First impressions are important. This philosophy also applies to office space, in particular reception areas, the calling card of any company.

Visually interesting, comfortable and well-designed, creating an attractive and functional reception area is fundamental in creating opportunities to involve visitors and employees.

It is a theme that is often underestimated and that is, on the contrary, of great importance, as people observe, experiment and form either positive or negative opinions on the basis of their experience on entering a company.

This is due to the so-called “halo effect”, a term coined at the beginning of the 1920s by the American psychologist Edward Thorndike for which, due to a positive experience, people tend to focus on positive aspects, obscuring negative characteristics.

Its counterpart is known as the “horn effect”, a negative cognitive process for companies in which a person or a thing is immediately judged on the basis of even one single trait or characteristic.

It is therefore fundamental to design reception areas that are not only a reflection of the company identity, but that also help to foster a sense of belonging and that adapt to organisational, logistic, ergonomic and functional requirements.

The question is therefore: “how to design truly identifying reception areas?” “What are the fundamental characteristics should they have?”

Welcome and identity:

7 key characteristics of a reception area

The concept of reception does not refer exclusively to the front desk, but rather includes the various areas surrounding this element.

A truly functional reception should also include a control area and a welcome area, characterised by elements that reflect the company culture and that provide a welcoming lounge in which guests can wait.

Let’s examine a number of key characteristics in the planning of elegant and welcoming spaces capable of enhancing the identity of a company.

Company branding

The reception is one of the first areas of a company with which people come into contact.

It is fundamental that this area contains the company logo, accompanied by designer furnishings and identifying colours, in order to reinforce the brand image and create a common sense of belonging.

Privacy

Welcome also means guaranteeing the right balance between comfort and privacy.

This means that it is important to design spaces that foster privacy, using furnishing elements and technology to combine materials and highly innovative functions with aesthetic requirements and the company identity.

Lighting

A theme that is often underestimated in terms of the overall design of a working space, but that can have a significant impact in terms of both aesthetics and of people’s health.

A study carried out by Future Workspace in 2019 showed that 1 out of 3 workers interviewed considered lighting to be the second most important characteristic for well-being in the workplace after air quality.

Another study conducted by Cornell University has shown that common problems regarding the office, such as eye fatigue, headaches and blurred vision, are reduced by 84% with the introduction of controlled natural light into a workspace.

The suggestion is therefore to favour natural light, with clear benefits in terms of improved illumination and increased well-being.

Acoustic well-being

Well-being in the office also depends on acoustic well-being.

Companies should adopt flexible solutions with the use, for example, of materials with high sound-absorption properties, allowing acoustics to be immediately and simply corrected.

Tech-friendly

Technological aspects are not to be overlooked. The reception area should also have wireless recharging stations. This is an additional comfort for guests, who can connect to the internet while they wait.

Sustainability

Sustainability is an essential element in designing a reception area and is also expressed in the choice of materials that are sustainable and from certified sources.

This is a theme that has increasing motivational leverage on people.

According to the report “THE SUSTAINABILITY IMPERATIVE” published by Nielsen, 58% of people are more likely to choose a company that is active in the field of sustainability, and 68% to spend more for sustainable products.

Art & Design

Placing elements of art in a reception area lends the space a lively and lived-in atmosphere, with a positive influence on the people interacting with the area.

These seven characteristics promote the designing of flexible, smart and technologically advanced solutions.

It is a form of design that connects to a wider-ranging dimension of welcoming and inclusion, capable of rendering a reception area truly unique and different.