Imagine working in an office space with no art or decor- just bare walls, empty shelves and tables, and people quietly anonymously clacking away at their desks…

I’m getting discouraged just thinking about it…

The truth of the matter is that environments matter more than many would think on employee well-being, productivity & focus, and customer experience.

There are four categories of environments that employees experience in corporate spaces: lean, enriched, empowered, and disempowered.

Let’s analyze the effects of these different working environments on fictional employee, Lucy.

Lean: containing only the things necessary to do the tasks at hand.

AKA functional but dull & sterile working environments

Lucy’s office only contains what she needs to do her job. She has no positive stimulation or effort to improve her experience at her workplace. Her employers discourage personal decorations and self-expression in the workplace. Lucy does not look forward to being in her work environment and counts the minutes until she can go back home, into a comfortable space.

Enriched: featuring art and plants which were already arranged.

AKA designed spaces, but no personal touches

Lucy’s office space was designed by an interior designer who added art, decor, and plants to the workplace. Personal decor is discouraged, but the environment would be described as a nice place to be.

Empowered: the same art and plants but participants could choose where to put them.

AKA allowing an employee to have ownership over their environment, with support from the company.

Lucy’s office space was designed by an interior designer who added art, decor, and plants to the workplace. Lucy’s employers encourage her to move around her office space/decor as she sees fit, and to express herself by adding her own art/photos/decor. Lucy creates her own space within a design space which gives her a sense of autonomy, security, and well-being. She is happy and enjoys being in her work environment.

Disempowered: participants could arrange the art and plants themselves – but the experimenter then undid these personal touches and reverted to the enriched layout.

AKA corporate overhauls personal aesthetic & decoration in favor of a uniform & sterile brand identity

Lucy has created her own working environment- one that expressed her personality and made her feel comfortable. Her employers decide it would be better to have only company-approved artwork in all office spaces and take down her choice decor in favor of their aesthetic vision. Lucy is discouraged- feeling vulnerable and unstable in her position, and without agency in the company.

STUDY FINDINGS…

Now that we have covered the four types of working environments, lets take a look at what the research says about working spaces in relation to employee well-being & productivity (Research by Exeter University’s School of Psychology, 2010).

• Those working in enriched spaces were 17% more productive than those in lean spaces. Noted by the study, “participants in the lean condition took longer to complete both timed tasks than participants in other conditions.” (Knight and Haslam, 162).

• Those working in empowered spaces were 32% more productive than in lean spaces, and with no increase in errors. That’s a huge increase in positive productivity.

• The study also concludes that “participants in the empowered condition felt more psychologically comfortable and reported greater job satisfaction than participants in the enriched condition”.

• Art in the office also increases employee retention and encourages employees to actually want to go to work. This is an especially poignant effect given the throngs of people who are having difficulty transiting out of a work from home situation.

The studies show in no unclear terms that empowered spaces lead to increased employee well-being, productivity, organization, and retention. Knowing all of that, can you really afford to have a lean or disempowered workspace?

Apex Art Lab offers art consultation, framing, and installation services for companies throughout the greater Seattle area.

Companies also qualify for wholesale discounts on framing which can be extended to employees within the organization as a perk and encouragement to create empowered spaces within their workplaces.

Read the full Exeter study here:

An Experimental Examination of the Impact of Workspace Management

Strategies on Well-Being and Productivity

Additional Reading:

Art works: how art in the office boosts staff productivity

Art and Productivity

‘A Market for Change’: Art and the Workplace