage employees to stand more throughout the day; having standing meeting rooms; or even removing small personal printers and installing large shared printers, so workers have an excuse to get up on a regular basis.

Integrate nature, sunlight and fresh air

There’s ample evidence that integrating nature, sunlight and fresh air into the workplace can have positive effects on health and wellbeing, thereby boosting productivity. Indoor plants, for example, have been shown to lift people’s moods and even remove harmful chemical compounds in the air.

There’s also data that suggests air quality may have a much bigger impact than once thought. Harvard University professor Joseph Allen performed a study that showed that workers in ‘green’ buildings with enhanced ventilation scored 101% higher than those in conventional buildings.

Sunlight can also have a positive effect on workers’ productivity, with one study finding that workers who were exposed to more daylight during the working week slept longer, did more physical activity and had better quality of life than workers who had little exposure to daylight.

Consider how these elements could be integrated into your next workplace design. Could you, for example, install a ‘living wall’ to help decrease stress levels? Could you seat workers closer to windows so they get more exposure to daylight? Could you install an air ventilation system to ensure workers get plenty of fresh air throughout the day?

Promote rest and relaxation

Often at work, our days are so jam-packed that there’s barely time for a bathroom break, let alone a decent lunch. But having employees working as hard as they possibly can does not actually lead to more productivity. On the contrary, in fact – it can lead to chronic stress and employee burnout, resulting in lower levels of productivity.

That’s why it’s important that employees take regular breaks in order to recharge, clear their head and strengthen their focus.

If employees don’t have an appealing space where they can take a load off, it sends a message that taking breaks is frowned upon by upper management. Environmental cues, therefore, are a powerful way to encourage this healthy behaviour. Revamp your break area(s) by providing a variety of comfortable seating options, and using home- or café-inspired touches to make the space feel more inviting.

Factor in noise and acoustics

When considering a workplace redesign, it can be easy to get heavily focused on the visual aspects. But what about the acoustics?

Excessive noise levels at work can have a dramatic effect on employee health and wellbeing, causing disruptions and poor performance. One study has even shown it can lead to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in more staff absenteeism. Workplace design that factors in noise management, therefore, can do much to contribute to workers’ comfort.

For example, if you are planning on an open-plan layout, you may want to help mitigate any potential interferences by installing closed rooms where people can conduct phone calls. If the space is large and potentially echo-ey, you could consider ways to absorb and block any excessive noise, whether it’s by utilising high-performance acoustic tiles or being mindful about how you use partitions, walls and windows.

Consider materials

We’ve already talked about the importance of air quality in a work environment – but did you know that just about everything around you could potentially be contributing to poor air quality?

Your carpet, paint, furnishings and office equipment (such as photocopiers) could all be emitting volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. VOCs have been shown to impair cognitive ability, including the ability to make complicated decisions, to focus and to problem solve. They can even potentially lead to health effects such as headaches, nausea and fatigue.

A workplace design should take into account workers’ exposure to VOCs by, for example, using low-VOC-emitting materials or being mindful about where office equipment like printers and photocopiers are located.

By putting employee health and wellbeing at the core of your next workplace design, you can not only have a more inviting and comfortable place to work, but you can also reap maximum ROI through boosted productivity levels. It’s a win-win!

A workplace design partner can help you develop a workplace design strategy that delivers maximum ROI. To help you find the perfect one for your business, check out our free ebook How to Choose the Right Workplace Design Partner. Download it now!

You have a niggling feeling. It’s been bothering you for some time. Your work colleagues are getting snippier every day. There’s a bruise on your leg from when you accidentally bumped into that desk (had it always been there?). You’ve just had to push back yet another meeting because the meeting room was booked until next Tuesday.

Is it time for a new office space?

An office redesign or relocation takes time, resources and planning, so you want to make sure you’re making the right decision if you’re considering a refurbishment or move. So here are 5 tell-tale signs your business may be ready for a new space.

1. You’re crammed in like sardines

You probably thought it was no big deal when management decided to move the rows of desks just a few inches so they could fit another row in – but now you can’t even move your chair back without bumping into the person behind you.

This might seem like just a minor annoyance – but lots of minor annoyances across lots of employees can quickly add up to major problems for your business.

