5 things that creative companies look for in an office
Boring offices are definitely a thing of the past and for start-ups, fashion and media companies, they are looking for an office space which appeals to their personalities and also gives inspiration to the creative process.
In London, the most popular area for creative companies including Farringdon, Shoreditch and and Hoxton – and these are the main things that they will typically be looking for.
Open space
Creative companies need to be in office spaces where there is a lot of room and natural light coming in. The Illumination Studies of 1924 showed that workers were more productive in environments with brighter lights – and where being design-focused and creative is key to the organisation, the same rule applies today in the 21st century.
Creatives need to avoid feeling claustrophobic and cluttered and instead have freedom to explore their creative juices and open their minds. Anything with windows and skylines is welcomed.
Colourful surrounding
Similar to open spaces, having colourful office spaces is deemed to have a positive impact on employee wellbeing and for creative people. Avoid white and dark colours at all costs and instead look for bright colours like yellow and orange to elicit bright ideas and use blue for calming and soothing feelings in the office.
Third spaces
Creative offices will typically benefit from a third space is where employees can go and have their own space, away from their desk and a communal office or meeting room. This is typically characterised with large sofas, relaxation rooms and ‘green rooms’ and is something that was adopted very early by the likes of Google.
This is a place where creatives can unwind and come up with new ideas without distractions. If there is good coffee served too, even better.
Close to transport
Beyond the aesthetics of an office, creative companies need to be able to access the best human capital and resources and being close to a major train station can certainly help. This is why Shoreditch and Old Street have become popular as it is accessible for all suburbs of London within an hour or so. See serviced offices for more information.
Finding the best staff in more remote areas can be more difficult, especially if you are looking for very creative people or very specialist jobs to do with fashion, textiles, development or design.
Close to amenities
Part of keeping the best staff means having access to good things around the office including dry cleaners, restaurants and also materials. If the creative nature of the job requires getting good fabric, equipment or tools, being in a busy and well located area can certainly help things move along – compared to being in the countryside or a very derelict area.
