Could Your Office be Killing Your Creativity?

Creativity is the driving force behind any business. That’s why fostering creativity in the workplace is the key to success.

At one time offices were bland, uninspiring places, where you might be forgiven for thinking creativity had come to die. But in more recent years, people have embraced the idea that a creative work environment helps stimulate minds and innovation.

A well-designed work space can boost morale and inspire creativity, and if your office is a little uninspiring then it could be time to call in the experts and rearrange. Not convinced? Then read on and discover more about the fascinating relationship between office design and innovation.

Stuck in the Middle

Nobody likes the middle seat. Kids fight to avoid it and many plane passengers will even pay to evade it. And it’s worth bearing this in mind when planning your office layout. After all, employees can feel inhibited when they don’t have enough space around them.

Space is an essential aspect of any office design, and it’s important to ensure your employees don’t feel squashed like sardines. Of course, space constraints mean it’s nigh on impossible to avoid placing someone’s desk in between other desks. But you can enhance peoples’ feeling of space using some inventive space planning. So don’t leave your staff feeling like they’re sitting in the dreaded middle plane seat!

Break Down Those Walls

Walls can create both a physical and mental barrier in a workspace. By removing some of the walls in your office, and breaking down these barriers, you can create a more open, collaborative space, where employees are more likely to interact with one another and engage in some creative idea-sharing.

Collaboration is Key

Setting aside a space where employees can get away from their desks and come together to share their thoughts is another fantastic way to boost creativity. A well-designed collaboration space – sometimes called a breakout room – can really help with this to get those creative juices flowing.

Let There be Light

Natural light can help ignite our imagination and numerous studies have demonstrated a clear connection between exposure to daylight and creativity. Not only that, natural light in an office has also been found to improve workers’ health, sleep, and productivity too, which is why it’s important to let the sun shine in.

Dim, artificial lighting, on the other hand, can be the antithesis of creativity, turning our creative spark into more of a faint flicker. So if you’re office isn’t making the most of its natural light sources, it’s time to make some changes and let the light in.

Go Green

Research shows that bringing a little greenery into your office and having a few plants dotted around the space can be a great catalyst for creativity. The humble houseplant can aid concentration and boost well-being too, making these green heroes a terrific feature in any office design.

Creative Colour

Blank walls make for blank thoughts. As mentioned in our previous blog, colour plays an important role in creativity.

Colour has a powerful influence on our mood, and a lick of paint can go a long way towards making your employees feel a little more inspired.

According to scientists, if you want to get your employees’ brains firing, then try painting your walls blue. Research has shown that blue tones can foster a motivational state which is conductive to creativity. Luckily, this colour tends to be a big favourite too.

Ready to start fostering a little more creativity in your office?

Here at Officescape, we’re experts when it comes to office design and use our own creative resources to help you design an innovative workspace for your business, where new ideas are born.
So if you’re looking for an office fit out don’t hesitate to contact us today, by giving us a call on 01553 811 833 to speak to a member of our friendly team.