We all know how important education is in shaping our future. Education affects our future and has a measurable impact on where we end up in life and so does the furniture in a classroom.

Furniture and classroom design play a crucial role in achieving a high-quality education and achieving student engagement and motivation. The first thing that we notice while walking into a classroom is how it looks and how it is set up for the children. Although it may not seem very important, the design of a classroom can affect student behaviour and work ethic.

Why Furniture Design Is So Important for Classrooms?

It is of utmost importance that classroom furniture fits the children well, allows movement and invariably encourages a good posture. Free movement is an important part in seating. These factors have a major impact on students learning and can help improve their performance, if done right. 

Despite the advancement in technology and school curriculums, we can still find many classrooms, where students sit on conventional wooden desks and benches that are not suitable for their height or body structure. Although the children may be of the same age group, their physical growth varies from one another. Therefore, one common desk or bench may not fit all. 

Such classroom furniture can give rise to back and neck pain, which in turn can distract a student from concentrating in the class. Therefore, classroom furniture must support a healthy posture, since young bodies develop rapidly.

How Does Furniture Arrangement Affect Student Behaviour?  

Furniture arrangement in the classroom directly affects student behaviour. According to studies, there is a direct correlation between the two.

The most effective arrangement is clusters of two to three tables, with a teacher’s desk in the corner, and distinct separations of different areas in the classroom. It gives the students a chance to interact with one another, while still being able to stay on task and pay attention to the teacher. The teacher’s desk in the corner is effective, as it allows the teacher to move around, which is a great deal and helps make sure that all his/her attention is on the students.

The seating and tables should be comfortable, and the height should be ideal and adjustable. Also, the students should be encouraged to move around on a regular basis. Uncomfortable furniture can go beyond a child’s muscular development. Teachers must check in a routine manner, how the furniture is impacting focus, time management, collaboration and engagement in the class, among the students.

School furniture is a crucial factor that is too often neglected considering the fact that it plays an important role in the effectiveness of a student’s learning. Schools need to think beyond a classic classroom design and encourage collaborative learning by creating ideal learning space with the modern school furniture.

We are in the 21st century and the importance of school furniture is undeniable. The classrooms have evolved from a static physical space into a dynamic learning environment. It plays a significant role in effective learning, but many people have this question, “How does furniture affect learning”.

Well, with the changing teaching methods, the teacher’s tools, including the classroom furniture have also evolved over a period of time. The right kind of school furniture contributes a lot to the comfort, posture and support of students and all of this, contributes positively towards students’ ability to work effectively and concentrate better.

For schools and colleges, this opens up opportunities to improve student engagement by focusing on school furniture. Tilt tables, high furniture, sit-stand furniture and so much more are recognised as complimentary learning equipment.

School furniture can influence many factors like

• Flexibility
• Mobility
• Adaptability to multiple situations

According to UNESCO, classroom furniture is the key to high performing students from a young age. And the good part is that utilising the right kind of furniture can bring in many advantages.

• Increased student collaboration
• Better focus
• Improved Involvement
• Higher Engagement
• Positive Feedback
• Stimulation

Here are 3 important things that you need to consider before buying school furniture.

While there is a need for advanced desks, there is a requirement for highly mobile furniture. For a collaborative learning classroom, mobility is a crucial feature for furniture. So, optional casters for desks and tables can be a good idea. Without them, moving desks can be challenging for younger students, and reconfiguring the classroom can disrupt the progress of sessions and projects.

When management of project materials is crucial. A teacher always needs more tools to facilitate project learning for a bigger group of students. One valuable resource is a cabinet. It allows project materials to be sorted and stored for different groups in a very efficient way. The materials can be distributed to the group when needed and again put away when finished. This is a valuable space for storing manipulatives and project materials.

You should consider different learning modalities. The 21st century classrooms support active and passive learning. This eases the transition from lecture style to teacher-guided and learner-led lessons. A classroom must make use of analog and digital visual presentation technology and supportive furniture.

Furniture in classrooms is not only an intricate part of the classroom environment but is a tool within classrooms that promotes better learning. Therefore, it is equally imperative to understand how they can promote interaction in classrooms.

Retail sector is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing sectors in the world. It witnesses unprecedented investments by national and international players. The competition between ecommerce companies and traditional retailers is always at the peak, to capture the market share.

As a retailer, you are always looking for new ideas to increase your in-store sales. Sometimes, you may want to freshen up the merchandise mix to pique customers’ interest and other times, you may want to offer discounts and coupons to entice customers to buy more. But one of the most crucial aspects that you may want to focus on is the unique and attention-grabbing in-store displays.

According to a recent survey, 6000 shoppers revealed that they were driven to make impulse purchases, when exposed to store displays versus price alone. This clearly states that store displays can boost sales as long as they are effective displays. But what is the most important thing that you need to consider before choosing display fixtures for your retail store? Here are 3 questions that you might want to ask yourself before making a decision

Do I want the display to be permanent or detachable?

There are two types of store displays, permanent and detachable and it is always smart to use a mix of both. Permanent display fixtures, like interactive displays, elaborate end-cap displays, video displays, and heavy metal floor or wooden displays are ideal for highlighting items that shoppers need and visit a store to find. Such displays can be freshened-up by changing the brands or types of products highlighted. For instance, a permanent display geared towards home decor could display artifacts and handicrafts one month and upholstery and similar accessories the next month, etc.

Movable display fixtures like lightweight shelving, counter-top and table-top displays and cardboard standees are the most effective for displaying products that can be described as impulse buys (jewellery, greeting cards, snacks, gifts, candles and so on). Such things a shopper may not especially need or make a trip to the store to buy, but an attractive display may entice customers to buy anyway. So, you can also have a mix of both types of displays and engage your customers in different types of products.

Can I Update the Display Fixtures Easily?

One reason why store displays are so effective at being sales tools is because they stand out from the racks and rows of products. When you read an article and you see a block of text that is in bold or italics or underlined, you probably read it first because it catches your attention. That’s exactly what a store display does. It draws the attention of the shoppers to the unexpected.

When a customer would see the same display every week, he might lose interest because the display has become expected and would have lost its spark. Therefore, always make sure to choose display fixtures that you can rearrange easily or that can be freshened up with new signage, accessories, mirrors or lighting. In addition to this, you must also ensure that the displays you choose are compatible for wiring and electricity.

Is the Display Functional?

Despite how great the display fixture looks, if it is not functional it will not be successful. So, even before you plan to get a display fixture installed, you need to consider what you would be showcasing on it. Always think about the dimensions, weight and how sturdy your stacks will be. Stacks of t-shirts or packages will weigh far less than stacks of canned goods, but t-shirts will require more surface area than canned goods.

Depending on the size and weight of what you would display, you may choose a glass, wooden, metal or plastic fixture. You can choose from configurations like grid walls, two-sided gondola style displays, pegboards, table displays, or reconfigurable modular displays that snap together like Lego building blocks.

If you are all set to take your retail sales to the next level, then make sure you ask yourself these 3 questions before installing an eye-catching store display fixture for your retail store.