Latest news with #officeDesign
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Design A Workspace That Inspires Creativity And Innovation
Whether your workspace is located in an office building or within your own home, the way you design it can have a direct impact on your everyday performance. From adding personal effects or curated art to investing in higher-quality furniture, even small, simple changes can enhance comfort, promote productivity and boost your morale. Humanizing your office space and making it truly your own not only makes it a more comfortable, welcoming place to work, but may also fuel your creative and innovative instincts. Below, members of Forbes Business Council share their best tips for shaping a space that's truly inspirational rather than simply utilitarian. 1. Include Reminders Of Your 'Why' I fill my space with reminders of my 'why.' These can be flower Legos my kiddo builds for me, photos that spark joy and images that make me feel light, energized and inspired. Other leaders should surround themselves with what connects them to purpose and play. When your space reflects you, creativity naturally follows. - Casey Halbach, Intentional Talent Solutions 2. Incorporate Personal And Professional Growth Reminders Keep reminders of your personal and professional growth present at all times. If you make a tangible product, keep your earliest prototype and every iteration in between. Organize them in a timeline style to show how far your company has come. If you have a personal office, keep little reminders of your earliest wins and the steps you've taken along the way. - Ryan McFarland, Strider Bikes Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? 3. Reflect Your Energy And Vision My workspace reflects my energy and vision. I keep it clean, intentional and full of purpose with quotes that ground me, music that lifts me and tools that help me think big. Leaders should design a space that reminds them daily that they're here to build, lead and drive impact. Your environment fuels or drains your potential. - Eduardo Fuenmayor, Tensik Industries 4. Choose A Space That Reflects Your Current Work I switch up my workspace depending on what I'm working on. If I need to think deeply, I move somewhere quiet with no screens. If I'm focused on the team or hiring stuff, I'll work where conversations happen more naturally. I've found that matching the space to the type of work makes a big difference. It clears my head and helps ideas land quicker. - Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures 5. Show What's Possible We keep our workspace visual by having whiteboards filled with ideas, quotes and income stream maps. Seeing the vision daily fuels creative momentum. Other leaders can design a space that reflects their mission. If your environment shows what's possible, your team also will believe it. - Michael Lanctot, YoungNRetired 6. Invest In A Comfortable Chair And A Fast Laptop I learned early in my career that focused creativity requires two main things: a seat so comfortable that you forget about it and a computer that operates at the speed of you. Good chairs and fast computers are something every company should invest in for its leaders. Together, these two critical basics can make every distraction fade into the background while you do your best work. - Cameron Deemer, DrFirst 7. Position Your Desk Toward A Window I position my desk to face away from digital screens and toward a window with natural light and changing views. This setup forces regular visual breaks that allow my brain to 'flow' while processing complex problems. As all teams in my companies work remotely, I advise my colleagues to do the same. - Nikola Minkov, Serpact 8. Think About Comfort Always design a space that feels warm, luxurious or homelike, because comfort sparks confidence and creativity. Natural light, elegant details and calming tones inspire both clients and staff. Leaders should create environments that reflect their brand energy and make people feel safe to express themselves and innovate. - Roxana Diaconu, ROXANA AESTHETICS CLINIC 9. Tap Into Your Personal Feng Shui I tap into my personal Feng Shui to orient my desk toward my most supportive direction and balance energies on each side—for example, left (dragon) for motion and right (tiger) for calm. I incorporate elements like wood, metal and water to enhance clarity and flow. Leaders can spark creativity by aligning their workspace with their energy and using the five elements for harmony. - Irina Logman, Advanced Holistic Center 10. Incorporate Natural Elements There's something about natural elements. Whether it's watching leaves move in the breeze or simply having living greenery nearby, nature always seems to unlock different thinking patterns for me. The quiet presence of nature offers a counterbalance to digital intensity. - Laurent Valosek, Peak Leadership Institute 11. Gather Emotional And Sensory-Rich Objects I surround my workspace with objects rich in emotional and sensory meaning, like vintage perfume bottles, burning incense and fresh flowers. They serve as quiet muses. For other leaders, I recommend curating a space that tells your story. When your environment reflects your soul, creativity flows naturally. - Sudhir Gupta, The Facticerie 12. Hang Representative Art I use art that represents who I am or who I think I might be to inspire me to stay creative. I have dozens of framed pieces that are visible on video calls. They also make for great icebreakers with new colleagues and clients looking in. - James Felton Keith, InclusionScore 13. Don't Be Afraid To Go Bold Ditch the beige. My space is filled with bold female visuals from around the world, turquoise wallpaper, evergreen drapes and a Spanish silver armoire. Creativity doesn't live in clutter or cubicles—it lives in spaces that feel like possibility. Design for energy, and build for vision. Make your space reflect the future you're building, not the job you left. Never apologize for having taste or courage. - Aleesha Webb, Pioneer Bank 14. Make Room For A Personal Passion My home office doubles as a music studio with keyboards, guitars and electronic drums. When I need a reset, diving into a quick jam session helps immeasurably! In particular, the drums are a