Legal Research

"Is Our Work a Product of Our Environment?"

Posted by John Jantsch: "Marketing podcast with Scott Belsky (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download - subscribe now via iTunes

For this week's episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast I visited with Scott Belsky, founder of Behance, a company that develops products and services that boost productivity in the Creative Professional Community. Scott's first project was the creation of the wildly successful Behance Network, the leading place for creatives to hang out and learn more about enhancing their business.

We spent most of time talking about the impact that our work space has on our ability to create and be productive. The idea for this show originated from some time that Scott and I spent attending a meeting at a very creative workspace in New York City called Meet at the Apartment. Meet at the Apartment is a study in the impact seating, lighting, color and placement can have on one's ability to think creatively vs. work efficiently.

Scott shares some research that suggests the need for businesses to consider creating different environments for different kind of work. There was a day when companies created cubes for admin workers and the creatives got the fuseball table. Turns out that cubes are not such a bad environment when you need to slam something out, but a space with high ceilings and lively images on the walls is important when big strategic thinking is required.

I know that I am much more productive when my office and desk are uncluttered and neat. I'm more creative with Motzart but crank paperwork with James McMurtry on the stereo. I often take a field trip to a public library branch when I get stuck.

The world of office design is dominated by interior designers more schooled in the visual aspects of office space, but my feeling is there is an opportunity for the growth of more off site spaces like Meet at the Apartment as well as space design that's all about the different kinds of work we need to do.

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Source: Duct Tape Marketing, 22 June 2009

Full post as published by Stark County Law Library Blawg on June 29, 2009 (boomark / email).