By Alastair Youngson, Business Analyst 

January 2020

 

It’s no lie that your office space is constantly evolving. From the male orientated workplaces of yesteryear dominated by smoking rooms, typing pools and alcohol, to the hyped and childlike atmospheres of the noughties with bright rooms, beanbags and table football, it appears the needs and characteristics of each generation seem to drive new office habits and trends. This is no doubt why, with our current focus on health and wellbeing, offers of free fruit, mental health days and charity days are seen as the must-haves by successful employers to continue to attract the brightest and smartest of employees.

 

It would therefore make sense that the systems we use day in, day out, for raising tickets, managing resource, reporting and budgeting, have the same balance of ease-of-use whilst at the same time being visually and mentally appealing. Yet for many of us, this is rarely the case.

 

With that in mind I have composed a list of easy to spot Feng Shui practises which can make our day to day lives a little less stressful, and which we try to incorporate when developing our own software.

 

1.    Design and arrange your system like you would your desk.

Ensure that your system is clutter free, removing unnecessary “noise” from the home page. Keep frequently used elements within easy reach, and those that are needed less often out of the way. Doing this will help to reduce stress by clearly signposting regular tasks and allowing them to be completed easily, and removing unnecessary distractions, enabling you to use your time more efficiently.

 

2.    Take care not to over-simplify.

It’s tempting when looking at improvements to strip the home page right back and make it too clean, but this in itself can have a detrimental effect. The same can be said for too many straight lines and lists. These can make your daily tasks boring and monotonous. There is a happy balance, and creating a dynamic system workspace can provide an interesting layout to your daily tasks and allow you to focus more effectively.

 

3.    Fill your area with positive energy.

Take the opportunity to showcase the areas of your organisation to be proud of. These good news stories about team members, from a work or personal perspective, or that relate to the company or industry, shared amongst colleagues are a great way to improve the energy of your workspace.

 

4.    Design your workspace with a balance of yin and yang.

Ensure the balance of colours and textures on any system workspace provide a positive and engaging experience. Too much of a corporate colour or bold striking shapes and textures can leave your workspace looking aggressive and uninviting. Likewise, dull boring colours can make things hard to read and promote a negative, mood-lowering effect. Simple balanced colours are best to provide an affective and pleasing workspace.

 

5.    Increase the virtual air quality of your workspace.

By using language that promotes togetherness, whilst also complimenting a job well done you can improve the entire tone of your system into one of positive energy. Don’t be afraid to compliment somebody on their work, offer a thanks when required and celebrate success. Whilst it’s true that personal compliments which could be mis-construed should be avoided, don’t be afraid to acknowledge a colleague who contributes to the success of the business. This is a great way of filling your workspace with positive energy.

 

Ultimately, by ensuring that your workspace is a pleasure to use, rather than a chore, you can help to focus your needs and attention on what matters most. Also, by aligning your workspace with the type of energy you seek through simple colour changes you can help to drive productivity, quality and effectiveness throughout your entire organisation, and at the same time making work a more pleasant experience for individuals. Just remember, achieving the optimum balance won’t happen overnight. It will be an iterative process of surveying your users and assessing what is really required from your system, and building a cultural change of good healthy thinking to provide a pleasant and rewarding atmosphere at work.

 

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