Posted on February 19, 2014
In designing the elements of an office space, it’s easy to overlook one seemingly trivial part—the waiting room. With the several and varying functions encompassing an office space—the staff floor, the upper management offices, conference rooms, or what have you—waiting rooms aren’t exactly at the top hierarchy of priorities.
It should also be noted that waiting rooms set the tone for the company image you want to portray for those on the outside looking in. No one would really be enticed to enter a house if the front lawn or gate is a mess. If you’re traveling to a country, and are pretty excited for the trip, it’s a bit of a downer if the airport is in shambles. The same goes for waiting rooms.
You’ve been told over and over how important it is to make a good first impression. For visitors, clients, and all others who do business with you, that’s what the waiting room does. With all that being said, having a concrete plan for the look, feel, and ambiance of your waiting room is of the essence. And for something as vital as that, you need a concrete plan.
Things You Need to Consider
Well-thought of decors, lighting, furniture, and things of that ilk all add up to stamp your company’s penchant for the creative. If you’re in healthcare, clean lines, simple colors, and good lighting convey a blend of cleanliness and integrity. It’s important to recognize how you want to be perceived as a company, and conceptualizing how you can translate that outward perception into your waiting room.
Reading materials pertinent to your line of business, a TV playing things relevant to what it is you do, or even something like free Wi-Fi (which helps with their personal productivity while waiting to do business with you) tells them that you appreciate their time. That sets a positive precedent for everything else that follows.
We all know how it is to be stuck in a waiting room for a while, so when designing your own, it’s important for you to place careful consideration on how it is to be on the boring end of the waiting line. Understanding the kind of business you’re in allows you to understand what kind of people will be trooping to your office and staying in the waiting room. This will, in turn, be the source of all sorts of ideas and innovations that you can pepper your waiting room with.
Furniture Ideas
These are just a few things to keep in mind when thinking about the office waiting room. These concepts may seem trivial when looked at individually, but collectively, these elements can go a long way toward fostering a forward thinking culture throughout the company.