Not very long ago, it might have been a curious question to ask: are your employees connected to their workspace? Until recently, not a great deal of thought was given to the true impact of office and workplace design. Today things are very different…businesses looking for an edge pay attention to every detail regarding comfort, ergonomics and atmosphere of an office, in their quest to attract top talent.

Recently, Haworth®, one of Bellia Office Design’s top quality furniture vendors, published their study regarding what they refer to as “Affordances”, defined as “the characteristics of an object or space that encourage a particular behavior, or—put more simply—the opportunity for action.” You can read more about their ten Core Affordances here, but ultimately, it comes down to the impact of various workplace arrangements on employee satisfaction and productivity.

In their study, Haworth® identifies three types of Affordance categories: Cognitive, or Affordances that allow the mind’s best work, Emotional, or Affordances that affect one’s psychological state, and Physical, as in Affordances that support one’s physical needs. The goal of office design in this realm is to maximize human performance on every level, through supporting your staff’s cognitive, emotional, and physical needs.

A first class office design takes into account all of these things. It enables a company’s employees as needed: creating an environment where they can express thoughts and gather information; enabling them freedom to change posture or position when necessary; and providing a sense of safety and well-being.

If you’re thinking of a new office design or redesign, we can help you answer the question: are your employees connected to their workspace? At Bellia, we design offices that bring out the individual characteristics of your brand, while maximizing productivity and return on investment. Contact us today for a free workspace evaluation and find out more about how we can maximize your space and productivity.