Space Design, Tips

Design Tips For A Small Startup Office

October 11, 2018

As a startup, you probably have a lot on your plate – you need to be creative, work hard, motivate people to do a lot with a little, and work against time to make your mark in this world!

Most startups cannot afford more than a tiny office in which to make all this magic happen and this can sometimes be disheartening. You may have found yourself saying – “If only I had a bigger office…”.

But if that’s something that’s not going to happen any time soon, dig deep into that entrepreneurial spirit that brought you on to this road in the first place and get innovative with making the most of your small startup office space!

Here are a few tips from Zeitgeist to get you thinking on those lines:

LAYOUT

A small office could come across as ‘poky’ or ‘cramped’, just as easily as it could come across as ‘inviting’ or ‘exciting’. It boils down to a few aesthetic choices.

What is the culture you are trying to build at your startup? Is it one of collaboration? Let the layout of your space reflect this. With between 5 to 12 people in a firm, a startup generally isn’t hierarchical in nature, so why not reflect this in the layout of your office? An open office plan can make a small space appear bigger than it actually is. Several heavy partitions on the other hand, not only waste space, but also make a small space appear even smaller and cramped.

You will of course require an area where quiet contemplative work can be carried out, or where one-on-one discussions can happen, but this can also be blended into the layout of the office, as shown in this section of content agency Bubble’s office in Prague:

Here’s some more inspiration from modular office furniture designer Spacetor for quiet nooks:

If your office is just too small to incorporate a couple of “quiet nooks”, consider investing in a couple of noise cancellation headphones for people to use when they need to concentrate.

COLOUR

Light, neutral colours always make a space look larger, while dark or loud colours can be intimidating or claustrophobic in a small space. However, a pop of colour – maybe one bright accent wall, tasteful imagery, or a few pieces of accent furniture can add character and liven up an otherwise dull space – the trick is to get the balance right, always keeping in mind the culture you’re trying to cultivate.

The meeting room of the Appboy office has an accent wall that is perfect to stimulate creativity and engaging conversations.

LIGHTING

Maximise the use of natural sunlight in whichever form it enters your small office space, especially before noon – this is the most beneficial sunlight of the day. Natural sunlight boosts productivity, improves the mood and is the best light to work in, so don’t block it with curtains, shades or a badly located cupboard.

If your office receives little or no sunlight, invest in suitable artificial lighting – it could make all the difference to a small office.

Greenery and good adequate lighting create a productive workspace at the Typeform office.

FURNITURE

Opting for minimalist furniture along with an open office design further enhances the feeling of space in a small office. Again, one or two heavier pieces to add character is fine.

Storage is always a problem in small offices so try to invest in multifunctional furniture that also doubles up as storage. There are a lot of modular furniture options in the market today – Ikea and Muji are just two examples of such manufacturers – that allow you to move pieces around based on your changing requirements. Try to imagine how you could put one piece of furniture or even one element in your office to more than one use – for example a wall can easily be converted into a chalk or white board surface.

Customisable, space saving office furniture from Featherlite

CLUTTER

The biggest enemy of a small office is clutter. Decluttering must become a daily practice – make it a priority to deal with all paperwork/correspondence once a day and discard what is not required.

In a small office, it is about more than just having a place for everything and putting everything in its place. It is about only keeping what you really need to use. This will depend on the nature of your business of course, but keep items that are regularly used easily accessible and those that you sometimes use in concealed storage. If you haven’t used something in over 6 months, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself if the item needs a new home!

Little things make a difference – use cable holders to keep things neat, holders to store stationery on your desk, and since lateral space is limited, consider going vertical to add concealed storage space for things used once in a way.

A smart storage solution from Ikea

WELL – BEING

While choosing your small office layout, furniture, lighting etc, always keep in mind your team’s well-being. Choose ergonomic furniture based on the kind of work they do. Add a few potted plants. Make sure their work space is well lit and ventilated and where possible, provide a small area for recreation or pause.

A tiny area for pause and interaction at the Appboy office

Your small office, if designed right, can be a place that employees are happy to come to and motivated in to deliver their best.

Do reach out to Zeigeist if you’d like help making the most of your small startup office space.

Design Strategy

Zeitgeist and Design Thinking – Breaking Down The Framework

By admin on

June 28, 2018

- Design Strategy

Zeitgeist is a collective of design thinkers and strategists committed to elevating and enhancing human experiences. To understand how Zeitgeist came to find value in and incorporate the Design Thinking framework, read our earlier article by our Founder, Madhuri Rao

Be it developing a brand for a company, creating a meaningful space for a client or helping a startup idea go from concept to reality, Zeitgeist approaches each challenge against the backdrop of a Design Thinking framework.

The framework is, and allows us to develop solutions that are:

Innovative

Designing for the end user lies at the heart of the Design Thinking framework. By employing multiple creative minds and expert opinions to achieve this, the solutions proposed are innovative. They may be simple or complex, but generally are ‘have not been thought of before’ ideas – original, fruitful and with very well defined value propositions. Further, rapid prototyping, which forms part of the framework, allows for a quick time to market, a key factor in innovations becoming successful.

