Top 10 workplace trends seen in office furniture

Monday, July 15, 2013

The way desks, chairs, cubicles and other furniture have changed in recent years illustrates how workplaces are evolving, according to leading office and school furniture manufacturer, OFM.

Here are the top 10 workplace trends seen in office furniture.

1. Businesses emphasize collaboration.
Workplaces are becoming flatter, with less hierarchy and more emphasis on working together. As a result, office furniture is being designed for more casual collaboration such as modular desks, which can be arranged and rearranged in a number of different configurations.

2. Everyone is expected to get their hands dirty.
CEOs no longer rely on a secretary for their grunt work. Executives are more hands on, answering e-mails and checking their tablets. As a result, executive chairs are now being designed with tuck-away tablets for CEOs to work on their iPads and smartphones.

3. Everyone’s always working.
Whether on a break, eating lunch or waiting in a lobby, workers need to be able to answer a call, check e-mail or browse the Internet. As a result, comfortable seating options with arm rests are being designed for even the break room.

4. Workplaces are more creative.
In the old days, companies and organizations were focused on efficiency. With so many U.S. businesses working on intellectual property, workplaces are now designed to encourage creativity. This means office furniture is becoming more colourful with more artistic options.

5. Everyone is using lots of different kinds of technology.
In the past, a worker might have had just a computer on their desk. Now, that same worker is liable to be using a computer, a tablet and a smartphone – sometimes all at the same time. Many office desks are now designed with two tabletop grommets to keep tech wires organized and out of the way.

6. Companies are trying to be more spontaneous.
Businesses no longer need just a set of office chairs for a group meeting. They need seating that can be configured on the fly for an ad hoc group of employees from different departments working on a project. This means office furniture needs to be more versatile and have more than one purpose like chairs that have a swivel tablet that can be stowed when not in use.

7. Each worker is more important.
Companies today are smaller, meaning each individual employee is more important. Today’s managers work harder to prevent employees from leaving. One way they do this is by offering a cozy work environment. As a result, office chairs for the everyday employee are now made more comfortable with things like moulded form soft seating that is ergonomically designed.

8. Everyone’s working longer hours.
The days of working nine to five with an hour lunch and three breaks are in the past. Today, chairs need to be designed with ergonomics in mind to allow workers to sit in them for long periods of time. That means office chairs are being designed for more than eight hours of use per day and come with as many as 16 different ergonomic configurations for unparalleled customization.

9. Companies want to show they value the environment.
Companies are working to show they care about the environment regardless of what industry they are in. Furniture with low chemical emissions made from recyclable material is one way to show this corporate value. As a result, office furniture that is Greenguard certified is becoming popular with workplaces that want to demonstrate their commitment to the environment.

10. More people are working from home.
With an increasing number of companies allowing employees to work from remote locations, more people are working from home. This means there is a greater need for office furniture to be designed for home use, and often it must be able to fit into smaller spaces. There are now more options than ever to design a home office that is stylish, yet efficient and comfortable.

3 thoughts on “Top 10 workplace trends seen in office furniture

  1. Number 10….Makes me start to think, In the near future, there won;t be any ''workplace'' as such! Because there would be all kinds of Alternatives for working!

  2. Number 9…And the fact that companies get tax incentives for buying green makes no difference in this matter, it their actual love of the environment. Please….

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