CREATING THE PERFECT HUDDLE ROOM
CREATING THE PERFECT HUDDLE ROOM (STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE)
Office spaces have changed substantially since the signature cubicles of the 1980s. Nowadays they are creative spaces that invite both productivity and individualism.
Amongst other office trends, huddle rooms have become immensely popular in the modern workplace. Many businesses are using huddle rooms to leverage productivity in small teams; in fact, more flexible workplaces are part of what millennials expect.
But how to create the perfect huddle room for your workplace? Let’s begin with some basics.
WHAT IS A HUDDLE ROOM?
A huddle room is a small area of an office where teammates get together to discuss issues and ideas. Its purpose is to quickly gather a team, so it must be a convenient and strategic room that is purposely built and designed for productivity.
Its name originates from American Football. During the game, teammates will get together for a ‘huddle’ to discuss their strategy and talk about their next moves.
What happens in huddle rooms is quite similar, although the huddle is typically a bit longer and there is (hopefully) a lot less shouting!
The ideal huddle room size is one that can comfortably accommodate 4-6 people, who are part of a team within a business. Its appearance is basically that of a conference room, but with some video technology. It’s a place where creativity, productivity and fun is embodied. A fun and inspiring huddle room design should be prioritized for all offices.
Wainhouse Research has done quite a lot of study into the usefulness of huddle rooms, and they estimate that 30-50 million huddle rooms are in existence across the world today.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HUDDLE ROOMS?
Huddle rooms are the new board rooms. They are creative spaces that allow employees to collaborate as a team. They improve productivity, as they are separate rooms with their own atmosphere, and are stimulating for employees.
They’re becoming more and more commonplace in offices all over the world; and will soon be the expectation. So make sure that you stay ahead of the trend – your employees will appreciate it! Huddle rooms are key to business collaboration !
Of course, if you don’t have the budget, it’s completely feasible to create your own DIY huddle room with partitions. The downsides of this are that it’s likely to not be soundproofed very well and the walls may not be able to accommodate anything being hung on them. Power sockets may also be limited. Plus, if it’s not done by a professional, there is always a risk of things collapsing – be sure to use high-quality materials if you go down this route!
Stick to what is best for your company and budget. You can always opt for DIY initially and something more professional down the line after you see the amazing benefits of huddle rooms.
WHERE TO CREATE THE HUDDLE SPACE
If you have an office with spare rooms, this is easy – in the room, of course!
If you don’t have a room on hand, you can choose exactly where you want your huddle room to be created. Obviously, some areas (like corners) are more favorable when it comes to the cost of materials or carpentry. You’ll want at least one solid wall to hang an interactive display on.
Of course, if you don’t have the budget, it’s completely feasible to create your own DIY huddle room with partitions. The downsides of this are that it’s likely to not be soundproofed very well and the walls may not be able to accommodate anything being hung on them. Power sockets may also be limited. Plus, if it’s not done by a professional, there is always a risk of things collapsing – be sure to use high-quality materials if you go down this route!
Stick to what is best for your company and budget. You can always opt for DIY initially and something more professional down the line after you see the amazing benefits of huddle rooms.
WHERE TO CREATE THE HUDDLE SPACE
If you have an office with spare rooms, this is easy – in the room, of course!
If you don’t have a room on hand, you can choose exactly where you want your huddle room to be created. Obviously, some areas (like corners) are more favorable when it comes to the cost of materials or carpentry. You’ll want at least one solid wall to hang an interactive display on.
You could have your huddle room follow a theme related to your brand – for example, if you are a fruit producer, your huddle space design could involve having a green ‘kiwi room’ or a yellow ‘banana room’. It’s important to have a classy blend of colors that don’t clash and aren’t too busy – and aren’t going to hurt anyone’s eyes as they work!
If you have the budget, you may want to get a professional interior designer and decorator to help with this phase. If not, head down to your nearest hardware store, get some paint samples and do an office poll!
HUDDLE ROOM DESIGN
Once your huddle room has been decorated efficiently, it’s time to do some designing. You could think about putting your brand logo or a motto on one of the walls to boost morale and encourage productivity.
As mentioned before, your huddle room design could involve naming each room and giving them a theme and then connecting all huddle rooms with this theme. Just think about whatever will inspire your colleagues !
Decorating and designing are both parts of making a creative workspace, which could include things like using sustainable materials, or just really thinking about the color and how that particular hue enhances people’s moods.
SOUNDPROOFING FOR THE HUDDLE ROOM
One of the biggest things to consider when creating a huddle room is soundproofing. If you’re buying a pod, it will have some degree of soundproofing – but if your huddle room is a DIY job then you’ll need to soundproof it yourself.
Soundproofing is pretty essential because you’ll want to keep external noises out, to keep concentration and productivity at a high, and make sure that whatever is being discussed in the huddle room stays in the huddle room.
TECHNOLOGY INSIDE THE HUDDLE ROOM
Generally, employees will bring in their own devices: like laptops, chargers and mobile phones. One of the best things to have in a huddle room is an interactive display that is connected to everyone’s devices.
Interactive displays work much better than other devices because they can directly connect to your employees’ devices – and to the internet and other apps – as well as offering a program where they can be used as a whiteboard.
You’ll want to double-check the WiFi connection, and invest in a separate router if necessary – great WiFi is essential for your huddle room. There should also be enough power sources for two or more devices for five to six people. Generally, one plug (for a computer) and one USB socket (for a phone) would suffice. If you have the budget, wireless charging could also be an option!
SOFTWARE FOR THE HUDDLE ROOM
The hardware you use in the huddle room should be twinned with great software. Many programs can be added directly onto your interactive display.
Some programs that you should think about making use of are:
A Trello board especially for the huddle room.
Using a good video conferencing software like Zoom will help connect with remote participants quickly and easily.
Whiteboard software is also an advantage, so people can physically write on the interactive displays – Microsoft Teams now features Microsoft Whiteboard which is a fantastic tool.
A good web browser, like Chrome, is obviously necessary.
CONCLUSION – HOW WILL YOU CREATE THE PERFECT HUDDLE ROOM?
Creating your first huddle room sounds like a bit of a daunting task, but it need not be. You’ll easily have a creative space in no time following these simple steps – and, as long as you’re prepared to DIY a bit, it is quite cost-effective as well. With this simple how-to list, you’ll be enjoying all of the benefits of huddle rooms in no time!
Source : Avocor.com