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How to Choose the Right Office Desk for Your Workplace

The office desk has a fundamental role in the productivity of an office. A good desk has the ability to ensure workers can go about their business in an efficient manner from a solid base. In addition to the functionality of the piece, the aesthetics of its design are also important. The furniture in an office has the ability to set a tone and reflect the business. For example, young, fresh businesses may be more inclined to choose modern contemporary desks to complement their type of business venture over the heavier more traditional types of desks.

There are a number of variables to take into consideration when choosing the correct desk for the office environment.

Materials

There is an abundance of different materials used for the office desk nowadays.

  • Solid wood can be extremely expensive and will give an office an opulent look and feel. This type of desk tends to be used in executive office or board rooms.
  • Plastic desks are ideal for mobile use, for example if a business has various different sites that only need an office space at one site at a time.
  • Laminate desks can have a similar effect to the solid oak desks without the price tag.

Storage

Desks with additional storage options such as drawers are a popular choice for many offices, allowing the workers to keep a tidy work space and still be able to find documents or supplies they may need easily, at any given time. The additional storage space is practical for smaller or more crowded offices, utilising space efficiently.

Height and shape

The height and shape of a chosen desk can depend entirely on personal taste. Although, the shape and height of the room will need to be considered when choosing the piece. A room with low ceilings and lots of high desks may lead to an oppressive atmosphere. The shape of the desk should fit well within the confines of the room; some desks are designed to enclose the worker, making sure that they can reach all of their supplies from the one place easily.

More considerations

The style of a desk’s legs can affect the strength and durability of the table. Tables with folding legs are unsuitable for tables which must support a lot of weight. Also accessories for the desks such as dividers can give a sense of personal space in a busy office, giving workers more opportunity to concentrate on important tasks without being distracted by other workers.

Office Plan

The layout of desks in an office is important and should be considered carefully. This decision can often affect the choice in shape of the desk also, meaning a person should think about this carefully before making any purchase.

Adjoining desks in a bench form are popular in offices for call centres where there might be a considerable amount of people in the room at the same time but who do not need an abundance of space on their desks. These are often separated with dividers to give the workers slightly more privacy.

Adjoining desks in an irregular shape fanning out from a centre point fit well in larger offices where there might be multiple teams of workers sharing the same space. People are able to work closely with their own team with a certain degree of separation from others whilst still being able to communicate effortlessly with other teams.

Opposite facing desks promote conversation and are ideal in a boardroom or any other setting by which the emphasis is on communicating with other members of the rather than working individually.

If all the above considerations are taken into account whilst choosing desks, it is possible to have an office space that promotes good work flow in a pleasing environment.