So much goes into designing commercial spaces, and every type of commercial space requires the fulfilment of such different criteria to be a success. From the comfort and versatility of an office space to the branded design and memorability of a store, it takes careful consideration and meaningful decision makings to create an impactful and effective commercial space.
If you’re currently in the process of optimising your commercial space, read on for guidance on how to do this for maximum functionality and flexibility.
Offices
Designing and furnishing your office isn’t just about filling a space. Office design plays a crucial role in fostering productivity, creativity, and employee wellbeing, so designing an office must prioritise creating an environment that reflects your brand, supports your team, and enhances employee performance.
The list of ways to optimise an office space for maximum functionality and flexibility is truly never ending, but ultimately, every single one of these ways can fall under the same umbrella: comfort. Comfort is essential for offices because it enables employees to concentrate on their work, reduces their stress levels, and improves their overall job satisfaction. Ultimately, no one wants to come into the office every day to a dark, noisy, uninspiring office space.
A comfortable and welcoming office space can be achieved with a combination of ergonomic furniture, allowing in lots of natural lighting, and systems that effectively manage excessive sound such as acoustic ceiling tiles.
Stores
Whilst displaying your range of products on simple, acrylic shelves in a boring, white shell of a building may technically constitute a store and be physically usable for that purpose, this approach is highly unlikely to draw in customers, sell products, and create the right buzz around your brand. Rather, a store should create an entire brand experience.
Designing a store in a functional and personalised way makes stores a success time and time again. This is because it helps the customer to build brand affinity and creates a memorable shopping experience.
A functional and memorable shopping experience can be created and achieved with a combination of careful interior layout, styling that echoes the brand’s vibe including a colour scheme and design style, and welcoming till areas with cleverly placed promotional products to encourage last-minute purchases.
Restaurants and Cafés
When people go out to eat, the atmosphere of the establishment and the experience they have, from start to finish, is equally as important, or perhaps even more so, than the food and drink being served.
In an industry where reputation and customer loyalty are everything, a positive customer experience is absolutely paramount and sits at the heart of success for restaurants and cafés as it directly influences customer reviews, word of mouth recommendations, and the likelihood of return visits.
An impactful and memorable customer experience can be achieved with a combination of careful, generously spaced out table layouts enabling fast and attentive service and privacy for diners, a well-designed kitchen and bar area enabling food and drink to be made effectively and to a high standard, and well considered aesthetics. Everything from furniture to lighting and acoustics should reflect the establishment’s personality.
Waiting Areas
From doctor’s surgeries to car dealerships and the hairdresser, waiting areas are an essential and unavoidable part of a number of commercial spaces which serve as a first point of contact in many scenarios. A carefully designed waiting area sets the tone for the entire company experience, offering the customer or client a welcoming and professional first impression.
Above all else, waiting areas should feel welcoming, calm, and professional. The available seating must be comfortable enough to allow people to wait without any awkwardness or discomfort and the layout should offer enough room for people to feel at ease without the space appearing sparse or underused.
The use of neutral colours, soft lighting, and subtle decoration can help with establishing a relaxed atmosphere. Further to this, thoughtful little additions such as magazines and brochures, branded displays, or ambient music will also add to the customer or client’s experience and make the wait feel shorter and more pleasant.
Importantly, along with any aesthetic decisions that are made in relation to the waiting area, the space must remain functional for the people moving in and out of the allocated waiting space. Of course, it must be accessible to all, with considerations for those who may have mobility issues or sensory sensitivities. Also, in settings where privacy is important, such as medical or legal offices, the use of sound-absorbing materials or partitions can help to ensure conversations remain discreet and clients feel secure.
It is crucial to remember the importance of your waiting area: it is a direct extension of your brand and a valuable opportunity to communicate care and professionalism and make a strong, lasting impression on your visitors.
