Eye Care Office Design Ideas to Inspire You

08/12/20 | by Terrnekia Collier | Practice Management

When a patient takes their first steps into your office, what do you want their initial impression of your practice to be? Your eye care office design can determine what someone thinks of your business and ultimately if they want to spend any time there that could lead to a purchase.

As they are waiting to be tended to, you should want them to think “Wow, this office looks amazing” instead of “It’s so stuffy, I can’t wait to get out of here.” Your design should speak for itself, while also giving patients a little insight into who you are and what you like.

A well-designed office space can influence a positive experience for patients that are there to either purchase eyeglasses or for an appointment. You want your patients to feel welcomed, comfortable, and satisfied in your office space when they come for a visit. Satisfied patients become loyal patients.

If you want to liven up your eye care office and attract more patients, follow our tips to help you create a space that your patients will love.

Interior Design Styles to Choose From

Before you begin purchasing items to make your eye care office more welcoming, you must decide what aesthetic you are going for. Do you want a design that says “fresh and new” or one that says “this feels like home”?

Some options that you have to choose from include:

Sleek, open, and modern – clean and simple elements including a simple color palette
Industrial – design mimicking a warehouse with exposed metal and wood, typically with high ceilings
Traditional – a mix of classic details and furnishing
Rustic – a design that emulates the natural and warm elements of the outside world

3 Tips to Help Your Eye Care Office Design

Once you’ve chosen the particular style you would like to go with, you can begin adding different elements to make it your own. Here are 3 tips to help you redesign your eye care office.

1. The Colors of Your Office

Did you know that colors can have an effect on your mood? Whatever color palette you choose for your office can determine how your patients feel when they come in for an appointment. As a professional in the healthcare industry, you want your office to have a professional look and feel, but that does not mean that it has to be bland.

That sterile feeling you experience at hospitals is not something that you want to emulate in your office space. Add a splash of color to brighten up your office and make it feel warm and open versus cold and unwelcoming.

Some colors can evoke an emotional response in us that makes us feel good and put us in a better mood. Try to implement those colors into your new design.

Red: an intense or exciting color that increases the energy in the room
Orange: enthusiastic and energetic
Yellow: represents enjoyment and happiness
Blue: relaxing, serene, and encourages feelings of calmness
Green: refreshing, peaceful, and believed to reduce anxiety

These color options can change the energy in the room for your patients and should align with the theme you are attempting to create. Red, orange, and yellow are warm colors that can be used to boost the mood in your office, while blue and green are cool colors that can help to soothe patients.

You can also incorporate your brand colors into your new office look. If you choose to go this route, stay consistent. Add your brand colors into different areas of the office that tie the whole theme together.

Bonus Tip: Great natural light is always a plus because it makes the colors present in your office pop even more. Natural light in an eye care office is also important because patients will know exactly how they will appear in their glasses once they leave!

Whether you decide to go with cool or warm tones, it can be added to the walls, artwork you have up, or any other accent pieces.

2. Improve Your Furniture and Layout

The layout of your office is an essential part of your design. Your space should naturally flow and avoid any type of clutter and dysfunction.

The reception desk should be the focal point of your practice and easily accessible so patients know exactly where to go to sign in. Always keep the desk organized and clean so patients feel welcomed.

After the reception desk, you should focus on the waiting room. Rearrange the seats and tables you have around your office to see what looks and works best for what you want to accomplish.

Evenly space out the furniture in your space so that patients won’t feel like they are right on top of each other. The furniture you select should reflect your practice’s brand as far as color, style, upholstery, and even comfortability. The look should be cohesive and each piece of furniture should complement each other.

Learn More: Branding Tips for Optometrists

3. Refreshments and Entertainment

When you give patients something to keep themselves preoccupied while they wait to be called for their appointment, it can make the wait time seem shorter. Whether it’s with simple refreshments or tangible materials, capture their attention with something so they feel less anxious.

You can keep patients entertained in the waiting room by providing:

Updated reading materials (magazines, newspapers, books)
TVs that are on relevant channels
Free WiFi
Charging stations
Toys, games, coloring books, or reading materials for children in a play area
Water, coffee, tea, soft drinks
Individually packaged snacks (pretzels, granola bars, fruits snacks, etc.)

Create a separate area specifically for your refreshments by arranging them on a table where patients can see them. You can refer to this as your snack station. be sure that this area is as clean, stocked, and organized as the rest of your office.

Besides, refreshments and entertainment, if you have products, such as eyeglasses, on display this can also help to keep guests occupied as they consider what style frames they want before their actual appointment.

Creating an Inviting and Stylish Eye Care Office

Your office design, as well as your customer service, can be a determining factor for patients to return for another appointment. You want their customer journey to be the best it can possibly be and how well they respond is part of that.

A well-designed office should be open, organized, and inviting to all patients. Before you begin to make changes, put yourself in your patients’ shoes. Think of what type of environment you would like to be in and create that space for others.

Are you interested in different ways to get more patients to come into your office? Click here or give us a call at 800.792.8384 today.