Offices are complex environments that call for varying degrees of privacy. Here’s how to use window graphics to create the atmosphere your organization and your team need to succeed.
Office Space and Privacy
An office is a place where many things occur, often at the same time.
For example, think of an office on any given day. Chances are that you will see clients waiting in the reception area while an executive meeting takes place and other employees go about their business in their offices.
Let’s take a look at the different privacy requirements of these activities:
- For the reception area, many companies favor an airy atmosphere that conveys a sense of confidence and transparency. You want to allow clients to see how hard your team works while giving employees the privacy they need to work comfortably.
- When it comes to meeting rooms, you usually want a little more privacy so that people outside can get a sense of what’s going on inside without necessarily being privy to every single detail.
- Finally, offices tend to require a higher degree of privacy. Sensitive one-on-one conversations may take place here, so you want to make sure that the person using the office can regulate privacy levels as needed.
Why Privacy Matters
Over the last two decades, offices have become more open and less rigidly structured. The principle behind the shift is to increase personal interactions by removing barriers that may stifle collaboration.
With this trend in mind, it might be easy to conclude that less privacy is better for an organization. Actually, research shows that the opposite is true.
Studies have demonstrated that in open workspaces, employees tend to isolate themselves using devices such as headphones or simply by giving the impression of being busier than they are.
As a result, face-to-face interactions tend to decrease by as much as 70% in open, unbounded office spaces. The reason? As the study puts it, the results are “Consistent with the fundamental human desire for privacy.”
This means that companies must find the right balance between openness and privacy. In the next sections, we’ll see why window graphics are the ideal solution to achieve this goal.
How to Create Privacy in an Office Using Window Graphics
As you can see, an office is a space where different types of conversations are happening all the time. For example, meetings between employees may happen while your sales team meets with potential customers.
These scenarios call for different levels of privacy. How to adapt an office so that all conversations take place in the appropriate setting? Window graphics are the smartest solution.
Window graphics allow you to calibrate privacy to very precise levels. There’s a solution for every situation:
- Window graphics are printed on translucent vinyl, making it easy for you to decide how much light you want to block. If you want a lot of privacy, print on most of the surface of the graphic. On the other hand, if you want to let a lot of light in, print only on small portions of the vinyl.
- If you want your window graphic to be on the outside, choose a first-surface window graphic. Here, the adhesive is on the back of the graphic. If what you need is a window graphic that adheres on the inside of a window, no problem: just go for a second-surface graphic, where the sticky side is on the front.
- Your graphics can appear in reverse from one side(single-sided) or they can be visible from both the outside and the inside (double-sided).
Advantages of Using Office Window Graphics
Compared to other alternatives such as mobile screens or whiteboards, window graphics offer many compelling benefits:
- Customizable. Unlike mobile screens, window graphics allow you to manage very precisely the amount of light you want to block out. Additionally, thanks to digital printing, any design you have in mind can come to life.
- Protect privacy and impress. Creating privacy can be tricky because it’s difficult to do it while preserving the aesthetics of your office. While desk dividers and workstations are commonly used, they are often perceived as outdated or clumsy solutions. Window graphics allow you to preserve privacy while creating a modern, airy look for your office.
- Cost-effective. Another advantage of digital printing is that window graphics are very affordable and don’t require costly modifications to the existing structure of your office.
- Convenient. Window graphics are notoriously easy to install and remove. Plus, they need only common-sense maintenance. Just dust them regularly, spray them with a mild glass cleaner, and wipe them with a soft cloth to keep them looking like new.
CR&A Custom: High-Quality Window Graphics
Looking for window graphics for your office? At CR&A Custom we have the drive and technical capabilities to bring even your boldest ideas to life, from window graphics to building wraps, and beyond.
Contact us today by email (info@cracustom.com), telephone (213-749-4440), social media (Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn), or through the live chat on our home page for a free estimate or to learn more about our full range of large format printing solutions.