3 design elements that motivate, engage & inspire teams
When it comes to commercial design, everyone knows about Instagram moments. They’re an expected part of most hospitality projects these days and more and more, they’re part of new office spaces. But as companies of all sizes struggle to get team members into the office, I would argue that Inspiration moments are becoming more important. What are the design elements that help employees feel motivated, engaged and, yes, even inspired?
In more than 20 years of designing office spaces, I’ve found three key elements that consistently provide that Inspiration moment when done right – color, natural light and outdoor spaces, or spaces that bring the outdoors in.
Here are just a few examples of projects we’ve done over the years that use these timeless design principles.
What design elements inspire you?
Outdoor spaces and spaces that bring the outdoors in
Wellness features like plant walls can bring the outdoors into high-rise applications and other spaces where patios or balconies are not possible or practical.
Colors that energize
On-brand pops of color create engaging spaces for collaboration.
Lots of natural light
A large study of North American workers found that access to natural light and views of the outdoors are the number one attribute employees want in the workplace, outranking amenities like onsite cafeterias, fitness centers, and even on-site childcare. The study also found that the absence of natural light and outdoor views hurts the employee experience. Over a third of employees feel that they don’t get enough natural light in their workspace. 47% of employees admit they feel tired or very tired from the absence of natural light or a window at their office, and 43% report feeling gloomy because of the lack of light.