Your business is different in so many ways than the one next door, across town, or even in the next state. Your business reception area may be 200 square feet, while another is 2,000. Your reception area shape may be square and another rectangular, while still another is triangular with a radius back wall and bi-level on the opposite end. One business may have a need for a single user application, and another three, four or more. Your business may need customer face to face communication, and yet another total privacy. If that’s not enough, you still need to consider: job function, wheelchair access, user chair space, and user tools, just to start.
For these reasons and much more, finding the perfect size reception desk ready-made (for the person that really cares about their business details) is next to impossible.
Let’s assume for the moment you care about your business details, then, there are many things you need to evaluate to make sure you select the right size for your business because if you get it wrong, your business will pay in one way or another. Here’s an example of what I mean…
The other day a client told me (to paraphrase) he has a rather large reception area. Then when he told me the size of his reception desk and how his space was laid out, I told him, “You must have people intruding on your workspace all the time.” He agreed, said it was a real problem and wanted to know how I knew. Then he shared how distracting it was, and further shared “how much time his people were losing due to distraction.”
This brings me to my first point…
Barriers
One of the primary functions of the right size reception desk is to protect your workspace, worker’s time from distraction and trade secrets. The loss in either area can add up to a bundle.
Your reception desk should be of a size to guard access points to all of the above. Your desk (for most people) acts as a psychological barrier that says (aesthetically) “DO NOT ENTER.”
User profile
Some businesses, due to the amount of traffic they have, need to have multiple users. Providing user space that is too small, will force workers to work within another worker’s private space. That type work environment causes discomfort, possible irritable workers and ultimately, unhappy customers.
When working with clients, I generally suggest that they allow 42” of workspace or more to create a comfortable user environment. This allows people to work shoulder to shoulder without feeling crowded. This will make a happier worker and ultimately a happier customer.
Space considerations
You can’t give what you don’t have. If you have a small space, you can’t make it bigger. So selecting a reception desk too big for space, will visually overpower the space, crowd customers, and disallow other important accouterments needed for an effective reception area.
Balance is the key to creating successful sized reception desk. The reception area should allow visitor and user comfort while having the space needed to promote your business. Allowing 36” aisle spaces for visitors to traverse is a good rule to employ.
Most people shopping for reception furniture will focus on one or two things they feel are important to making the right choice. The problem is you don’t know what you don’t know. For that reason my company has put a team of experts, time in evaluation, interviews with workers and business owners, studied design schemes, and to help you answer the questions you don’t know to ask.
90 Degree Office Concepts have developed 21 key factors each reception area designer should employ just in the area of size alone to build an effective reception area. We have found each factor that is ignored will cost your business in different ways.
If you care about your business, you will LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE! You will want to make sure you have covered all your bases. At 90 Degree, we are experts at “building concepts for your brand”.
Want to know how you can create an effective design for your workplace?
