An inclusive design in the office is of the utmost importance. It enables people with disabilities, mothers, or even members of other cultures to feel comfortable and respected in the workplace. This also applies to office pods. These are both a part of the inclusive office design and need to be designed with inclusivity in mind. In this article, we will explain it more thoroughly. Therefore, we would like to invite you to read on!
What Is Inclusive Design?
What is an inclusive office design? The term refers to creating a workplace where different spaces are created to meet the needs of every person in the office, make them comfortable, and give them the best work conditions. Unlike the common belief, inclusivity in the workplace doesn’t only refer to features like race or disabilities but also to different workstyles or even susceptibility to particular factors like noise or air pollution.
It’s quite interesting that the principles of inclusive office design often meet with the concepts of a flexible workspace. After all, both include a diversification of the office space, which ultimately leads to both inclusivity and flexibility. However, those two ideas cannot be used interchangeably, as they are different in nature – take accessibility, for example, a paramount element of inclusive design that isn’t underlined in flexible workplace concepts.
Examples of Inclusive Office Design
We mustn’t forget to enlist some examples of inclusive design to show you what it is all about:
- Distinction into open-plan rooms, cubicles, and separate rooms that the employees can use for meetings, calls, or to work in silence.
- Neurodiverse design, with soft materials for touch, cleaning cupboards and food preparation zones away from workstations for smell, office soundproofing for hearing, adequate lighting and calming colors for sight.
- Rooms for diverse types of employees, for instance, for mothers with infants, gender-neutral toilets, or even praying rooms.
Soundproof Office Phone Booths as an Example of Inclusive Office Design
An office phone booth itself fits into the description of inclusive and flexible office designs. It is so because, in nature, it is a separate space designed with neurodiversity in mind – to provide the finest conditions for those with a sensitive sense of hearing. After all, no room will be as quiet as a soundproof booth.
However, office pods might be on different levels of inclusivity, depending on their design. There are several features that affect this, namely:
- Accessibility – Is it easy to enter the pod for a person in a wheelchair? Can blind people navigate the pod easily? Answering these questions with an affirmative is the goal of inclusive office pod design.
- Size – Office pods can be anything from a 1-person to a 10-person booth. A truly inclusive one will be larger to accommodate both those who wish to work in silence alone and those who need a quiet space for brainstorming and collaborating with their colleagues.
- Aesthetics – We must not forget those with a strong need for visually appealing surroundings. A beautiful, office-style-appropriate office booth fits the principles of the neurodiverse design, so the aesthetics should not be overlooked.
Why Is Inclusive Design Important?
With Gen Z entering the market, it’s critical for you, as a manager or owner of a company, to attract this young workforce. They can bring big changes to your work ethic, procedures and goals. Yet, you will not attract them without an inclusive office.
Gen Z is aware of the problems different people face on a daily basis. It understands that people are no numbers and each person has their own needs and preferences, so they seek a company that will cater to their own needs. They actively ask about and verify the diversity and inclusiveness of their potential employers. Thus, the only way to attract and retain them is to design an inclusive office.
Apart from the youngest generation on the market, there is one other reason why an inclusive office design should become your aim: it’s simply better! By providing your employees with spaces tailored to their preferences, you can significantly increase their productivity, thus driving the growth of your whole company.
The Takeaway
What is inclusive design, why should you make it your goal, and what is the role of office phone booths in that? Let’s sum this article up.
An inclusive office design is a process of creating a workspace that caters to the needs of different people – different not only in terms of race, religion, nationality, or disability but also in terms of preferences, expectations, and sensitivity. It can be achieved through various means, including installing soundproof booths, which adhere to the needs of those who prefer to work in silence or need a strongly aesthetic workplace. Why should you lean towards an inclusive office design? Because it will make your employees much more productive and make them feel better in the workplace.
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