We see it all the time: people hunched over their laptops at the airport, working during every free minute they have, any time and any place. Or maybe you yourself have had to duck into a restaurant with Internet access solely to reply to your boss or update your team. These temporary spaces that become your makeshift office for brief periods of time are called touchdown spaces, and it is one office trend that is gaining popularity rapidly.

Touchdown spaces, at the very least, require a table, chair, and Internet access. These spaces are literally everywhere--even inside the office itself.  Many companies today are beginning to incorporate these sporadic, designated spaces for short intervals of work into their office layouts. Moreover, it further decreases the prevalence of private offices in favor of shared, collaborative space.

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© AIS - Oxygen Benching


So if you're in the process of designing a new office, touchdown spaces are something to consider utilizing. Here are some ideas on how to set up touchdown spaces, and why they might be beneficial to your business.

Why Are Touchdown Spaces Important?

Touchdown spaces are multi-purpose areas, intended for serving a variety of purposes. These functions include:

• Overflow workspace to escape noise and prevent overcrowding
• Doubling as waiting areas for guests
• Private areas for employees to make personal calls or emails
• Eliminating the need for private offices
• Serving as extra meeting room space

Designing Touchdown Spaces

You can get as creative as you'd like with these small, convenient workstations, but don't forget to include the essentials. The most important accessories a good touchdown space needs include:

• Reliable wi-fi or Internet connection
• A table or surface of some sort for laptops, tablets, and other work materials
• A good, comfortable chair or set of chairs
• Access to power outlets

In addition, a good touchdown space will accommodate sitting as well as standing to complete work. These are the basics that a touchdown space design should include. But there are a lot of ideas to draw inspiration from, and you always have to take into consideration what you have available to work with. The following are some other choices to make according to preference, available space, budget, and feasibility:

Soundproofing

Setting up a small soundproof touchdown space for 2-3 individuals is the perfect setup for confidential meetings and calls. A table with 4 chairs and a conference call phone in a soundproof booth will nicely accommodate this type of meeting since private discussions like this are usually among a very small group of people.

Utilizing Unused Space

Today, most people prefer to work from the privacy of their own desk, which they can set up however they wish to feel most comfortable. Thus, spacious, unused conference rooms or meeting rooms can be used to make private workstation cubicles for temporary employees or overflow.

Unwind Time

Sometimes the workplace can get chaotic, especially for employees working in an open office environment. Touchdown spaces in a facility like this are pretty much a necessity for employees to take a quiet break every once in a while.

It's important for employees to decompress periodically throughout the day. Not doing so increases burnout in the workplace, but there has to be space set aside for these specific purposes, and that is up to the business owner.

If you want to increase productivity in the office, appropriate touchdown spaces will be a great addition to your new office. Get creative with them; make these spaces an inspiration, something that reflects the values of your business to serve as the backdrop for impromptu meetings, breaks, or anything else that it is used for.

Need help designing a touchdown space in your office? Drop us a line! We'd love to help.

[author] [author_image timthumb='off']http://creativeofficefurniture.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/jm-blogimg.png[/author_image] [author_info]

About Jasmin

Jasmin handles Internet sales and digital marketing here at Creative Office Furniture. She's been a valuable member of the Creative team since March 2014.[/author_info] [/author]