The environment you create to work in will have a big impact on how productive you manage to be and that’s why it matters so much to get the design elements of your office space spot on.

Here are some essential design tips that should help you raise your game and enjoy going to work in a space that truly works for you.

Get your lighting right

One of the most essential components of getting your office design to work as efficiently as possible is to concentrate on getting the lighting options right.

Whether you are working on your own in a portable construction office or creating a high-tech open plan office that will be shared with lots of other colleagues, each part of that workspace has to be comfortable to work in, which means that there has to be adequate lighting.

Bad lighting is known to cause problems with fatigue, cause you to suffer from eye strain and suffer from headaches, and if you are struggling to see properly where you are working, it is hardly likely to put you in a positive mood for the day ahead.

Try to create a design that makes the most use of any available natural light and supplements that with a lighting layout that has been professionally designed for maximum comfort and efficiency.

Are you sitting comfortably?

Too many of us end up making do with a cheap chair to sit on when working at a desk but that is a false economy and it pays to think about the ergonomic aspect of your overall office design.

Working at a desk that is at the right height and sitting on a chair that provides you with the right level of support will make a big difference to your productivity.

Ideally, you should be positioned so that your eyes are about three feet away from the computer screen and your feet are flat on the ground. Your choice of the chair should also provide the right amount of support for your spine.

Even if you are working on a tight budget, try to buy the best quality and most ergonomically efficient chair that you can for the money.

Keep a tidy office

It is not always that easy to keep your office space tidy throughout the day but working in a cluttered environment is a not conducive to achieving a high level of productivity.

Incorporate ways to minimize clutter in your office design by providing plenty of storage space and think about places to keep items you need so that they are within easy reach but not in the way.

Think about color

There is a lot of psychology attached to color and it would be a good idea to think carefully about your color scheme for your office design as it will have a big impact on productivity levels.

It is often no accident that some of the most efficient offices have blue walls, as this is a color that is often associated with encouraging people to feel inclined to work harder.

It is definitely worth thinking about your color scheme as part of your quest to achieve an efficient and productive office space, but be mindful that too much of one color might not work as it could become too dominating.

Keep an eye on the temperature dial

The size of your office space and whether you have a lot of open or enclosed spaces will influence how hot or cold the room feels.

Some office spaces are naturally more inviting than others and the room temperature has something to do with that.

Think about how you can control and regulate the temperature with the right amount of heaters and air conditioning options.

Think about noise levels

Too much noise in your office can be very distracting and this will make it hard to concentrate and impact on your ability to perform at your highest level.

Some offices like to create a real buzz and this means it might be viewed as a positive to work in a noisy and competitive environment.

Working in a noisy office can be stressful and most of us struggle to stay at peak performance levels for too long under these circumstances.

Try to create an office design that allows everyone to hear themselves think.

Time to take a break

Working flat out all day is going to take its toll on your health after a while, which is why it is considered a healthy move to take regular breaks away from your desk.

Look at creating a rest and relaxation space in your office design so that you can sit down quietly or at least move around and away from work for a short period of time, before returning feeling refreshed.

A greener working environment

There seem to be a lot of benefits attached to having plenty of plants around your office space.

Plenty of greenery to look at is aesthetically pleasing but there are perceived health benefits too, and plants in your office could help boost your productivity levels.

Making an emotional investment in your office space

Some designers believe that personalizing your space will have an effect of increasing your emotional connection to your work, which should also boost your ability to work at a higher performance level.

The idea behind this design trick is to pick one or two personal items that mean something to you and use them when you are designing your office space.

This could be a picture of your loved ones or a special item that you associate with happy memories. Being surrounded by these positive and inspiring messages could prove to be a catalyst for improving your focus and letting those ideas flow more easily.

The blueprint for designing the perfect office space doesn’t really change whether you are designing a layout that is just for one or for many. The key is to incorporate some of these proven design strategies to enable you to enjoy a higher level of productivity.