Employees Don’t Think About Workplace Design: Unless It Sucks

There is nothing worse than a boring workplace designed like a stripped down dentist’s office. Okay, maybe a toxic and dysfunctional workplace is worse but I’m not a therapist so I can’t help you there, unfortunately. However, I can offer advice on how to transform the feels-like-I’m-getting-my-tooth-pulled office design into something much more inspiring for your employees.

The reality is that most office layouts eschew inspiring design elements and focus on maximizing floor space for maximum dollar impact. While saving money is an admirable goal, there’s another part of your business affected by bad workplace design that you might not fully realize: employee morale. 

If you look close enough you can see it in their eyes and you definitely know it by the way they hightail it at ten to five, stretch out their break times, and are generally less productive. While you might try to impress your employees with your vintage “Soar With The Eagles” motivational posters, that’s not enough to make them feel excited about spending 7 hours a day in the office staring at blank walls. And, if they aren’t excited to be in the office working, then they probably aren’t excited to do the work. You wouldn’t want that, would you?

That’s why, my friend, I think it’s high time you rethought how to utilize office design and un-suck your workplace to motivate and inspire your team. In my last article I wrote about managing the back to office mandate without f*cking it up. In this article I’ll give you some tips on how to make your office suck less, from the importance of a good looking space to the impact it has on your team. 

Spoiler alert: It’s art. I’m going to talk about art. 

But first, the why.

The Importance of Workplace Design

Callout: According to a study by the American Society of Interior Designers, 90% of employees believe that their attitude towards work is affected by their office environment. 

That’s 9 out of every 10 employees whose attitude matches the office environment! Look around again. See any bad ones? Because those attitudes affect retention and your team’s productivity.

Further, with the best candidates emphasizing office culture and design in accepting job offers, and the threat of increased employee turnover in 2025, according to the Eagle Hill Consulting Employee Retention Index, it’s pretty apparent you need to do anything and everything you can to attract and keep the best employees. While there are all kinds of incentives you can offer, I’m going to focus on office design. 

(Surprised? You shouldn’t be.)

Inspiring Workplace Design Fosters Collaboration. 

As an advertising agency producer there have been moments while on my way to get my 4th cup of coffee that I’ve run into a creative director and said, “Oh, hey! I’ve got an idea for how we can make that dog parachuting out of a helicopter shot work with the budget we have. What if…?”

While those sorts of exchanges can be disruptive, there’s an immediacy to them that feels encouraging, connected, and sometimes even kinetic. Great ideas often happen between meetings, when we’re not paying attention, by happenstance, or when we’re wired up on caffeine. Sure, they can happen over Slack, too. But, when you look someone in the eye and read their full body language you get a better sense if it’s a good idea…or not.

Yes, it’s good to get people into the office.

Good workplace design improves productivity

It is not enough for the workplace to simply be effective; it has to also offer a great experience – Gensler Global Workplace Survey Comparison 2023. Just look at the numbers. Need I say more?

Good workplace design inspires

Things like the quality of light, the texture of surfaces, and the colors in the office can create balance or chaos, be boring or bold, inspire or discourage. And the space itself–the flow, the meeting room layouts, the phone booths, the kitchen cabinets, the shape of the shared desks–have an impact on whether your office is inspiring or (hopefully not) disheartening.

And yes, even art, from murals to prints, bring a sense of play, provoke thought, comfort or challenge. For example, take a look at this work we did for BMO Harris. We took their inspired 17th Floor community space to the next level by bringing in renowned artist CERA to create a 4-surface mural that spoke to BMO’s role in the community. 

Tips for a Successful Office Redesign

• Make a Plan: Redesigning an office is a complex process that requires careful planning. If you don’t already know, I really like process when it comes to projects like this. I think it better allows for creativity to happen, celery sets expectations, and helps manage any stress on your team.
• Engage Your Team: Get your employees involved. No one takes too kindly to a big reveal on things that affect them without being able to provide input – including your office redesign. Conducting surveys, hosting a happy hour forum to discuss ideas, or creating committees to steward portions of the project, are all important ways to enroll your employees in the change you seek. Every employee wants a more creative and vibrant office to go to every day – include  them in the process and you’ll get some buy-in and ownership.
• Get Help: You’re a whiz at defining strategic goals, refining the process, motivating your team, managing supply chains, keeping the bosses happy, and all the other things on your plate. You cannot be expected to be a design guru as well. Get some help whether you hire an interior office designer, solicit advice from friends and colleagues, or reach out to Evan at IPMM for art curation consulting (shameless plug). You thank me now or later. 
• Put Some Budget Behind It: Anything done on the cheap is going to leave you wishing it hit. Think of it like investing in your employees. You buy them $800 chairs for their butt-comfort. Why not art for inspiration? You can most def upgrade the vibe with curated prints in key areas or go bigger with a mural to really hit home that vibe. And maybe even get some press for your office (Think ‘best places to work’ kinda press.)

Art Rentals: Flexibility and Variety

Art plays a vital role in transforming office spaces. From massive companies like Facebook and Google, to smaller outfits seeking differentiation, custom murals and art rentals can inject personality and creativity into an otherwise hum-drum environment. People really dig our rotating art rentals because  they refresh the vibe at any interval you want, surprise and delight your team on the regular, and even inspire clients who come see you in the office.  It also sets your office apart from your competition. And the flexibility of murals on substrates allows you to move it to your next office while rotating art rentals give you one less thing to manage internally.

On the Real You Know It’s An Issue

I know that you’re not stupid, not entirely devoid of taste, really care about your employees, and you know employee satisfaction is critical to your business success. By investing in thoughtful design and art services for your workplace, you will create an environment and a company that attracts top talent, boosts productivity, and achieves your strategic business goals.

I also know you’re smart enough to do your research, so here’s a handy-dandy download to learn about corporate art options, ideas, and strategies: The IPaintMyMind Corporate Art Guide.