Here are a few ways you can tell if the office space is overcrowded:

• OH&S incidents are on the rise: When space is overcrowded, people bump into desks, equipment and even each other more often. This could potentially lead to a rise in the amount of sick leave taken.
• There are more employee complaints and workplace conflict: Like bickering siblings who have been sitting in the backseat for too long, forcing employees into each other’s personal space can quickly make tensions rise and tempers flare. This can even lead to more absenteeism and a fall in productivity.
• Full and booked-up meeting rooms: Are meetings often delayed because employees have to find extra chairs to squeeze around the conference table? Are the meeting rooms constantly booked up, forcing employees to delay meetings in order to find an available slot? Do a sizable portion of your employees have to stand when you have company-wide conferences? These indications certainly point to overcrowding – and all that precious time lost finding seats and rebooking meetings is time that could have been spent putting value back into your business.

2. Your employees have nowhere to relax

When businesses try to squeeze employees into every nook and cranny, often one of the first spaces that gets encroached upon is breakout areas. Not only does this mean there are often lines to use the microwave and coffee machine, it also means that more employees resort to eating lunch at their desks, which is not so great for workplace morale.

Studies have shown that when people eat together, work performance actually improves, and people are also more altruistic and helpful to boot.

But you simply can’t reap any of these benefits if people don’t have anywhere to hang out together.

3. Your company culture needs a revamp

Sometimes the problem is not the lack of office space – it’s a lagging company culture.

You may, for example, have accommodated for new employees by leasing out another floor in your building. Your employees now have all the space they need – but collaboration has taken a steep nose-dive, because employees no longer interact organically like they once did.

Or you may have just undergone a period of massive turnover, which has perhaps brought in some new values and ways of working, or even introduced some bad habits.

Or the company has naturally grown and branched into new markets or new products, but in the midst of all that, your company culture has fallen by the wayside.

Whatever the reason, it’s important to be proactive. A strong company culture is the bedrock of a healthy company – it unifies employees behind a cohesive identity, and helps to validate those values that characterise your business. It also helps attract and retain top talent, while contributing to a clearer brand identity in the mind of your clients.

The physical environment can have a marked effect on company culture. If, for example, creativity was an important value in your company, you could encourage this by introducing brainstorming rooms with more of a casual set-up, and whiteboards on the walls so people can take down their ideas.

A office redesign, therefore, might be the perfect opportunity to revive and enhance the positive aspects of your company culture – and perhaps even mitigate some of those not-so-positive ones.

4. The paperwork mountains are starting to take over

Growing piles of paperwork on people’s desks are another sign your office space might be in dire need of an upgrade.

It might seem innocuous, but if people don’t have anywhere to store documents, then messy desks won’t be the only issue – documents will get misplaced, more errors will be made, and employees will waste more time searching for the information they need. And your clients will likely be the ones who suffer.

Sure, you could get some more filing cabinets – but these will take up even more valuable real estate, making the office feel more crowded than ever.

When considering an office redesign, therefore, it’s worth putting some careful thought into not just how much space your employees need, but also how much space your documentation requires, particularly if you work in a paper-intensive industry that requires extensive record-keeping.

5. The location is not so hot

It might not be the office space that is the problem, but rather where it is. Maybe you moved the office there several years ago, having been told it was an area on the way up, but things didn’t quite pan out that way.

Or maybe you opted for a location a bit further from the action, because, at the time, you couldn’t afford the exorbitant city rents, and now you can.

Or maybe the location was at the epicentre of the industry once upon a time, but, over the years, businesses – and your clients – started moving elsewhere.

Being in a good location can have lots of benefits to your business – it can put you in closer proximity to your clients, it can help attract and retain top talent, and it may even save you a lot money if, for example, you manage to get into an up-and-coming neighbourhood before the rent hikes start.

Yes, an office redesign or relocation is a lot of work – but staying in an office space you’ve well and truly outgrown will be far more frustrating and costly in the long run.

If you’re relating to one (or more) of the above signs and think an office redesign might be the answer, we’d be happy to talk about your options. After all, understanding what solutions make the most sense for your business is the first step to creating a refurbishment or relocation plan that stays on schedule.

