Contrary to popular belief, edgy carpeting doesn’t make ideas better.
What constitutes a creative environment anyway? Is it the environment environment? The paint color? The furniture? The carpeting?
Is it the conditions that encourage fresh ideas and discourage all the negative stuff that stifles free thinking?
From my observations as a creative thinking coach, having been within the walls of more than 300 companies, over 100 ad agencies, many of which are truly trying to develop a “creative environment,” most groups are looking in the wrong place for a solution.
It probably won’t shock you that a huge proportion of organizations who seek to develope a creative environment look for the answer in edgy interior design at the hippest address in town.
Friends, hiring a brilliant architect to help your group be more creative is like putting a suit on a 4-year-old and expecting him to act mature. Ain’t gonna’ happen.
Oh, I’ve even seen studies that show that this color makes us more tranquil and while that color makes us more agitated. (I think these studies were done for prisons or kindergartens.)
Hey, do I enjoy creative interior design? Absolutely. How about if I told you my principle hobby for over 20 years has been interior design. Yeah, I love creating environments.
But space, color and texture have almost nothing to do with helping people be more creative. Oh, it may be cool. Interesting. Fun. Even fresh. But does that mean being there leads to cool, interesting, fun or fresh ideas? I’ve seen no connection.
Now, I’m not saying that you can’t have creative ideas in these cool environments. I’m just saying the true creative environment is something altogether different.
At most, interior design may say, “we’re willing to break some rules.” Fine. (Although you’d be shocked at how similar all these companies look who are breaking the rules. Kind of like artists wearing all black, these highly individual people who all dress alike. Hey, my wardrobe is mostly black. Or, was that in the ‘90’s? Let’s change the subject.)
True creative environment is about an atmosphere of open-mindedness. It’s about lack of fear, stimulating curiosity, encouraging exploration, minimal judgment… that kind of stuff.
And even there, are all creative environments the same? Hardly. Nor should they be. How individuals respond to conditions is quite subjective. The same way some flowers need moisture to thrive and others need arid conditions.
Hey, I don’t want to rain on anyone’s interior design parade. Just don’t expect paint and furniture to take the place of what’s required to really nurture creativity.
