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Tradestars Business Tips
Find office design tips, from working out your requirements and picking the right workspace to choosing the best office layout for your team's needs.
What's Inside:
Whether you’re starting fresh or revamping your existing workspace, good office design and layout can completely transform how your team works. From improving productivity to boosting morale, the right setup supports your people and your business. In this guide, we’ll walk through the basics of office and workspace design, layout strategies, and tips to create a flexible, functional office that works for you.
Looking for workspaces for rent that you can shape to your needs?
Explore Tradestars spaces →
A well-designed office is about more than just furniture placement. It’s about creating a space that’s comfortable, productive, and tailored to how your team works. Core factors include:
Space allocation – Positioning desks, meeting areas, and breakouts to support flow
Sensory elements – Lighting, heating, soundproofing, music or noise control
Privacy – Balance between shared and private areas
Durability – Choosing furniture and materials built to last
Ease of maintenance – Keeping the space functional and tidy
Ergonomics – Aligning layout with how your team works, moves, and interacts
There’s no one-size-fits-all layout—but a good office layout maximises your space, matches your team’s needs, and leaves no area wasted.
A great layout includes:
Clear work zones and purpose-driven spaces
Intuitive flow between areas like desks, meetings, and common areas
Smart use of natural light and movement space
Space for focus, collaboration, and downtime
Think about your day-to-day needs:
Desks and meeting rooms?
Breakout areas?
Storage?
How many team members at once?
Will you host events or need flexibility?
Your layout starts with choosing the right space.
Look for:
Flexible layouts
Ideal size for your team
Good location and budget fit
Tradestars offers adaptable units you can shape your way.
Use the space intentionally:
Meeting areas near natural light
Desks positioned away from window glare
Storage tucked out of the main path
Small changes can have a big impact.
Once your basic layout is mapped out, get feedback.
Your team may flag blind spots (like not enough quiet corners or plug sockets).
Want more private space? Tradestars also includes shared meeting rooms and phone booths across locations.
Look for:
Modular, moveable furniture
Stackable storage and rolling desks
Items that can be reconfigured for different uses
Hosting a team session? Rearrange desks to face inward. Launching a product? Convert the space into a prep zone.
Bring in not just the essentials, but the character.
Plants, posters, artwork, colours—these small things make the space feel good to work in.
Each business has different needs. Here are the main layout types to consider:
Individual work focus
High partitions or enclosed desks
Quiet and private, ideal for heads-down roles
Less suited for collaboration or fast-moving teams
Shared spaces, minimal partitions
Encourages collaboration and co-working
Includes casual zones and hot-desks
Can be noisy or distracting for focus-heavy roles
Space is divided by activity: focus zones, collaboration, lounges
Often includes built-in separation (soundproofing, room dividers)
Good for mature teams who need defined areas
Less flexible for businesses with fast-changing needs
Looking to design your next office? Tradestars offers flexible, customisable office studios across London. Whether you need a private studio, collaborative zone, or scalable workspace, we can help.
