Creating Your Environment

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5 Ways to Increase Creativity in the Workplace

Ever worked in an office with small windows, white walls and furniture from the ‘80s? If you’ve been in a typical corporate job or simply outdated space, you’ll feel the creativity and self-expression sucked out of you. The design of a workplace can be directly tied to the creativity of the workforce. If you’ve ever stepped foot in Oprah Winfrey’s headquarters, the entire building is intentionally designed beautifully and thoughtfully from top to bottom because they understand the psychology of workplace creativity. A well-designed workplace promotes increased collaboration, creativity and productivity in the modern office, creating a space where teams look forward to work at each morning (and clients look forward to meetings there).

Whether you’re an interior design firm, marketing agency, graphic design firm, or advertising company, here are the top 5 ways to increase creativity using a well-designed workplace.

Open Floor Plans

Collaboration is key for any creative agency, and open floor plans that lack private offices inspire constant communication and “bumping into” other people across departments. So it doesn’t matter if a junior designer and CFO run into each other because that’s where collaboration starts and sparks unique ideas. Open floor plans also help create an airy feeling to the space that promotes open-mindedness and more creative work.

Communal Tables

Individual work desks, where employees sit at for eight hours each day, start to lose its motivation over time. Increase productivity by installing communal work tables where people from any department can work at. Surrounding team members with other people who are hard at work help to foster increased output and motivation. Problem-solving also becomes faster, as other co-workers are readily available to pitch into quick problem-solving sessions should there be a need.

Glass Walls

Instead of the plain white walls, install glass walls for conference areas and other segregated spaces. This keeps the open-air feel of the entire workplace, and also gives the signal to employees that there’s nothing to hide within the company culture (which further sparks creativity). Ample amounts of glass also keep the space from looking small and claustrophobic, especially if your office is in the middle of a busy city where space is typically limited. Client meetings are no longer boring and bland, as clients feel like they are in the middle of the action within the space.

Common Areas

Common areas such as lounges, entryways and break areas should be thoughtfully designed and inspiring. Think sofas, armchairs, art pieces, unique lighting installations and colorful murals. While employers typically don’t want their teams to lounge around, having beautifully designed common areas give people the opportunity to recharge and take casual meetings, which increases output.

There’s a reason why the water cooler and coffee machine gets people chatting. Food in any capacity can bring people together, and it’s these chance meetings where innovation happens. Small talk can turn into big ideas, so building a decked out kitchen area with the intention of team members congregating by chance can lead to innovative ideas, no matter if you’re a marketing and advertising agency or a copywriting firm.

Outside Areas

If your building allows for it, utilize the outside areas such as patio spaces. Giving employees the opportunity to stroll outside for a few minutes help recharge and clear the mind, which always increases productivity. And outside areas also give the chance for social gatherings such as lunch potlucks and birthday parties. Even though companies typically frown upon social time, these kinds of non-work related interactions help bring teams together and break down the barriers between management to foster an overall company-wide feeling of camaraderie.

It’s crucial for modern offices, especially in artistic fields, to take advantage of using the physical workspace to increase productivity, collaboration, innovative ideas and problem-solving. Well-designed office spaces help sharpen their team’s craft and creative output and promote overall employee satisfaction, happiness, and long-term retention.

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