If you do even the quickest search for ideal desk set ups on Pinterest, you will be greeted by thousands upon thousands of inspirational ‘deskscapes.’ From minimalist mac set ups to multi-screen tech heavy set ups, there are a whole chorus of arguments all claiming to have the right answer.
But one thing that we’re certain on is this: the way you set up your desk will have a huge impact on your working day. The technology you can easily access, the comfort level of your seating arrangement, and how inspired your surroundings make you feel will all feed into how productive you are.
It’s probably fair to say that there is no definitive ‘perfect’ desk set up. The ideal desk will differ from employee to employee so it may be wise to allow each member of your team a level of freedom and personalisation when it comes to setting up their own personal workspace.
Whether you’re preparing to set up your own workspace, a selection of meeting rooms or a whole fleet of office suites, we’d advise keeping the following three considerations in mind.
Keep any necessary tech close by
The twenty first century office runs on technology. Your team will constantly be using digital equipment such as a laptop, smartphone, tablet, webcam, microphone, scanner, printer and smart screen on a daily basis. If you want your employees to be as productive as possible, it makes sense to ensure they have vital tech equipment to hand. We’ve heard horror stories of employees at larger organisations using a trip to the printer three floors down as an excuse to get away from their desks!
On this subject, organising expert Peter Walsh suggests that you should think of your desk like a car: everything vital should be within arm’s reach. For the smaller equipment such as webcams and tablets, employees can simply store them in their desks to ensure they’re easily accessible. Of course, with shared equipment like printers, this can be more difficult. You could even invest in pocket size smart printers for your employees – check them out in our previous blog.
Think ergonomic whenever possible
If you want your team members to be as efficient as possible, it’s important to consider their comfort. Badly considered desks and desk chairs could lead to aches, pains and even limiting health conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. As many as a third of office related injuries are believed to be caused by poor workstation set up.
According to these ergonomic principles, the ideal workstation should place the top of the monitor at eye level or just below, with the monitor about an arm span away from the body. Each employee should be able to sit with their feet resting comfortably either on the floor or on a foot rest.
Don't forget to make it look nice
We humans are generally visual creatures. Simply put: we like things to look nice! The way a workstation looks will most certainly have an impact on how productive your team members are from day-to-day. And from files to bottles of water, the general clutter of an office desk can be extremely distracting. Even something as simple as having computer wires on your desk can impact productivity.
Things like plants can make a big difference; a study at Exeter University found that office workers were 15% more productive when they introduced greenery. In fact, Amazon have plans to put in 40,000 plants in their new Seattle offices! The colours you choose in the office have also been shown by environmental psychologists to have a big impact on our mood.
And finally...
We’ll end here with a bonus tip: think about investing in round desks. Rounded and curved furniture has been shown to induce positive energy, which is great news for creativity and productivity!
Although there’s no specific ‘perfect’ desk set up, as you can see there are plenty of things you can do with your desk to create a more positive impact on your employees.
Looking for a home for the perfect workspace? If you’re hoping to rent an office in Leeds, why not find out what Carrwood Park can offer?
