Sep 08, 2021
Meeting rooms are an integral part of office space, it constitutes at least a quarter of your workspace design. Prominent research has depicted that various teams spread across different sectors and organizations spend most of their working hours in a meeting room, ideating and brainstorming.
Meeting rooms are mostly the secluded part of your office space, where most of the action and implementation takes place. Meeting rooms in coworking spaces are known for their innovative design and tech-enabled environment, which supports innovation and aids productivity.
Even though meeting rooms are a crucial element of coworking space designs, they are the most ignored. Gone are the days of dull and dingy meeting rooms, everyone prefers a vibrant-looking meeting room, which has a positive impact on an employee’s mood and keeps them motivated to accomplish the goals on their to-do list. There are many factors which contribute in shaping the overall look and feel of a meeting room, which includes the kind of furniture and their placement, lights and acoustics, conferencing equipment and the room décor, these design factors are an integral factor in the success or failure of a meeting, for a meeting room is an important factor which helps form the first impression.
Here are a few tips to design meeting rooms for coworking spaces:
Chalk out your audience
Before setting out to design a meeting room, it is imperative to understand the likes and preferences of your target audience. The idea ‘one-size-fits-all’ is a notion of the past, it is important to understand that with the emergence of new-age professions, different kind of work demands a different workspace experience. For example, a radio artist or a VFX director would need a sound-proof room whereas a marketing team would need a collaborative space, different key aspects of the meeting room like the lighting, furniture or sound system have to be designed keeping in mind the preferences of customers.
Pro Tip:
Bifurcate your target audience in terms of their profession, team member count and preference, before drawing the meeting room design.
Technology and Connectivity
Technology failure is the most common problem faced by people while conducting a meeting. Technology is a key aspect of your, it can either make or break the deal. Everyone demands a tech-enabled meeting room which helps increase their productivity and maximize employee engagement. A state-of-the-art conference room with the latest amenities like high-speed wifi, projectors, and display systems, concierge services aids the overall experience of the employees.
Coworking spaces should also focus on devising an easy way of booking meeting rooms, most of the problems faced by clients while booking a meeting room in a coworking space is that of no-show bookings and multiple bookings, an efficient app can be designed to simplify the process of booking meeting rooms.
Pro Tip:
Meeting rooms can be equipped with IoT for easy operation and maximizing energy efficiency
Design and Aesthetics
Another common problem while designing meeting rooms is sticking to the old and outdated designs. Gone are the days of dull and dingy meeting rooms, everyone prefers a aesthetically designed meeting rooms, with ample of seating arrangements and adequate lighting. A well-ventilated meeting room, with comfortable furniture, can make all the difference.
Pro Tip:
Research the analytics and study the utilization of data before designing the meeting room.
Focus on the walls
The texture of the wall determines the vibe of the space while having a positive and serene effect on the mood of the individual. Walls that have pastel shades or vibrant designs have a calming effect and help combat a high-stress work environment. A graceful wall décor can, not just add colors but also complement the individual’s sense of purpose.
Pro Tip:
Exposed brick designs and vibrant wallpapers are an upcoming trend.
The three basic considerations while coming up with meeting room designs are- floor space, privacy, and technology integration because meeting rooms are the spaces where most of the productive interactions happen. It can have a positive impact on the way meetings are conducted and the direction they steer. An excellent meeting room design is not only aesthetically pleasing but also takes into consideration employee comfort.