Culture, Safety & Your Windows: 5 Ideas For Returning to the Office

Returning to the office is a significant step in our emergence from the worst of the global health crisis. Many businesses are grappling with how to handle this transition. Even though “going to work” has likely been easy for your workforce in past years, much has changed and new habits have formed since the start of the pandemic. Here are five ideas for utilizing your windows and other glass surfaces in the office to promote a smooth transition.

1. Enhance Privacy in the Office

The switch from a private home office back into a public workspace is bound to create some degree of culture shock. You can make the transition gentler by bringing some of the privacy workers have become so accustomed to into the office. For example with frosted window graphics or films on glass conference room walls or other glass partitions.

VisionControlFilm® is an innovative privacy window film that gradually shifts from transparent to translucent with your viewing angle, all the way from completely frosted to completely clear. This is a simple and unobtrusive way to enhance workplace privacy without eliminating desirable viewing angles or natural light. 

Try positioning the film on exterior facing windows so that the polarity allows sunlight to pass through from high angles, but frosts the window from eye level or below. The opposite is also possible if you’d like to reduce glare from the sun for a softer ambiance while allowing a clear view of the street.

2. Welcome Back Your Brand

Returning to the office is a time for celebration. Your company is coming out on the other side of this thing intact. Recognize the accomplishment by helping your brand identity to shine on glass surfaces with window film designs such as:

• Large translucent brand logos across glass conference room walls.
• Subtle frosted cutouts of your company name across glass walkway partitions.
• Product or division names and imagery in frosted lettering, cutout silhouettes, or even colorful printed window graphics.
• Company mottos or welcome back messaging in permanent or removable window film.
• Eye-catching optical illusions on glass office walls such as brand logos that seem to appear and disappear as you walk by (with vision control film).

3. Add Character & Ambience

Many companies have added additional glass partition walls over the top of low cubicles or in other public spaces as a part of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These surfaces and other glass barriers or windows are a blank canvas and an excellent opportunity to decorate and liven up the office space. Use colorful printed decorative films, die-cut frosted window graphics and films, textured film patterns, and other bold or subtle options to add character and ambiance to the office in the style that fits your brand identity — fun, sleek, creative, reassuring, etc.

4. Encourage Safety Practices

It’s possible that your company is returning to the office, but not necessarily to “normal.” You may be continuing to rely on certain safety processes to reinforce your commitment to your employees’ health and wellbeing, and window surfaces are an excellent place to incorporate safety process messaging and encouragement. Consider simple window film lettering for reminders or iconography that will inspire confidence in your office safety and promote participation in safe work practices.

If these ideas inspire you, or if you’re curious about the other options and possibilities for dynamic window privacy films, get in touch with us and we can answer any burning questions you may have.