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What Defines Scandinavian Design in the Workplace?

At once timeless and full of history, Scandinavian design is much more than what you see in trendy marketing campaigns or even what you can find on the shelf of your local big-box DIY furniture store. At its core, what defines Scandinavian design is the creation of a space where you want to be. Originally that space was home—a place to retreat and recharge after a day of work.

Why confine spaces that you want to be to just your home? The goal of ZGO Solutions is to extend the same feelings created by Scandinavian design to what often becomes our home away from home: the workplace. First, understanding Scandinavian design will help you to see where we’ve worked thoughtful and imaginative touches rooted into the Scandinavian values throughout our workspace solutions.

The Roots of Scandinavian Design

The simplicity of Scandinavian design stands in stark contrast with the popular ornamental and bold styles of Art Nouveau and Art Deco that preceded it. The clean lines and minimalist look of the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) became more globally prominent in the 1950s in conjunction with the Modernism movement as the world rebuilt from WWII. Scandinavian design prizes simplicity, functionality, and beauty—all elements desired in post-war society that continue to be sought after today.

What Defines Scandinavian Design?

Simplicity

Scandinavian design is purposefully simplistic: clean lines, minimal decor and neutral colors. Bright whites are combined with grays, earthy tans, and small amounts of black. Even pops of color lean toward the neutral palette, favoring blush and muted blues. Spaces designed with Scandinavian values feature a select few pieces of furniture in order to not overcrowd the room. The lack of clutter evokes a sense of calm, making the space feel safe.

Functionality

Everything has purpose in Scandinavian design and is intended to integrate seamlessly into your life. Down to the decorations, traditional Scandinavian designs abstain from knick-knacks, opting instead for objects with sentimental value (typically evoking feelings of happiness and relaxation). Comfortable textures are important for the purpose of increasing the welcoming atmosphere.

Beauty

Scandinavian design leans into inspiration from the natural elements: light wood is prominent in flooring and furniture design. If materials other than wood are used, they will likely be other elements such as stone or metal. Natural light and a bright and airy atmosphere are also highly valued—so much so that Scandinavian homes are often purposefully constructed to gather as much natural light as possible. In this way, the Scandinavian designs are made to flow with their environment, often with the focus on caring for their environment as well.

What Defines Scandinavian Design in the Workplace?

We’re proud that our Danish roots connect us to the birthplace of Scandinavian design. ZGO Solutions’ collections of workspace products are created with simplicity, functionality, and beauty at the forefront. By bringing Scandinavian design into the workplace, our hope is to create environments where employees want to be, not just have to be.

Simplifying the workspace can increase overall mental health as a lack of clutter creates a sense of calm, making work feel more purposeful and less frantic. Our Zen collection combines the Scandinavian design values with traditional Chinese elements of peace and harmony.

Simplicity in the Workplace

Our desk and table options employ crisp, clean lines that are visually appealing, but not overwhelming. Strategic cable management systems take cables out of sight and out of mind, meaning you can spend more time thinking about what actually matters. We take simplicity beyond what you can see: installation becomes a snap with our Smart Top Frame systems.

Functionality in the Workplace

Every aspect of our products is purposeful. If it’s included in our design, there is a reason for it, which minimizes excess. We utilize every inch of the product toward the purpose of integrating it seamlessly into your daily flow. Custom-height adjustable desks mean that your desk can rise to the occasion with you.

Beauty in the Workplace

Borrowing from the Scandinavian design’s affinity toward a neutral color palette with pops of color, our customizable smart desk systems have the bright and airy look, utilizing bright whites with accents of gray. We’re attentive down to the smallest of details, giving you the option for pops of color for aspects such as privacy screens and trim. Leaning into Scandinavian design’s natural focus, ZGO Solutions values environmental sustainability through every step of our design, even making it an integral part of our mission and values.

Rework Your Workplace With ZGO Solutions

The physical workplace plays a role in overall happiness, employee productivity, and job satisfaction. If your current workplace is contributing to, not relieving, employee headaches, ZGO Solutions offers custom options for you to create a better, healthier, and more inspiring workplace for your team.

If you’re ready to implement Scandinavian values into your workplace, or just have more questions about workspace solutions, let us know!

References

Raziq, A., & Maulabakhsh, R. (2015). Impact of Working Environment on Job Satisfaction. Procedia Economics and Finance, 23, 717–725. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(15)00524-9

 

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.

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