Everything You Need to Know About Office Desks
An office needs various types of furniture including desks. These allow most of the work in the office to get done. Office desks come in various designs and shapes to fit your space and to serve a particular purpose. Desks offers surface where to rest upon after a hard day and allow getting work done and organizing the office. Below is a guide to the types of office desks according to their purpose and design.
Types of Office Desks According to Purpose
1. Reception desks
The reception area is the first point of contact for anyone coming to your office. So, it can make or break the first impression one gets about your brand. The ideal desk for the reception area should match the receptionist’s work requirements while welcoming all visitors. Equally important is for the table to leave enough space for the receptionist’s welcoming smile to get noticed by the visitors.
2. Hot desks
These are becoming prominent in static and cork workspaces. This is driven by the rise of a freelance and mobile workforce. The hot desk should be clear with a minimalist design to match the needs of millennials. Working on this desk requires someone to carry their own stationery. The ideal hot desk is multifunctional to support the various needs of the modern workforce.
3. Adjustable desks
It is evident that sitting all day is not good for the health of your employees. It is important to encourage walking away from the desk or to switch the working position. A wonderful idea is to consider adjustable desks when looking for office desks. This allows working while sitting or standing. Switching working positions gives more energy, lessens the risk of injury, and lowers chances of experiencing fatigue.
4. Executive desks
Another type of office desk is the executive desk. This is a status symbol and is designed to impress. The ideal executive desk is usually the largest in the office and made with exotic wood and other custom made materials.
Sitting behind an expensive and lavish executive table gives an upper hand during business negotiations. Look for a big and expansive desk to create metaphorical and physical distance from subordinates in the office.
5. Boardroom desks
A boardroom desk is for groups of people in the workplace. And, the boardroom and the desk can work for a top manager for a small organization. A boardroom is usually the venue for company meetings and for employees to talk to clients. The size of a boardroom desk is constrained by physical boundaries in your office. It is important to choose a desk with the right style and quality complementing your brand culture and ethos.
Types of Office Desks According to Design
1. L-shaped desks
This office desk has an L shape offering a long stretch of office space with a smaller section on the side where someone sits. L-shaped desks look spacious and allow placing a monitor on its long flat section or the L corner. With this, the desk gets a sense of division as the side section separates the desk from the rest of the space.
On the flip side, this desk eats up a sizeable chunk of space. The corner section takes up much space when you place a computer on. You need executive chairs for efficient use of the L-shaped desk.
2. U-shaped desks
Made up of the desk, credenza, and bridge, these units form a u-shade configuration wrapping around both directions. A u-shaped desk has a finished back for clients. Its credenza is at the back with a connecting bridge. This desk is ideal for a work area requiring intense multitasking and free movement.
The bridge of this desk is constructed on the left or right side although the unit is preconfigured. You determine the side for the workspace when sitting behind the u-shaped desk.
3. Corner desks
A corner desk fits snugly into a corner in your office. This allows working in this usually neglected space. Corner desks look great and fit in any space regardless of shape. People also use corner desks for home offices. This desk makes you surrounded by work to allow immersing yourself totally into handling your tasks without distractions.
On the downside, working on a corner desk makes you look at the wall most of the time. Additionally, corner desks are usually huge and might not fit in limited space.
The wrap-up
When setting up a new office or remodeling an old one or setting up a new home office, the choice of desks matters. You have to select desks that match the requirements in your office. The ideal office desks should fit your space without compromising your office culture and branding.
Office desks come in various designs according to purpose and function. Hope our guide has made you realize the type of desk you need in your office.
Salman Zafar is an ecopreneur, consultant, advisor, speaker and journalist with expertise in waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection, conservation and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. Salman is the Founder of EcoMENA, a popular voluntary organization based in Qatar. He is also the Founder and CEO of BioEnergy Consult, a reputed consulting firm active in biomass, waste-to-energy and waste management segments.
Salman is a professional environmental writer with more than 350 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass environmental awareness in different parts of the world.
Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org or salman@bioenergyconsult.com
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