Definitive Office Trends for 2022

In previous years, when talking about trends in office design and decoration, the focus was always to improve and benefit the well-being and productivity of employees within the offices, and although this is still essential, expanding the vision of design/work has been more than mandatory.

2021 was a year where transformations, new ideas, and changes were the order of the day, testing different work styles, merging home and office, as well as reality and digital, almost becoming one to achieve work activities that otherwise would have been impossible.

From the time before when the security measures that were most taken into account were having first aid kits and a fire extinguisher on each floor of the company, we have reached a new dimension of biosecurity where the use of masks, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing are as mandatory as those mentioned previously.

The 2022 trends focus on conserving and creating spaces that promote healthy behaviors and benefit the well-being of all workers and, of course, the productivity and performance of the company:

• Hybrid workspaces (office + Home Office). This is something that each company must evaluate according to its activities and functions, but there is no doubt that allowing employees to find the ideal balance between work at the office and at home is very important to achieve the harmony lost after the pandemic.

• Open collaborative spaces. Contrary to what might seem like a reasonable idea, isolating employees from each other is a huge mistake, it is proven that collaboration spaces will be more valuable than ever. A real incentive for those who must return to their jobs is the ability to interact, collaborate, see each other and talk with their colleagues. Being creative in bringing these spaces to life can achieve even more benefits than pre-pandemic used layouts, making work areas more flexible is key.
• Touchless technology for the office. Every day the world is a little more digitized, and now that we are at the door of a metaverse dimension, where reality and digitality finally merge, the tangible is becoming a thing of the past. The ‘touchless’ technology came to make processes simpler, and likewise, it is perfect to avoid having to constantly disinfect areas. Touchless technology makes check-in and check-out possible by scanning a QR code, and also, working to interact with doors, turnstiles, or elevators in buildings without making direct contact with them.

The office that can be seen from this year is a sustainable, safe, and completely technological one, where well-being is both for it and for its employees.