The chief executive of the PhotoBox group Jody Ford and Rachel Shepherd of Toyota have shared their ideas on what makes the perfect office space by outlining the designs of their own offices.
The PhotoBox organises its workers at its London head office into five to ten people groups working towards a specific goal. These teams are known as squads and each has a dedicated work area. The office furniture has clear desks where people work facing each other. There are whiteboards and screens which laptops can be plugged into. This arrangement has had tangible results - more engaged employees, better customer conversion and faster software development.
In the basement are unassigned desks where any staff member can work or have a quick meeting with their manager. The offices are on three floors with a long core staircase where people meet each other during the day and can stop to chat.
Toyota GB’s headquarters at Epsom, Surrey is a flexible workplace. Much of the office is open plan, but Toyota recognises that sometimes people need to work on their own. Any worker is free to wander to any part of the building to work, or can work outside.
The ground floor is a garden area with seating and is designed to be a relaxing space that encourages innovative thinking. Four work pods are designed as contrasting environments that encourage people to think differently.
PhotoBox and Toyota are two examples of how the office space and office furniture is organised can have significant effects on workers productivity, creativity and well-being.
