What is creative office space?

Creative office space can be defined as an office that has been designed by people who think differently. This space can be in the form of a cafe, gallery, workshop, innovation lab, co-working space, community centre or a student co-working space. Entrepreneurs, designers, copywriters, strategists, designers, and many more can benefit from office space that reflects their creative and forward-thinking approach to work.

Creative office space could be in a large commercial building or converted homes in the city and is a great option for those who want to work in a beautiful area but are not willing to sacrifice their staff’s productivity.

One important aspect that people often forget about when looking for creative office space is storage. It is a high-cost building amenity that might seem unnecessary at first but is an important part of office space that makes a big difference. Having a central location in a creative office space does not mean the owner is at risk of losing client data.

Creative office space offers greater opportunities for learning as employees get to see different methods and approaches to working that will help improve future businesses.

Design

Creative office space offers a lot of opportunities for furniture and design. Creative office spaces often try to be unique and feature modern design. Not only is a creative office space nice to look at, but it also reflects the culture of the owner and how they work. It is the owner’s creativity that will always set them apart from their competitors.

The attitude of the owner or manager can also influence the design of the office. An attitude of positivity and knowledge are also important aspects of the design of the office. The work environment can be the first impression of a business.

Finding an environment owners and employees make. When a potential client gets of a business, and it should be clean and functional.

Smaller spaces may be able to fit a larger work area with less risk of damage.

Businesses wanting to be a little more unique may also be able to fit in more of a small-shop vibe.

Creative Office Space: Realism and flexibility

When looking for a creative office space, you need to get real about what you need. The flexibility of being in a building rather than a large office should not be overlooked.

Being able to choose furniture and design in a single space is a great way to manage costs, reducing waste and employee-related risk.

Being flexible in space could also allow a small business owner to have a meeting or be able to be available for a meeting.

According to Richard Binns at the Mazzard Mackintosh Workshop, “It’s important to make a creative space look the part but small businesses often end up with unimaginative designs and colour schemes. Here we combine technology and craftsmanship to create something timeless and interesting”.

Office space can be very expensive for a small business. In a big building, everyone’s desk is where they spend the majority of their time and, with the same old template, it’s difficult to start a new, innovative brand.

Access to fresh air is also an important factor in having a high-quality workspace. Outside air is much better for keeping healthy and creating a less stressful working environment.

It’s really all about how you design your space and look at each new project in that context, with the goal of enhancing employee happiness and productivity. As long as you have the space and the budget, you should be able to create a space that makes you proud to have you at the helm of your business.

Mark Crawford is a Creative Director at Mackintosh Workshop. With over 14 years’ experience, he helps small businesses set up a modern, flexible creative space with a focus on cost-effectiveness.

6 things to consider when looking for creative office space

Plan for efficiency. For a small business, it is essential to create a space that can be easily expanded. Where possible, employ people who have worked in large companies and learn how to create cost-effective working environments. Le-Vel’s corporate office in Campbell has four smaller meeting rooms that can be rearranged to accommodate staff from departments such as marketing, customer support, finance and human resources. 

Each space is about the size of a modest living room. For smaller companies with fewer employees, consider designing a new office space or retrofitting an existing one.

Develop and share a mission. Take the time to craft a corporate mission statement, which will help determine the company’s values. Establish this early and use it as a framework to develop the work and space you will need to create a fulfilling corporate culture.

Be creative. Innovation is at the core of your business and your employees should also be allowed to flourish. Design a space that allows for creativity to thrive – that is, where there is no one way of doing something, a comfortable amount of creativity is rewarded and, where possible, a range of equipment is available. Consider installing built-in meeting places, such as boards and desks, that encourage creativity and collaboration.

Share your vision. Once you’ve decided what your goals are, take the time to explain them to employees and create a vision board to present to investors and customers. It’s important to communicate clearly why your business is a great place to work, while sharing your vision and values.

Create flexibility. Have an open space with the ability to share and modify spaces easily. This creates more room to add features, while also creating flexibility for staff with tight schedules. The Thinkific space in Coquitlam has about 5,000 square feet of flexible work space.

Create a sense of ownership. Your employees want to feel like they are the creators of your business, so encourage them to make changes to help you to achieve your business goals. At Le-Vel, the building we occupy is owned by the company and we have full control of the property. We can move walls, create standing areas and rooms, add more rooms and even change the color scheme if it is better suited to what we are doing.

Plan for the future. Be flexible, ready to adapt and prepare for change. The space you work in will likely be different when you are ready to retire or grow your business, and you will need a structure that can adapt to these changes. An office with adaptable walls and spacious spaces that can expand and contract, such as the Thinkific space in Coquitlam, means your staff will be prepared to cope with any major expansion.

Constantly innovate and evolve your business. Think about the challenges you will face in the future and be prepared to make improvements that will benefit your employees and customers. As you learn about your customers, you will need space to experiment and test your product and marketing strategies. 

At Le-Vel, we are constantly tweaking our marketing campaigns based on customer feedback. In our Campbell office, a tool used by the marketing team is a spreadsheet with all of the data we have about our customers, including details about what they buy, how much they spend, their age, gender, zip code and what other brands they have bought from in the past.