Zoning refers to the art of dividing a space – physical or digital – into distinct zones, each assigned to a specific function. In a corporate real estate context, it divides surfaces into individual offices, meeting rooms, collaborative spaces, quiet zones or informal places. In web or application design, it organises the page into headers, navigation columns, content areas and calls to action. In both cases, the challenge is the same: to structure the territory to guide the eye, movements or workflows, and thus increase the performance and comfort of users.
Macro-zoning traces the large functional blocks: where to place workstations, where to concentrate reception services, what surfaces to reserve for informal exchanges. This overview ensures that essential functions are in the right locations – proximity of interdependent teams, logical access to shared resources, visibility of support services. Micro-zoning then focuses on the detail: orientation of tables, circulation between rows, height of partitions, position of sockets or, for a web page, typographic hierarchy, margins and spacing. This second level takes the project from general logic to fine ergonomics.
Successful zoning serves four purposes. It clarifies the destination of each zone, avoiding confusion of uses. It fluidifies movements: the user spots at a glance where to go to collaborate, concentrate or relax. It optimises occupancy: square metres, like pixels on the screen, are used where they create the most value. Finally, it reinforces image coherence: a clear plan, whether architectural or graphic, reflects the culture of the organisation and better welcomes its visitors or customers.
The process starts with an analysis of activities. What types of tasks take place in the space? What duration, what noise level, what degree of confidentiality? Then comes the mapping of flows: movements of Employees, circuits of documents, paths of the web user. The third step consists of prototyping: test plans on the ground, paper models, interactive wireframes. These models are evaluated in workshops with stakeholders before a final adjustment and implementation – development work or front-end integration, depending on the medium.
Zoning is a design method that transforms a raw space – open space, shop, website – into a readable and efficient whole. By distinguishing between the macro (distribution of major functions) and the micro (precise layout), it combines global vision and attention to detail. The result: Employees, customers or web users who move, interact and produce with less effort and more satisfaction.
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