Creative spaces aren’t all about bean bags and table tennis

(3) Don’t go confusing creativity with frivolity

On the subject of bean bag chairs, our research found that only 12 per cent of workers felt that their office should facilitate games. A creative or collaborative space shouldn’t blur into an area for people to play table tennis on their lunch break.

Setting aside spaces solely for the creative process sends the message to your employees that you take this business seriously and you know the environment required for it to take place.

(4) Get far from the maddening crowd

If you have an open plan office one of the key benefits of a breakout space is that it is a quiet place to work privately or have uninterrupted brainstorm sessions.

Therefore, ensuring that these spaces are far enough away from the main concentration of employees, while also being easily accessible, is fundamental. For some businesses, this may be logistically impossible, in which case, soundproofing and adding frosting to glass doors etc. can provide enough privacy.

(5) Make sure you have the tools to succeed

There’s no one size fits all approach to what is required in these spaces. Depending on the nature of your business, all that may be needed is a good WiFi connection and some chairs. However, there is a world of smart whiteboards, interactive smart tables, and co-working platforms. The easiest way to work out what you need is to ask your employees and equip these spaces accordingly.

Consulting with your employees on the design of their collaborative spaces can be one of the most powerful ways to empower your staff. Giving them the freedom to take ownership of their office environment should result in a further boost morale and productivity. Finally, it should go without saying that the people best placed to tell you the environment they need are the people that experience it on a daily basis.

Tom Carroll is the head of EMEA corporate research at JLL

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