Effective

Design Thinking doesn’t solve problems by addressing symptoms. It digs deep to arrive at the correct definition of the root cause of a problem, instead of immediately rushing to come up with a Band-Aid solution. By encouraging rapid prototyping, ideas can be quickly tested for effectiveness, rejected, tweaked or finalised.

Adaptive

Since Design Thinking is a holistic approach, taking into account various perspectives and potential influences, solutions are designed not only for the present, but acknowledge potential variables in the future as well.

The framework is also iterative; there is no ‘from point A to point Z’ process. It allows for flexible usage of the creative tools. Once the problem has been accurately defined, you can ideate, prototype and test various potential solutions with the end user numerous times until an optimum one has been arrived at. Design Thinking understands that first ideas don’t always have to be the best ones!

User-Centric

Design Thinking nudges you to immerse yourself into the lives of the people you are designing for, using tools like The Five Whys and Card Sorting. It is only once you truly understand what makes them tick, what their pain points are and what brings them joy that you can begin to consider coming up with solutions that would be truly valuable to them.

Well-Researched

In depth research forms a major part of the process leading up to ideation.

Research into the end users and the social, political, economic and environmental context within which a solution is being proposed ensures a holistic view of the problem today and in the future.

Holistic

Design Thinking aims to address the problem from the entire journey of the end user, and multiple potential innovations in the process. As mentioned in the earlier point, the problem is looked at up close, but also from a bird’s eye view, giving it context and taking that context into consideration while developing a solution.

Collaborative

Since Design Thinking takes a holistic viewpoint, it must be collaborative in order to be successful. Only through multiple perspectives of all the parties affected by the problem can an effective outcome be achieved. And only by engaging with experts can information that is relevant and up to date be factored in. Design Thinking encourages and supports co-creation endeavours.

Creative

The Design Thinking framework encourages out of the box thinking, using techniques like Brainstorming and Mash-Ups. No initial idea is too ridiculous or far fetched to be considered. When the mind is free to work without constraints, the sky truly is the limit, especially when one is secure in the knowledge that the prototyping and testing phases will reveal how feasible and effective an idea is.

Sustainable

A solution arrived at using Design Thinking is one that aims to minimise negative impact – in finding a solution, it doesn’t create more new problems. It looks to optimally utilise resources and always takes into consideration the long terms impact of a proposed solution. It is why Zeitgeist also believes that Design Thinking is an excellent framework with which to develop solutions for positive social impact.

Zeitgeist can help you use the Design Thinking framework to arrive at optimal design solutions for your company – whether you are a startup, an established firm looking to turn things around, or looking to design new solutions for the future that are truly impactful and meaningful – reach out to us today.

Design Strategy

Zeitgeist & Design Thinking – The Journey So Far

By admin on

April 4, 2018

- Design Strategy

I was sitting in my garden the other day and reflecting on Zeitgeist’s journey as a design house. In effect, we have been agile, design thinking and lean from the very beginning without knowing it or being certified for it back then.

Milestone 1: Designing Spaces that Enhance Human Experiences

The journey began with space design and the desperate desire to inculcate an Indian benchmark to global living standards.
This came from my years growing up abroad and knowing the difference in how I felt in a well designed space versus one that had little or no expression. A space that had intention had the ability to change my mood and mindset. And as we gravitated to applied learning, life pushed us in the direction of designing spaces to bring the best mood out of the human experience. We began to recognise the value in that feeling and held on to it. We had intention. As we moved toward authenticity it became easier to identify the disconnect in an experience – a story half told.

A space that had intention had the ability to change my mood and mindset…As we moved toward authenticity it became easier to identify the disconnect in an experience – a story half told.

Milestone 2: Infusing Personality through Brand Development

It became evidently clear to me that messages were being interrupted and lost when we didn’t put the receiver first and weave language for a complete understanding. The ability to tell that story became the need of the hour. It didn’t make sense to design the environment without understanding how the personality wove through it. We needed to be more than just one of the best interior designers Bangalore had to offer. And so we began to build the other half that was missing. This was not part of the plan. Just a gut instinct and a chance we took. So we tested. Staying light, we brought in the talent for identity design and very soon began to align on projects from multiple perspectives.

Milestone 3: Using Design Thinking to add Value and Impact

When I looked at the plate it still only seemed half full. How could we integrate these services and create an offering that actually meant something in the long run? I wanted more out of the design process. And as I began to search, my search found me. Design Thinking became the framework I gravitated toward. It had the beginnings of a structure that resonated with me. It put people first. Leaning into this kind of thinking aligned with my sense of purpose and growth.

I was excited to put these frameworks into our processes at Zeitgeist.

What would happen if we integrated this kind of thinking into our lean start-up. How much value could we offer? What new ideologies would come out of it? How could we offer strategic design consultancy that added value and impact?

Design thinking….resonated with me…..It put people first.

And so we began to recreate our internal structure around better belief systems, deeper meaning, and higher purpose.
Alignment toward this way of thinking is the naturally progressive way and we fit right in. It amazed me to think how far we had come.

With a gentle smile it struck me that everything happens by design.

Madhuri Rao
Founder & Chief
Design Strategy