We’ve all heard about Google’s office slides (if you haven’t, you can see a few of them here). They were praised for the creativity that went into the idea and the creativity it inspired in their employees. But we don’t all work at Google, and many of us work in offices where slides would be distracting and out of place given our company’s culture. Ditching the slides, however, doesn’t mean you can’t have a work space that fosters creativity. It can be hard to find a balance between work and play, so we’ve gathered some design tips to help you create an office environment that inspires innovation and creative thinking without damaging productivity.
Different Zones for Different Needs
Every department is different, some rely heavily on collaboration and some are comprised of one-person tasks. It’s important to make sure your office has separate spaces to accommodate the needs of all of your departments. Consider incorporating the following areas: Common areas where employees can collaborate without disturbing coworkers, quiet one or two person areas for small teams or individuals that need to hunker down uninterrupted, and conference rooms for client meetings and team meetings.
Allow Personalization
As humans, we all feel more comfortable when we’re surrounded by familiarity. It makes us feel like we can be ourselves, which removes a lot of anxiety and stress that can hinder both creativity and productivity. Let your employees personalize their spaces with photos, desk ornaments, plants, etc.
A Variety of Creative Outlets
Kuske says, “Some people create with crayons, some with computers, some have got to get up and write on the wall.” Let your employees choose how they want to create their work and make sure that the materials they need are abundant. For this step, an employee survey would be incredibly helpful in discovering which materials you need to invest in.
Greenery and Natural Light
Adding plants and utilizing the natural light you have available is soothing for employees, has beneficial health effects, and can boost creativity and productivity. If you don’t have access to a lot of natural light, try using natural light bulbs in place of florescents.
A Place to Unwind
We’ve all heard the phrase “needing a fresh perspective.” This often means you need a new set of eyes to look over a problem, but also that you might just need to clear your head a little before looking at the problem at hand again. Providing soothing spaces to relax and games like ping pong or fooseball are great ways to help employees de-stress. Taking a short period to clear your mind or release the stress of a project helps give employees that fresh perspective they need.
Deviate from the “One Person, One Desk” Rule
With laptops, drawing tablets, and mobile phones, the need for standard desk layouts are dwindling. With today’s technology, a desk for everyone isn’t needed and sometimes a desk for everyone isn’t wanted. The ability to work in different spaces increases creativity and can help overcome many productivity obstacles, like writer’s block. Include a variety of workspaces that can accommodate your entire team, but forgoe the traditional one desk = one person idea.
Incorporate your Company’s Culture
You want your employees to create work in your company’s likeness and with your company’s voice. If your company is known for creating eclectic designs and having a sense of humor, you want your employees to create work that aligns with those ideals. Incorporating items that describe and demonstrate your company’s culture, values, and goals will help inspire employees and help them create work that does the same.
Employee Feedback
One of the easiest ways to find out what will tap into your employees’ creativity is to ask them. And once you’ve received their answers, chosen the features you’ll implement, and installed them, you’ll want to ask again. Make sure that you’re constantly on the lookout for what’s affecting them in positive ways and negative ways so your office can constantly get better.
Creativity is crucial and it’s important to make sure your office design encourages and fosters it. These design tips will help you ensure your office space inspires creativity without hindering productivity. And hey, maybe you’ll find out that an office slide does work for your company! If you plan on redesigning your office, feel free to reach out to us for help with space plans, specifications, and furniture management! You can send us a message here or upload your project files to our Hightail site here for a free estimate.