Designing for the Mind
Rethinking Workspaces
Can we truly design workplaces to maximize productivity and creativity? Traditional open offices have not lived up to expectations, and orderly layouts with aligned desks have also fallen short. The playful, colorful spaces popularized by big tech companies seem to be losing their appeal. Since the pandemic, many employers still face challenges persuading people to return to offices, even though in-person interactions and spontaneous encounters often spark innovation.
Biophilic Design
A recent trend emphasizes biophilic design, which integrates natural elements into indoor spaces. The concept of “biophilia,” introduced by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm and later expanded by biologist E.O. Wilson, describes humans’ innate connection with nature. Many argue that today’s mental fatigue partly stems from being disconnected from the natural world. The proposed solution is to bring nature indoors through plants, green walls, natural light, wooden textures, earthy colors, and organic patterns like fractals. Advocates believe these elements help reduce stress, restore attention, and boost creativity. But the key question scientists pose remains: Does it actually work?
Our Research
In a recent study, we compared three environments:
- Natural setting: a nearby forest.
- Biophilic room: decorated with plants, a moss wall, bamboo ceiling panels, natural tones, and fractal-inspired designs.
- Control room: a plain, undecorated room often used in psychology labs.
We evaluated participants on aesthetic appreciation, attention, mood, and creativity. Unsurprisingly, people rated the forest as the most pleasing, followed by the biophilic room, with the control room last. However, we found no significant differences in mood, attention, or memory between the rooms. Importantly, participants were more creative in nature, showing greater flexibility and divergent thinking than in indoor environments.
Implications
Science advances step by step, so one study cannot give absolute answers. Our results do not prove that biophilic design has no effect on stress or attention—perhaps different features, longer exposure, or specific populations (like people with ADHD or high anxiety) might show stronger benefits. Still, our findings confirm that nature enhances creativity. Simply stepping outdoors, sitting in a park, or walking through the woods may be the mental reset needed to unlock fresh ideas.
