ART & ITS INFLUENCE ON PRODUCTIVITY 

Since many of us spend most of our time at work, our workplaces can become kind of like a second home. Whether you work from a home office or elsewhere, making your workspace feel more like home can make it a more enjoyable place to be. Many workplaces invest in some form of art to enhance the overall aesthetic of their environment. However, displaying art can have many benefits beyond simply beautifying the space. In fact, showing art has been found to enhance creativity, productivity and create an overall sense of calm in the workplace. But not just any art—it’s most effective when it compliments your overall design aesthetic and when workers have input in choosing the art.

Art can enrich the working environment because it creates the opportunity to get lost in something and get our creative juices flowing. This can help promote more creativity and innovation. Bear in mind that it needs to be creative art in order for it to be effective—motivational posters won’t do the trick. Art also functions as a conversation piece and can inspire discussions among team members. If you would like to inspire creativity and promote positive relationships among staff, introducing art into the workplace is a great way to do that. Fine art is the right kind of distraction that can uplift everyone on your team.

It is well-known that viewing art can help evoke a sense of calm. Taking one look at Moira Ness’ Personal Cyclic Models works every time. Since work can often be a point of stress in our lives, it makes sense to offset that with some calming art to soothe the senses. When people feel happy and calm at work, they’re more likely to produce better quality work. For this same reason, some companies will even invest in art as a way to help retain employees.

Research has demonstrated that a well-designed workplace that features art tends to be more productive than one without, especially when employees are given the freedom to arrange the decor however they like. In a fascinating study conducted by Craig Knight and S. Alexander Haslam, four different workplace environments were created:

• Lean: without any art or decor
• Enriched: with art and plants arranged by the researchers
• Empowered: with art and plants arranged by the employees themselves
• Disempowered: with art and plants that were first arranged by the staff themselves, then rearranged by the researchers

Interestingly, the study found that people working in an enriched environment were 17% more productive than those in a lean environment. Further, it was found that productivity doubled when people were empowered, but mirrored lean levels when people were disempowered. It was concluded that art makes us more productive, but only when we have personal agency over our working environments.

When you invest in creating a pleasant, stimulating work environment and include your team in the selection of art, it shows that you care about their well-being and can encourage everyone to take pride in what they do. It’s a great idea to have input from everyone when it comes to choosing art for the workplace. We would love the opportunity to work with you and your team to curate a sophisticated fine art package for your workspace. We can even consult with you on your design aesthetic and select pieces that compliment your company’s brand. Please reach out to Sonja if you are interested in curating the perfect collection of art for your corporate project.