Updated: Oct 30, 2023
Whilst for some, working from home may not be quite to their liking, for others working from home offers a number of benefits such as an improved work-life balance, to saving cash on the daily commute and other associated workplace costs.
Experts at instantprint asked AI art tool, Midjourney to visualise the nation’s dream office space based on the survey choices of 2,000 UK workers.
The survey revealed that:
Topping the list of dream office design features for the nation’s workforce were sofas or a comfortable seating area (35%).
Additionally, better food and drink facilities could be the way to get people back into the office, according to the findings.
Dog-friendly offices trump child-friendly options when it comes to UK employees dream office space.
Almost all UK workers (98%) said they’d not want to work in an office with a lack of windows or natural light.
Industrial (3%) and ‘dark academic’ interior styles (3%) were also unpopular.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many people have chosen not to return to the office, but could a more appealing workspace tempt people back in?
Well, according to a recent study , more than half of UK workers (55%) said they’d be more inclined to head into the office if the design and workplace facilities were more to their taste.
Just fifteen percent said that the décor and general facilities on offer would not be enough to entice them to go into the office more, whilst a third would still prefer a flexible or hybrid approach to working life.
After polling 2,000 UK based hybrid workers, online printing specialists, instantprint have discovered the facilities and design aspects that are the most desired in a workplace, as well as those that Brits would be happy to do without.
Taking their findings, instantprint then used AI image tool, Midjourney, to visualise how the nation’s dream office space would look aesthetically.
In contrast, instantprint also asked the AI tool to create visuals of how the UK’s least favourite office space might look.
Topping the list of design features for the nation’s workforce were:
Sofa or comfy seating area (35%)
Plants (27%)
Dog friendly elements (21%)
An indoor pond or water feature (19%)
Quiet reading area (18%)
Beer or Prosecco taps (18%)
Lots of artwork on the walls (17%)
Comfy area for napping (16%)
Access to rooftop - seats & tables (16%)
Floor to ceiling windows (16%)
The least favoured design aspects for the nation's workforce were:
No windows - artificial light (2%)
Metallic / industrial decor (3%)
Dark / moody decor (3%)
Mini basketball courts (5%)
Ball pool (6%)
Ring lights (6%)
Brightly coloured decor (6%)
Hammocks (7%)
Artificial grass (7%)
Faux-flower walls (7%)
When it came to workplace facilities, more than a third (34%) voted free fruit as this their most desired choice at work.
In fact, seven of the top ten most desirable facilities in a working office related to food and drink, with coffee machines (33%), free biscuits or snacks (31%), a fridge (31%), a kettle (29%), a water cooler (28%), and a microwave (26%) all high on the list of dream workplace facilities.
Facilities related to exercise were much lower on the list of desirables though, with exercise bike desks (17%), under desk treadmills (15%) and an onsite gym (13%) all securing less than a fifth of the votes, respectively.
With more than 10.2 million dog owners (34% of UK households own a dog) in the UK in 2022, according to research, it goes without saying that Brits are a nation of dog lovers.
Perhaps it’s also no surprise then that one in five (21%) said a dog friendly office was high on their list of priorities.
In comparison, the opportunity to have onsite child-minding services was not found to be an appealing benefit of working in an office, according to 95% of those surveyed.
This was the case for more than double the number of women (7%) than it was for men (3%) and was found to be most important for those aged between 25 – 34 (14%).
Despite an ever-growing focus on being kinder to the environment, a paperless office (i.e., an office with no printer) was not deemed a desirable office feature with 96% of Brits not selecting this as a top feature. That said, recycling features were important for one in six (15%) employees.
Laura Mucklow, Head of instantprint, commented on the findings adding that "We found it fascinating to see the difference in opinions when it comes to the nation’s dream workplace. Equally, it’s really interesting to learn that décor and facilities can be such a big draw for so many UK employees in heading back to the office – especially when it comes to food and drink!"
“With an abundance of natural light, plenty of plants, woody aesthetics, and not forgetting the addition of a cute dog, the AI visuals of the nation’s dream office space is certainly somewhere we’d be happy to work from."
“That said, whilst the aesthetic of the least favourite office set up is much moodier with less natural features, we think the office space still has a certain appeal.”
