Creative Spaces

by mikekarnj on March 22, 2007


Pixar

I’ve been doing some research into creative environments and came across some great articles and posts online. Russell Davies set up a squidoo here. Fellow Adcenter alum, Ed Reilly, wrote a paper on it here. But, some of the smartest thinking includes a post from Whistle Through Your Comb’s blog.

I think an agency should not look at its office as a place: it should look at it as a tool. In other words, agencies should not create architecture that communicates creativity. They should create architecture that generates creativity. It needs mechanism(s) that ensures information is constantly expressed constantly colliding.

I totally agree. There are so many companies that focus on being creative and not being focused on facilitating collaboration and creativity. Read the rest here. Has anyone seen any statistics on how open-plan environments in office space actually increases productivity, collaboration and creativity? I remember reading an article while in London but I can’t seem to find it anywhere.

On another note, I’ve come across some cool spaces including the office of W+K Portland, Naked Communications in NYC, London and Australia. There is even an article on how the Naked NY office uses bouncy balls as chairs. Read it here.

Healthy snacks at the Google HQ.

And great architects such as Clive Wilkinson who has designed great advertising agencies such as the TBWA/Chiat/Day office in Los Angeles, VCU Adcenter and Mother London. Can anyone think of any other examples?

I am a huge fan of open-plan architecture. I think that it does improve collaboration if done correctly. If companies stay away from interior design and focus on ways to break down barriers and walls, and increasing creativity and collaboration – it can be highly successful. St Lukes in London launched to combat conventional work environments. From their website:

It’s easy for an agency to cliam it’s collaborative, but collaboration isn’t so easy in practice unless the agency has changed the way it works. Like removing offices so people have to use their space collectively. Configuring people to work in multi-disciplined project teams instead of departments. Operating in brand rooms that our clients can use as an office space away from their office, sharing multiple creative routes in meetings rather than trying to “sell” a sinlge answer.

For an industry based on creativity, I think we need to move as far away from cubicles and “Bank of America” work cultures and towards something similar to what is mentioned above. We can begin by changing the norms and traditional mentalities of American work culture.

We shouldn’t have to be at our desk to be “doing work”. With the Internet, AIM and Google – we have become lazy and glued to our chairs because we have so much information at our fingertips coupled with the fear of being perceived as a slacker from being away from the desk.

We should be allowed to move freely in and out of the office.

Some companies have created environments where it is easy to move around. Imagine an office where you could sit anywhere, next to anyone. A great space should have a quiet space, brainstorming space, meeting space, etc for you to move to. All I really need is Internet access and somewhere to sit and I’m good to go.

So, what do you guys think about creative spaces? Does it really increase creativity, productivity and collaboration? Any companies that are doing it right? Any companies doing it differently? What can be done to make you happy about the environment at your job? And to bribe you guys, I have a couple of invitations to give out for MindMeister so if you would like one, please leave a comment!

  • Brian

    Thoughts while easing into the workday:

    1) I’m not so sure that “creative” space is the best term, maybe “collaborative” is the better one here if the goal is to get people to interact (from which a product is definitely increased creativity). Whatever label you give it, the space’s ability to increase productivity depends entirely on how that productivity is measured. In most cases productivity is defined by completing your employed tasks. If those are to be creative and generate “X” number of ideas per day, then yea, an open space could be a driver for that. But there might be others in the same, open room that are measured by how many accounts they follow up on, invoices they close, etc. Their ability to complete those tasks is quickly compromised by the increased distraction of others collaborating around them. There’s always that trade off, so the question becomes where does the organization want to remove bottlenecks and un-clog things to increase production/efficiency….at the heart of the business (ideas), or in its major arteries (finance, HR tasks)? Both are vital to keep it alive. And you hate to silo people, so I think the best spaces have alternating floors, configurations, or areas of a huge room with cubes for positions that benefit from it, and others without physical divisions.

    2) Last thing for now, on the idea of not having to be at your desk to be considered “working,” I totally agree. BUT, there is huge danger here, and I think even more culturally threatening if we’re not careful. When you start to blur the lines of work and non-work environments, you open employees up to always being on call. It’s great to be able to access anything from anywhere and to be productive without limitations — but that also extends workdays, raises responsiveness expectations, compromises the value of vacations, and ultimately I think lowers the quality of your work-life balance. Compare it to sleep, and how only a few hours a night are truly healthy, uninterrupted, deep sleep. The kind of sleep that actually does your body good and allows you to recharge. Well if your non-office relaxation hours are constantly interrupted by looking at your Crackberry or device of choice, then you’re never far enough away from work and lose the chance to take care of other parts of your life. Being able to actually leave work is important and not only prevents burnout, but also makes all of your non-work relationships stronger.

  • http://do.palicio.us Adrian Lai

    I think a well-stocked library can be an important catalyst for creativity, like the WK magazine shelf.

    At Honest, it’s only four of us. We have an open office so to communicate with each other, we yell across the room. One of partners here is kind of a packrat so we have all kinds of books, comics, posters, toys and general wierdness. We are guilty of listening to music on our headphones though, so I’m wondering how other open offices balance playing music, and quiet space for client calls, etc.

  • http://blog.mikekarnj.com Michael

    Brian – very great points. I agree that some people need space to themselves and quite time to get work done. For example, computer programmers but I still think they can benefit from talking with people around them.

    I remember hearing that having a Blackberry is equivalent to smoking two joints. The reason is because you are always ready to be interrupted. You are truly never focused which ties into the point you made. I agree that there should be a balance between the two, something that should always be considered.

    Adrian – When I worked at Naked, there were about 4-6 rooms where people can work in a silent environment, have meetings, brainstorm, take phone calls or meet with clients. The main room is where all the crazy hectic things took place. Only annoying thing is when the girls loaded up their 80s playlist on the office sound system. That’s when I wanted to jump out the window.

  • http://do.palicio.us Adrian Lai

    One more thing about W+K. I love how instead of displaying award-winning work in their lobbies, they have portraits of the people who work there. They do this globally, and it has always struck me of a good example of an organization that realizes its the people who make the work happen.

    Also, just remembered this post on Sidewalk Life that seems relevant. People behave as their environments expect them to behave. Truth.

  • Michael

    Adrian – great link. I’m def going to use that in a presentation. Speaking of W+K, have you heard of the lunchbox series?

    http://wklondon.typepad.com/welcome_to_optimism/2006/10/gigs_at_wk_port.html

  • Michael

    Great link – Adrian. Will def you that in a presentation. Have you heard of the Lunchbox series at W+K?

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  • http://blog.mikekarnj.com/ Michael

    Brian – very great points. I agree that some people need space to themselves and quite time to get work done. For example, computer programmers but I still think they can benefit from talking with people around them.

    I remember hearing that having a Blackberry is equivalent to smoking two joints. The reason is because you are always ready to be interrupted. You are truly never focused which ties into the point you made. I agree that there should be a balance between the two, something that should always be considered.

    Adrian – When I worked at Naked, there were about 4-6 rooms where people can work in a silent environment, have meetings, brainstorm, take phone calls or meet with clients. The main room is where all the crazy hectic things took place. Only annoying thing is when the girls loaded up their 80s playlist on the office sound system. That's when I wanted to jump out the window.