When it comes to a software company office design, there are a few things that you have to keep in mind. Your space needs to be functional, comfortable, and inspiring to help employees stay motivated and productive. Since almost all your teammates are developers, they will need to work together, but not be in chaos. Software is a collaborative platform and to develop that, your teammates need a calm place where they can do their best team work. While too much coziness can lead to laziness, it’s also important to keep the subtle balance between comfort and productivity.
As a designer, your main goal is to come up with a place that’s perfectly balanced between bright and cozy. A place that is not distracting, but welcoming.
Here are our tips for a workplace design for your software company.
Best software company designs
Let’s have a look at some of the best office designs of popular software companies.
- Google – Google is known for its vibrant and playful office designs. Their headquarters in Mountain View, California, features colorful furniture, indoor gardens, and even a slide. The company also has an office in Zurich, Switzerland, which includes a fireman’s pole and a meeting room designed to look like a ski gondola.
- Apple – Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, is a massive, circular building known as the “spaceship.” The building features a minimalist design with curved glass walls and a central courtyard. Inside, the office space includes open workspaces, collaborative areas, and a large cafeteria.
- Facebook – Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, is a sprawling campus that includes a variety of office spaces and amenities. The campus includes a rooftop garden, a fitness center, and a bike repair shop. The office spaces themselves feature open layouts with plenty of natural light and unique design elements, such as a giant “like” button.
- Dropbox – Dropbox’s headquarters in San Francisco, California, is designed to be both functional and playful. The office space includes a variety of workstations, from individual desks to communal tables. The space also includes a music room, a fully stocked kitchen, and a library.
- Microsoft – Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, is a massive campus that includes a variety of office spaces and amenities. The campus includes a soccer field, a cricket pitch, and a nine-hole golf course. The office spaces themselves feature open layouts with plenty of natural light, as well as unique design elements such as a treehouse meeting room.
- Airbnb – Airbnb’s headquarters in San Francisco, California, is designed to feel like a home away from home. The space includes cozy living room areas, a library, and even a treehouse conference room. The office space also includes a fully stocked kitchen and a game room with ping pong and foosball tables.
Things you should keep in mind while designing a software company workplace
A software company workplace is a collaborative place. Your workplace should look welcoming enough for all your teammates to come together and develop!
- Agile Environment:
Software development often follows an agile methodology, which emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative processes. The office design should reflect these principles by providing open and adaptable spaces. You can incorporate open-plan layouts, modular furniture, and flexible workstations that can be easily reconfigured to accommodate changing project teams and collaboration needs. - Collaboration Zones:
Collaboration is crucial for software development teams. Collaborative zones feature comfortable seating arrangements, whiteboards, and project displays. These spaces encourage spontaneous discussions, brainstorming sessions, and knowledge sharing among team members. - Balance Open Spaces with Privacy:
While open spaces encourage collaboration, it’s equally important to provide areas where employees can focus on individual work. You can incorporate quiet zones or private offices for developers who require concentration and minimal distractions. Additionally, spaces with soundproofing materials can help reduce noise levels and create a more productive environment. - Prioritize Natural Light and Biophilic Design:
Natural light has a significant impact on employee well-being and productivity. You can position work stations near windows and incorporate glass walls or partitions to allow light to flow. Biophilic design elements, such as indoor plants, living walls, and natural textures, can also enhance the office environment and create a connection to nature. - Promote Brand Identity and Culture:
The office design should reflect the company’s brand identity and culture. Incorporate company colors, logos, and graphics into the interior design elements, creating a cohesive and inspiring environment. Use wall displays or digital signage to showcase the company’s mission, values, and recent achievements, fostering a sense of pride and motivation among employees.
How we designed our workplace
Here’s our ideas that we used in redesigning Astha.IT’s new workplace!
Throughout the whole place, we have used bright colors in their pastel shades. Our color palette includes lemon green, soft yellow, and pastel orange. These three colors are welcoming, warm, and natural. Green gives the sense of calmness from nature, and it signifies growth. Yellow gives the sense of joy from sunshine, and it signifies positivity and confidence. Orange is the color of optimism and energy, and it pops up when combined with green. We wanted our teammates to be around with bright colors but in their most minimal shades, so that it can boost their energy but also makes them feel comfortable.
Our workplace mostly follows an open-space design. All of our teammates share the common space and have different desks but the walls that divide are kept very low, so that everyone can interact face to face and build connections. There are workstations near the balconies and windows.
Just right after you step into our office, you’ll see a large open balcony. Throughout the day, the balcony keeps the entrance bright and warm. The moment our teammates step outside the elevator, they’re welcomed with all the light and warmth to start their day with.
Game stations are a big part of our work life! It’s open for all, all the time. Anytime that anyone needs a break, they can go over to the game station to play for a while, or just to rest in a beanbag! We have board games, tabletops, and even video games.
Our conference room is themed in orange. It’s minimalistic, cozy, and big enough to let our thoughts and ideas run.
The wall art is an essential part of our office. The walls are decorated with witty and catchy quotes about coding and software. We also have separate walls decorated by artwork only. The quoted walls give away the joyful and humorous energy of our team.
The lighting at Astha IT is very minimal, warm toned, and natural. The lights do not overpower the natural sunlight, instead they compliment it.
adds a touch of fun and creativity to the workplace. It provides employees with an opportunity to take breaks, relax, and engage in team-building activities. The photo booth encourages social interaction among our teammates. Especially at every office party, the photo booth plays the most important part!
