How To Master The Literal Art Of Workspace Design

• After long periods of home working, people expect both functionality and comfort from their office environment.
• Curating office art becomes a more inclusive, collaborative experience that brings more creativity to office environments—thereby creating a positive workplace culture.
• Allwork.Space spoke to Acrylicize art studio CEO Paul Arad to learn how employers can use art to attract talent and ultimately keep their employees happy.

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At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace leaders were desperate for ways to bring employees back into the office.

Soon after that Great resignation prevailed, and discussions revolved around how to avoid staff losses amid an evolving workplace landscape.

Both discussions had an important finding: office culture can play an important role in a company’s ability to retain a happy and productive workforce.

Acrylicize – a multidisciplinary art studio that works with architects and corporations on branding, art installations and more – helps organizations develop offices that foster collaboration, creativity and culture.

Allwork.Space caught up with Paul Arad, Managing Director of Acrylicize, to learn more about how employers can use art to attract talent and ultimately keep their employees happy.

Transformation begins with disruption

Art has always played a role in the workplace, but not as modern and diverse as it is today.

“I think what’s interesting is that [art is] much fairer,” says Arad.

In the past, office art collections were often curated or selected by the business owner, in accordance with their own taste and vision for the space. But curating art in the office is becoming a more inclusive, collaborative experience.

“Today I believe that workplaces reflect all the people there,” explains Arad, “it’s much more about creating environments, areas and aesthetics that speak to a wider range of people and I think that’s what art is about does brilliantly. You can play with your surroundings, you can have spinning artworks, bring in different artists in different places, and really rejuvenate the space through the purest expressions.”

Arad says that anything that brings more creativity into our environment is a positive thing and something that will become more mainstream over time.

Acrylicize encourages the integration of art in all forms into an office – 3D art, lighting design, unique canvases and more.

Define and understand workplace culture

Before a company can elevate its brand culture through art and design in the workplace, it must be able to define its culture—and what drives it.

It’s difficult to say something clearly if you don’t know exactly what it is. But describing such an abstract concept as “culture” is not easy.

For that reason, Arad recommends taking the time to really understand the company’s focus, how it uses its workplace, and what its aspirations are as a brand. This helps in building a strong and enduring creative strategy for an office.

Ultimately, people expect both functionality and convenience from their office environment, especially after many have worked from home for so long.

“I think that’s a good thing and it obliges employers to create amazing environments and experiences,” says Arad.

Achieving the “wow effect”

According to Arad, many of Acrylicize’s clients are on a mission to create a welcoming experience for employees who are returning or have recently returned to the office, and they are also looking for new talent.

When it comes to talent acquisition, flexibility is important. But the working environment is also important, says Arad.

Offices must enable focused and collaborative work and make people feel part of something bigger; They must contribute to the meaning of the resident.

“What things can tell our story? What can make people feel like they are in a truly wonderful environment?”

The way the space is designed, as well as its functionality and dynamic workspaces, as well as the artworks and coverings used, contribute to the identity and individuality of a work environment, and in a world of options, individuality can be an attractive attribute.

keep local

Collaborating with local artists can help ‘ground’ a workspace in its immediate vicinity, create ‘a different excitement and energy to a space’ and ‘legacy’ for creatives.

Collaborating with local artists can bring workspaces to life, including in common spaces and areas like elevator lobbies that might otherwise go unnoticed.

By providing QR codes to scan alongside commissioned work, the viewer can learn more about the piece and the inspiration behind it.

“It’s compelling and shows a level that goes into the overall design of the space that people sometimes don’t get from first impressions,” says Arad. “We’re constantly trying to find ways to create connections and layers of meaning and understanding. So if you want to do more research, you have the opportunity and the means to do it.”