Getting started on your office fitout can feel like an overwhelming and challenging task. It requires a wealth of new knowledge, and changes that may impact your team and business. But making sure you have information to get started will help you plan your way to a successful office fitout.

Start your plan with a checklist

These thirteen steps will help you stay on track when planning your fitout. This step by step guide to help you achieve a stress free office fitout that actually sticks to your budget. Keep these steps in mind when you’re discussing your proposed fitout with your fitout specialist and main stakeholders.

Get a crash course on office design research

These studies will help you cultivate your company culture and put it at the forefront of your office fitout. By doing this, your team’s workplace productivity will increase immensely, and conversely, a company with poor culture can see their productivity (and as a result earnings) stagnate. These studies will also help you understand how your office design plays a large role in the overall attitude of a company’s team and staff.

The 101 on sustainability and green initiatives

Investing in a new space or undergoing an office fitout is an excellent opportunity to implement sustainable initiatives in your workspace—and educate your employees on why they’re important. Not only is there business value (according to the Australian Government, by 2021, Australians could save more than $600 million on our water and energy bills just by using more water efficient appliances and products). Training days are a great way to engage employees in “extra-curricular” activities with the benefit of gaining knowledge they can also apply to their personal lives.

You can start with simple tips like:

• Change your computers and monitors to more energy efficient modes, so they burn less electricity when in use (and when idle).
• Something as simple as changing your lightbulbs to more energy efficient alternatives can serve to drastically reduce your office’s footprint. According to CHOICE, despite their higher initial price, LED and CFL light bulbs pay for themselves quickly through their much lower running costs.
• Encourage recycling around your entire space and discourage or eliminate the use of unnecessary printing or single use plastics by making recycling bins more readily accessible.

Read the comprehensive list and start learning about how you can engage your team in green initiatives!

Visualise your space using online tools

Get a clear picture of the end product, or experiment with different wall colours and furniture layouts by reimagining your space digitally before committing to any plans. Tools like Sketchup and Milanote can help you create boards to map out your interior design plans. Take a look at the full list.

Open plan vs. private desks

When you’re tossing up between an open place office or private cubicles, think about these considerations:

• An open-plan seating chart allows for teams to communicate and more importantly, cross-pollinate among different teams. As your team grows, this will help to alleviate silos and bridge gaps between disciplines.
• Aside from increased productivity, employees also have the chance to socialise in a healthier way compared to enclosed and private offices. Rather than barricade teams between walls, an open space allows diffusion to happen through the day, rather than exclusively during lunch or scheduled meetings.
• To avoid the distraction that can often come with open plan offices, remember to consider how much space you need per employee (and future employees!).
• Your team will feel secure and know their privacy is being respected in cubicles.
• An open plan office can sometimes facilitate the spread of illnesses like flu or the cold, because of the shared space.

Using these tips, along with the knowledge from your office fitout specialist, you’ll be able to create a new space (or revamp an existing one) that’s a success for both your team and budget!