Don't forget the communal areas when designing your new office space

You've probably got a "first space" (the desk) and a "second space" (the meeting room) sorted already. It's the third space that tends to get forgotten.

Third spaces are the informal bits in between, breakout areas, soft seating, a corner with a sofa and a coffee table rather than a boardroom table. They're not a nice-to-have. They're where a lot of the actual thinking, quick catch-ups and better ideas happen, away from the formality of a desk or a scheduled meeting.

Getting one right isn't complicated. It just needs furniture that's genuinely comfortable, a layout that doesn't feel like an afterthought, and a spot that people will actually want to use rather than walk past.

If your office has an underused corner that could be doing more for you, it's worth a conversation.