Creativity is around every corner and the wonderful thing about it is that it can be sparked in the blink of an eye, whether it be from a certain color, a scent, an object or even a plant. Yes that’s right – nature can not only greatly effect a person’s health, stress-level and overall well-being, but it has a serious effect on an individual’s creativity level as well.
A study was conducted by researchers at Texas A&M University to learn how plant life in the workplace can help increase employee problem solving and productivity. The investigation went on for eight months where participants would creatively perform different problem solving tasks in various office conditions and environments. Some of these environments would include a room with floral arrangements and plants, others with sculptures and a few with no artistic or botanical assets at all.
When the study was complete the results were groundbreaking. Creative performance and problem solving skills were substantially greater in office environments that contained flowers and plants. Specifically, both men and women demonstrated a higher level of innovative thinking in botanical environments as opposed to those with sculptures or zero decorative motifs at all. Additionally, results showed that women generated more creative solutions problems in locations with plants and flowers while men generated a greater number of ideas in the same location.
Some may believe that adding live horticulture to an office space is frivolous and unnecessary, but we find that the results seem to speak for themselves. Creativity and inventiveness are the ground floor of problem solving and innovation, which can impact the overall success of any business. So if incorporating greenery into your office space can help generate this, why wouldn’t you consider it? It’s just a bonus that our designs also happen to look great!
