Space Planning Software
If you are looking to do some space planning for any real estate or office space, space planning software can help you save time. Thoughtfully crafted floor plans can also help businesses to set up their space more effectively for select situations like retail and services.
The right software can also make planning your space much more natural than other methods, and changes can occur quickly so the process can move forward. Choosing the right software isn’t just a matter of cost or features, and it’s a good idea to consider additional product benefits before you decide.
What Is Space Planning Software
Space planning software is software that you can use in both commercial and residential applications to create floor plans quickly and efficiently. Using this software, you can complete space planning for office space, other real estate locations, and even rooms in residential homes.
Space planning is essential for creating areas with thoughtful designs for their specific purpose, and there are whole companies that study customer behavior and needs so that they can better assist businesses.
The complexity of software can vary widely, so it’s essential to consider your needs and how long learning how to use the software will take. Most of the available software can run on a modern computer, and there are frequently product demos so you can get a better idea of what the product is like in practice.
The Benefits Of Space Planning Software
There are several product benefits to consider when it comes to space planning software, including the following:
- Create spaces that best support common use cases
- Set up areas to encourage sales
- Meet customer needs
- Save time designing your space
- Make necessary changes to your floor plans quickly
- Maximize your office space
Depending on your particular situation, you may see other perks associated with using this software, such as the ability to share your ideas with others, and purchase products. Some space planning software allows you to stage actual products in your space and efficiently buy them.
If you are creating a retail space, you can also use this type of space planning software to figure out how much inventory you can carry, and what the minimum amount of stock would look like in your space. This software can also give you a sneak peek at what products will look like in various displays, and how they look to a customer entering the store.
For residential use, this software can help you see what furniture or storage looks like before you buy, and frequently buying products are built-in. The ability to quickly purchase products that you like is one of the most valuable product benefits provided by this software as it saves you time hunting down individual items.
Fitting necessary items into small residential spaces is a difficult task that is easier with this type of software, and the same is often true for larger areas. It’s important to remember that even when you measure your furniture in the store, it may look different in your space, and this software can give you a visual representation without you leaving your home.
This space planning software is often used for office spaces when a certain number of cubicles or other items need to fit cleanly within the area. Commercial furniture is usually available in different dimensions that aren’t always accessible to residential customers, and this versatility means you’ll need to be sure of the sizing.
Space Planning Software To Consider
Depending on the type of space you are working with, creating floor plans is generally the first step and one of the essential components of space planning software. Here are some of the software options you may want to consider using.
Ikea Home Planner
The Ikea Home Planner is another useful tool that you can use to save time when planning out your next remodeling project or new construction. The Home Planner tool helps you create beautiful spaces with actual products that you can then buy with only a few additional clicks.
This space planning software will also help you to calculate the cost of your design, and choose from a wide range of furniture and decor without taking you over budget by surprise. This tool is easily accessible online, and plans save to your Ikea account.
Dot Activ
Dot Activ provides software specifically geared towards businesses, and their close attention to detail regarding metrics and integrated information makes them an excellent choice for retailers.
This software has options for adding in additional Point of Sale information such as SKU numbers, product descriptions, sales at cost, and sales units, so you have all the information you need to make decisions about your floor plans.
This type of software can be useful for a variety of businesses, including real estate offices, office space layouts, and companies that offer a blend of services and products to their customers. This software is powerful, and you can try it out using their thirty-day trial.
One of the best product benefits here is that you can get as detailed as you want with your planning and even go down to the level of deciding where each product sits on each shelf.
Easy Home Homestyler
The Easy Home Homestyler tool allows you to create a design with real products to help streamline the process of setting up your space. There are both 2D and 3D visualizations available, and you can include small details like the color of the paint for your walls, and the type of flooring to use.
This tool is easy to learn, and once your design is complete, you can do a real high-resolution walkthrough with a panorama view. Small details like lighting sources and shadows appear in the plan for a more realistic feel.
Planner 5D
The software offered by Planner 5D targets home design, but the ability to create both 2D and 3D models makes this a suitable option for specific commercial applications. You can find this software on the Apple Store and Google Play Store, but it’s also available on the computer.
This software synchronizes your plans across all of your devices for convenience. You can also edit all of the colors and patterns of the objects that you use in your design. Users have the option to share plans and participate in the online community where you can see designs that others have created.
The visualizations that you create are high definition, and you have the option of adding shadows and lighting sources for added realism. There is also an item catalog with over 4000 items, and no professional skills are required to create your design.
Roomstyler 3D
The Roomstyler 3D program has many product benefits you can take advantage of immediately, including the ability to upload custom floor plans or tinker with one of the preloaded designs. The interface is very straightforward to use, and you can easily view your project in both 2D and 3D.
This program also includes a catalog of over 120,000 items that you can put into your plan. These brand-name items feature everything from furniture to appliances and tools, and when the item is marked “available for purchase” you can find out where you can buy it for yourself.
This software also connects to Facebook so you can share your designs with your friends.