great way to mentally shift gears. A workspace that includes a personal passion—be it music, art or something else tactile—can create a powerful outlet for creative thinking and emotional clarity. - Luke Lombe, Faculty Group 15. Designate Distinct Areas For Specific Functions Design your workspace with distinct areas for focus, collaboration and recharging. A creativity zone—with whiteboards, flexible seating and natural light—encourages brainstorming and fresh thinking. Leaders can replicate this by integrating inspiring visuals and adaptable setups to support different workflows and boost innovation. - Rohan Sharma, 16. Remove Distractions Clear your space of distractions first, removing clutter and phones. Then, guard your time. Block creative sessions on your calendar, set a timer and stick to it. Creativity isn't just about space; it's about focus. Leaders can foster this by modeling discipline and making room for deep thinking. - Jon Osterburg, Jitasa 17. Keep It Clean Include elements that stimulate focus and imagination, like a clutter-free, organized space with plenty of natural light. When the space is clean, disinfected and well-organized, it helps clear mental distractions, making it easier for employees to focus and think creatively. A clean environment sets the tone for fresh ideas, sharper problem-solving and more inspired work. - Adam Povlitz, Anago Cleaning Systems 18. Tidy Up At The End Of The Day Overwhelm is the enemy of action. When your workspace is a mess, it's impossible to think clearly or creatively. By tidying up your desk at the end of the day, you ensure you're set up for success the next morning while mitigating overwhelm. - Erin Stafford, Stafford Company 19. Spark Your Curiosity And Bold Thinking I surround my workspace with books, art and objects that reflect curiosity and bold thinking. This keeps my mind engaged and open to new ideas. Leaders can create similar spaces by blending personal inspiration with tools for focus. Think open layouts, creative prompts and areas that encourage reflection and collaboration. - Asaad Hakeem, SARC MedIQ Inc. 20. Reflect Your Unique Goals And Mindset I believe it's not the space that inspires the person, but the person who inspires the space. I keep my workspace simple, clean and filled with purpose. It's not about design; it's about focus and energy. Leaders can do the same by creating a space that reflects their goals and mindset, as that's where true creativity begins. - Jekaterina Beljankova, WALLACE s.r.o
News24
25-05-2025
- Business
- News24
Warmer colours, more plants: SA employers go for homey offices to lure staff back
SA offices are adopting designs inspired by nature, with trending greens, blues, browns, and beiges to lure staff back on-site after working from home. Warmer tones replace outdated cool palettes, with Pantone's Mocha Mousse – a warm brown – as Pantone colour of the year. Home-inspired office design reflects the mood of post-Covid office work. For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page. In a bid to get employees out of their homes and back on-site after the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies are upping the office offering by creating more homey spaces that offer more than just a cubicle. Colour plays a key role, according to Linda Trim, director of Giant Leap, workplace design consultants and according to Trend Group, office interior designers, there is a 'growing trend towards earthy and organic tones'. The South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) shows a strengthening of overall vacancy rates from 16.1% to 13.7% from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2024, indicating an increased demand for office space. 'As more companies call employees back to work and return-to-work policies are common, they are also rethinking workplace design in hopes of boosting productivity and motivation. New uses of colour will be a big part of that, in what comes next for the workplace,' said Trim. 'The thoughtful application of colour in the workplace is a confluence of psychology, brand alignment and functional design. As organisations continue to evolve and embrace new ways of working, colour remains a powerful yet underutilised resource in shaping workplace culture and performance,' said Tandi Jacobs, general manager at ID Internal Developers. Trend Group "strategically employ[s] shades of blue in areas demanding concentration, leveraging its proven ability to enhance focus and create a sense of calm. Supplied/ Trend Group Greens, blues and neutral tones are popular choices for office interiors, according to Trim, also that nature-inspired design (biophilia) is on trend right now as it creates a relaxed atmosphere that helps create a homey feel. 'Blues and greens are associated with calmness and stability. These hues reduce anxiety and promote sustained focus, making them ideal for spaces requiring concentration, such as private offices, quiet work areas or meeting rooms,' said Jacobs. It's all in the plants An integral part of the biophilic interior style, live greenery, is also a popular design element and, according to Trim, is a big part of getting people back to work. The one common theme we are seeing in all our office designs of late is greenery,' said Jacobs. According to Jacobs, the biophilic colour palette promotes a calm, comforting environment that does not cause overstimulation. These include not only greens and blues, but also warm browns and soft beiges. According to Trend Group, bold accents are also in. Deep blues, rich oranges, and vibrant yellows add visual interest and personality. Jacobs believes colour can transform the workplace into a more human, functional and forward-looking environment. In the recent past, a cooler palette of whites and greys were on trend, but clients increasingly prefer warmer, neutral palettes like creams and warm greys, according to Jacobs. 'This could be because it creates a warmer, homely look and feel, and could be aligning more on the Pantone colour of the year, Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse and more recently, Cinnamon Slate 2113-40,' she said. 'People got very used to their homely environments in Covid, and wanted a similar feel from the office on their return,' added Trim.
