In some workplaces, creativity is an essential part of every workday. Whether it’s articles that need to be written, graphics that need to be designed or marketing campaigns created, improving creativity in these workplaces will lead to better work being done. The environment an employee works in has a large impact on how creative they can be and this means that with a few tweaks to your office design you can allow your team to be more creative.

Here at OfficeScape LLP, our experience in commercial interior design has given us some expertise in this area and we’re going to share a few tips on how you can foster creativity in your office.

#1. A Quite Space

Collaboration is important in a business, but sometimes an employee just needs to sit down and quietly get on with a task. In a lot of offices it is very difficult to get away from all the talking and typing to have a quiet think for even a few minutes. If your office is one that is full of noise then you may consider having a dedicated quiet area where employees can go to work on projects in peace.

#2. A Communal Space

Some of the best creative work can be achieved just by putting people together and letting them collaborate on a project. Having dedicated communal spaces where employees can go to discuss things in a place where they don’t have to worry about disturbing their co-workers will allow for better collaborative work to happen.

Creating spaces where people are comfortable to think openly will foster the best results. An example of a brilliant communal space is in Pixar Studios, in which there is a specialised area that encourages quick meetings where employees can talk as much as they want between themselves.

#3. Natural Light

Allowing natural light into your office rather than just using artificial light is a much better way to keep your office lit up. Artificial lighting can cause eye strain and headaches that could contribute to a decreased productivity. Natural light on the other hand has a number of benefits including: happier workers, less absences and fewer illnesses.

Aside from these, natural lighting also contributes to higher levels of productivity in offices, as well as saves you money on your electric bill.

#4. Gentle Branding

Ideally you want your employees to feel like they are part of your company and one of the best ways to do this is by having a branded office space. Without being too forceful, reinforce your logo and company colours throughout the building to give employees a gentle reminder of what they are a part of.

#5. De-clutter Desks

“Tidy desk, tidy mind” is an idiom that people have been saying for years but there is truth behind the old saying. Research has found that there is a strong negative correlation between clutter on desks and employee productivity and motivation. Aside from not wanting to work, clutter can actually get in the way of employees working if they can’t find important documents.

Allow your employees to keep their desks clutter free by providing adequate storage space for storing the things they need. You could go even further by striving to make your office paperless as this would reduce waste and keep down desk clutter.

#6. A Splash of Colour

In a past blog we discussed the science behind colour in depth, and we’re bringing it back up here too. The colours you use have a huge impact on the productivity and creativity of your team. Having boring and clinical grey or white offices will quickly bore employees, whereas using colour can stimulate different parts of the brain.

All colours have some effect, but two to look out for are blue and yellow which help with productivity and creativity, respectively.

#7. Allow Personalisation

We mentioned in point #2 that making your employees feel comfortable will help them to come up with ideas and now we’re going to look at that a little more. Encouraging your team to bring in personalised mugs, photos, and whatever else will make them feel at home will allow your team to feel comfortable and come up with their best ideas even at their desks.

#8. Grow a Few Plants

A recent study from psychologists at Exeter University has found that employees were 15% more productive in an office that had a few houseplants compared to an office that was bare. It was discovered that with just the addition of a few houseplants around an office, employee’s memory and basic skills improved substantially too.

Hopefully you now have a few ideas for how you can change your office space to allow your team to be as creative as possible. If you need any more help with office design then don’t hesitate in contacting us and our expertise will allow us to help you out, no matter what the problem is.