At Axiom, we’re excited to see office interior design trends sweeping offices across Australia. These trends show we are clearly well into the era of “people power” – businesses are putting their most valuable asset, their employees, at the heart of their designs, and they are reaping the benefits in terms of more innovation, better productivity, and improved talent attraction and retention.

If you’re looking to outfit your office in the near future, these 5 office design trends will ensure you get maximum bang for your buck.

Infuse Hospitality and a Homely feel into the Workplace

When it comes to attracting the best talent, how a workplace looks and feels can make a world of difference. Businesses are designing more comfortable flexible workspaces and infusing a hospitality experience into the workplace in order to make them more appealing places to be.

Canva’s headquarters in Surry Hills, for example, offer cafes, bars, outdoor spaces, events, volunteering and collaborative work, as well as child-friendly zones, a gym, bike parking, e-charging stations and areas for meditation.

Designing Flexible Workspaces for Enhanced Productivity

Today’s businesses have to be agile – and so do their offices. Companies are therefore providing a wide variety of functional spaces in order to help their employees perform at their peak – think cosy, quiet nooks for deep concentration; standing meeting rooms for quick-fire discussions; comfy lounge spaces for informal chats and open-plan areas for teamwork.

The new Slater & Gordon office at Collins Street Melbourne, for example, was designed with flexibility in mind, featuring dedicated zones for concentrated work, casual areas to engage informally, collaborative zones for teams and mixed areas for sharing information.

Encouraging Collaboration through Innovative Interior Design

Collaboration is a key component of innovative businesses. According to a joint study by The Institute for Corporate Productivity and Babson College. Companies that actively work to leverage team collaboration as an organisational skill are five times more likely to be high-performing organisations.

For this reason, more businesses are cleverly using workplace design to foster collaboration between their employees, using features like open-plan areas, large communal desks and flexible breakout spaces.

Some companies are taking an even more unconventional approach. Hipages have some rare open space in the middle of Sydney’s CBD, with a patio space which is completely screened for their teams’ privacy, and fitted out with plants, lounges and deck chairs.

Adopt Sustainable Practices into Office Interior Design

Companies are taking sustainability seriously, designing energy-efficient office spaces that reduce costs while increasing employee satisfaction.

 Seqwater, a major water supplier in Queensland, recently revamped their offices with a keen focus on sustainability. Key sustainable aspects of the project involved reusing and repurposing existing joinery, carpeting, and structural elements.

These initiatives greatly reduced landfill waste, reflecting Seqwater's dedication to sustainable practices.

 Prioritising Health and Wellness in Modern Office Design

Companies that prioritise health and wellness in the workplace not only benefit their employees but also see improvements in their financial performance.

Numerous organisations use the WELL Standard as a framework to design their workspaces and enhance well-being. The WELL Standard offers a comprehensive collection of over 500 evidence-based strategies encompassing design, policy, and operations that, when applied, can elevate the health and wellness of your team.

• Improve air quality
• Ensure safe drinking water
• Reduce burnout
• Enhance sleep and mental wellness
• Cultivate a healthy culture
• Choose healthier materials
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Encourage regular movement
• Cater to the diverse needs of hybrid, remote, and on-site workers

There are countless ways that environments can contribute to the well-being of their occupants, whether through better air quality, access to natural light, or spaces for relaxation and physical activities. At Chevron's Head Office in Perth, a wellness center offers massages and other spa treatments, alongside a tech and learning hub.

Ergonomic design is crucial, with height-adjustable desks gaining popularity. While the cost of replacing each workstation was once a hurdle for many office managers, there are now adaptable solutions that modify existing furniture for this flexibility. As standing desks become more popular, they also integrate seamlessly into the office aesthetic.

These 5 interior design trends suggest several ways to create a smart workplace design that promotes wellness and wellbeing at work and in turn fosters a positive workplace culture. A happy and healthy team equals a thriving organisation.

Learn more in our new guide: Workplace Design Trends 2024

The modern office has transformed. Employee wellbeing, collaboration spaces, open-plan layouts…these qualities were rare in workplaces a decade ago. Organisations now spend a significant amount of their resources bettering their workspace design to optimise the performance and wellbeing of their employees.