Office Design Trends Inspired by Millennials

As every other generation has done, millennials take pride in being unique- especially in a working environment. Millennials have had an important influence on workplace design. The idea of work is undergoing serious changes at the moment, as we are all aware of the fact that an office’s layout and design can hugely effect how we feel at work. In a LinkedIn study ran by CanvasPop, over 77% of professionals said that art in the workplace makes them feel happier, whilst a further 27% indicated that office décor improved their productivity levels. Millennials have brought a number of design trends to the workplace that will greatly affect the way offices operate in the future. Have a read below!

Minimalist Spaces

Many employers are struggling to attract millennials, but one way they can do so is by creating a minimalist office space. Office design and perks are important for millennials. Often they prefer tidy minimalist spaces as they tend to inhabit smaller spaces and accumulate less. They tend to appreciate a more minimalist design with fewer gimmicks or busy design layouts or décor. For example, they prefer a more relaxed, open-plan office space with areas that they can escape to engage in individual work, or for meetings. Often they prefer to take their meetings to the canteen, outdoors, or to a relaxed space like an Office Meeting Pod.

Non-Conventional Workspaces for Flexibility

Millennials prefer flexibility. They prefer being able to work in different areas around their workplace, rather than just their desk. For example, when it comes to non-conventional workplace design, millennials enjoy being able to work from a relaxation area like office pods or a modern office canteen. Trendy companies, particularly in the tech sphere, have jumped on this trend by building highly original office environments with lots of places for casual, impromptu meetings with lots more glass, so employees feel a less claustrophobic compared to working in ordinary cubicles. Work flexibility greatly influences our mood, and another area that millennials have really influenced is choosing furnishings and colours based on how they affect our mood and productivity. Everything about convention is disappearing!

Millennials Embrace High Technology

Millennials leadership has seen the modern office become a home to some of the newest, slickest technologies. If you have a look at an office that employs large numbers of millennials, even if the office is only somewhat related to technology itself, you will most likely see wireless keyboards, mice and headsets, laptops, netbooks, tablets and smartphones (particularly iPhone’s), dual monitor setups, smartboards and even game consoles. With this, we have seen the increased popularity in sit stand desks and movement chairs and increased office ergonomics. Technology is here to stay, and it really helps us get our work done!

More than a Paycheck

But even though millennials prefer better technologies and furniture, they tend to veer away from office gimmicks like ping pong tables or beer taps as frankly, they find them useless and distracting. They prefer office’s that offer private meeting rooms like office and meeting pods that allow for individual work and socialising too, healthy snack bars and even a gym or gym classes. But why is this important? For the modern worker, there is an increasingly long list of things at work that is more important than the paycheck. This is another way millennials are leading the way into unchartered territory- by demanding more flexible hours, paid parental leave and even comfy and colourful workplaces!