Checking In On Office Design Trends

 In December of 2015, Fast Company published an article predicting the top 8 office design trends for 2016. A year later, we’re curious as to how those predictions have turned out. So we checked in with a few of our clients and colleagues, here’s what we discovered about the top 4 predictions:

4 Office Trends for 2017

TREND 1: HIDING THE WIRES
For sure, both employers and employees are looking for ways to clear away the cords that clutter up desks. While cordless is king – where it makes sense (wireless mouse, wireless keyboards, hooray!) – one thing we have noticed, is a desire for outlets to be higher up the walls as everyone seems frustrated by having to snake chargers up through or stretch them around the desk from way down in the baseboard area!

TREND 2: BRING THE OUTDOORS IN
This one was a little harder to pin down. We’re just not seeing a lot of floral motifs in the décor, but some clients like KAI Design & Build have embraced the wood and concrete trend and have created wonderful environments.

TREND 3: MULTIPURPOSE WORKSPACES
There are still an awful lot of cubicles around. We don’t see them “disappearing,” but we do seem to see more and more non-assigned seating and dedicated small group work areas. Wifi and laptop docks that enable in-office mobility are absolutely prevalent in the work places we service these days.

TREND 4: DESIGNATED LOUNGE AREAS
We agree with the “untethered workspaces,” technology is absolutely driving that trend forward, but dedicated lounge areas don’t seem to have quite taken off yet. Collaborative spaces are being created in many locations, but sofas don’t seem to be a requirement yet.

At SumnerOne, we want to help you to stay on trend by means of the technology and solutions that your business is using. Let us help you to stay up-to-date and contact us today. We're ready to help you!

Originally published February 7, 2017, updated October 9, 2018