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How To Make Your Workspace More Creative
Fostering creativity can be difficult in an office environment, but there are a few things you can do with your workspace to encourage imagination and innovation.
Creativity is an important resource in the modern workplace, with so many industries working in fields where a solid imagination is needed. In order to get ahead of your competitors, it is worth thinking about how you can foster creativity among your employees, and one way of doing that is to reimagine your workspace.
You don’t have to be a graphic design firm to benefit from improved creativity at work. Mark Rhodes, Reed’s director of marketing, told the Guardian:
“All employers stand to gain by promoting creativity at work. The most successful businesses are those that engender creative thinking and develop environments where everyone generates ideas, has a voice, asks questions and challenges the norm.”
So how can you achieve this? The stereotype is to get in some beanbags and a ping pong table, however these are not inherently bad ideas, they’re just often overused without thinking about the logic behind them.For example, table tennis started being brought in to offices in a bid to make the environment more fun for employees.
If people are happier, they’ll feel more positive, and this uplifted mood makes them more creative. However, table tennis isn’t a catch- all solution. You need to think about what will make the specific personalities you work with feel happier. This could be a selection of books in a mini-library, a videogame console or something else.
As for bean bags, they are a way of getting people out of their standard seats. Sitting at a desk all day can feel stagnant and uncomfortable, so it is a good idea to give people alternatives. A bean bag area, standing desks, sofas or even a bed can boost creativity by allowing your employees different options for work.
However, one of the more recent stereotypes is that the key to creativity is getting everyone together in an open-plan environment. This can be a good idea, as long as you have areas they can go for a bit of quiet and privacy when needed. Recent research found that while 95 per cent of employees require rooms or private conversations, only 41 per cent had access to them, and this lack of solitude can take its toll on a workplace’s creativity.
If you are looking for more ways to inspire creativity with your office design or furniture configuration, make sure to sign up for our Smart2Ergo newsletter. Get handy tips and guides on for a healthier, more ergonomic work place.
