The present era has heralded larger flexibility in working style and a more severe metric on results. This is an offshoot of empathy that every individual should have absolute freedom to work to give out the best output. The present hybrid office is a physical manifestation of the same belief. A hybrid office is the one where the employees work partially in the office, and partially at home. This way they can work at their own timing and convenience and still produce a coordinated end result.

Cities like Bangalore and Bombay, ailing with high traffic and concentrated populations find this a tremendous relief both in travelling and resources

  • Design Layout based on the roles-

IT is important to remember what the office is going to be used for and by whom while designing the layout. True that the office space might be used by more than one person. It becomes all the more important to make sure that the office desks allotted are shared by the people whose roles and functions are similar or as close to one another as possible.

  • Furnish with ergonomic furniture-

The furniture chosen should be comfortable and help the posture of the body. It is necessary to choose something which is not very customised to one person as remember the furniture is going to have more than one user. Interior designers in Bangalore, who have specialised in turning a normal office into a hybrid can also provide furniture which works perfectly for the hybrid offices.

  • Get cabinets with lock and key:

Since more than one person will be using the same office desk or cubicle, storage plays an important role. It is equally necessary to have secure storage which does not take up much of the space. Floating cabinets with three to five-cabin, each with an individual lock and the key will help the user to put away his or her belongings when he is not working.

  • Get electronics with multiple user facilities:

Separate passwords for different users on desktops and other such gadgets like scanners, help everyone to have ownership. This can also cut costs by more users accessing the gadgets yet maintaining only authorised access.

  • Flexible office cubicles

Cubicles are a perfect solution to have a private cabin and yet remain connected. The space too is utilised optimally however it is necessary to understand that not every cubicle will suit everyone. It is advisable to get cubicles with flexible and transparent separators.

  • UV disinfectant or other cleaning methods

The onset of the pandemic has sensitised everyone to hygiene and social distancing. It is important to procure furniture which is easy to disinfect. Equally important is to have some kind of regular disinfecting system eg UV lights etc

  • A separate set of Stationery

It might sound petty, but stationaries not only help users, oftentimes than not but is also something they get used to. Most of the office users are possessive about the stationaries. It helps to get a set of their own which they can stow away in their cabinet. Best interior decorators in bangalore will agree that it is the small and seemingly innocuous things that go a long way in making your life comfortable.

  • App or common messaging platform

An informal app or platform which enables office users to communicate among themselves helps a lot in avoiding miscommunication. Eg a WhatsApp group can help if people are changing the days of their office usage, or conference room booking etc can help others to align themselves to it instead of either wasting time or worse getting frustrated.

  • Way finders or common indicators

It helps to have some common way finders in the hybrid office as the users may all not come at one time. So indicators on the switches or conference halls etc could help save a lot of time for the users. Especially if the users normally work in shifts and don’t get to interact much.

  • Design for a pinboard or creative corner.

It always helps to create an informal and friendly environment in the office. With hybrid usage, the chances of all employees meeting at the same time becomes rarer. A simple Pinboard or a Creative corner can help the employees to leave wishes or messages. This kind of note or message helps keep the relations warm and gives a feeling of belonging.