Designing a Creative and
Effective Workspace
Presented by:
Kristine Hill
Before you begin…
• Be aware of company regulations on
decorating
• Consider how your choice of decorations
is conveyed to coworkers
• Select items that reflect your personal
interests but maintain a professional
image
Ergonomic Essentials
• You spend at least 8 hours your day in
your workspace so make comfort your 1st
priority
– Choose a supportive and properly positioned
office chair
– Consider the physical ease that you can
reach your essential technology and tools
– Add natural lighting with a desk lamp to your
workspace
Organizing Your Work-Flow
• Arrange office furniture in a way that helps
to manage the flow of people and paper
through your workspace.
• Consider the dynamics of co-workers
– Are you often interrupted? Maybe your chair
could face away from the entrance
– Do you appear unapproachable? Try
positioning your desk so that you face
outward
Organizing Your Work-Flow
• Consider the placement of your inbox,
your work surface and your filing cabinets
• Do you have all the references and
resources you need close at hand?
Get Organized
• Think about the environment in which you feel
most productive
– For some people, a clean and uncluttered work space
with sufficient room helps them think more clearly and
productively
– Others feel more energized when they can lay
everything out at once
• Regardless of how you work, cleaning off your
desk at the end of each day will help you stay
organized, and will give others a positive
perception of your work habits
Decorating Basics
• Keep only essential items on your desk
• Keep documents, pictures, knickknacks, etc.
spaced apart enough so that it doesn’t appear
chaotic
• Bring aspects of your personality to your
workspace
– Pick a decorative wall calendar
– Photographs and artwork
Personalize in a
Professional Way
• Hang pictures & artwork based on your
personal interest
• Keep framed pictures of loved ones or
admirable figures on your desk
– Avoid photos that may be too personal
– Don’t hang anything that may be lewd,
sexually suggestive or harmful to others’
cultures or religious views
Personalize in a
Professional Way
• A motivational quote or personal mission
statement posted on your bulletin board
• Include some artwork, perhaps even
something special a child has made
– Avoid putting up every picture your kids have
ever drawn
Personalize in a
Professional Way
• Personalized mouse pads, wallpaper and
screen savers can dress up your computer
• A fruit bowl or candy dish not only dresses
up your office, but makes you popular with
co-workers
Go Green
• Plants (or fresh cut flowers) are an attractive
desk top accessories that add color while
improving your workspace environment and air
quality
• Decorate with plants that are easy to maintain
and will survive in low light
– Bamboo, aloe, philodendron, pothos
• Keep plants in beautiful containers, but ones that
won’t damage office furniture.
• Remember to water appropriately
Accessorize
• Use new accessories to hold office tools
that add color while helping you stay
organized
• Hang announcements, poems, posters or
upcoming events that are inspiring and
motivating
• Add a mirror to increase the appearance
of space and light
Feng Shui?
• Means "wind-water," two elements that
represent the flow and movement of life energy
• System of aesthetics that applies the laws of
both astronomy and geography to help better
one's life
• Uses design environments that are welcoming,
comfortable and help people prosper
• Feng Shui is a culturally-specific and highly
complex system that we can’t explain here, but
some of its basic principles can be helpful
Potential Benefits
• Makes you more conscious of how your
environment influences your state of mind
• Simplification of your workspace may
reduce stress
• Helps you focus on the task at hand
• Eliminates key sources of distraction
Feng Shui Principles for Your
Office
• Make sure you can see the entrance to your
office or cubicle from your desk
– If you can’t change your place, use a mirror to
reflect the entrance to allow you to see who is
approaching
• Consider lighting
– Use natural light when possible
– Add a small lamp with a soft light or full spectrum
bulb to your workspace
Feng Shui Principles for Your
Office
• Bring living and flowing energy into your
workspace
– Add odd numbers of plants into your space to
stimulate more active, vibrant energy
– Use a fountain or picture of water near the
entrance of your workspace
– Add artwork that inspires you
Feng Shui Principles for Your
Office
• Keep the area in front of the desk clear
• Put symbols of future goals above your eye
level
• Balance light and dark colors, soft and hard
surfaces, and smooth and rough textures in
decorating choices
• Keep the electrical cords to your office
equipment well hidden
Remember
• Design your office with comfort and wellbeing in mind
• Decorate to make your work day more
pleasant
• Always keep it tasteful and professional
Thank You!