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Why do some workplaces feel like they just work, while others leave you feeling overwhelmed, disengaged or uninspired?
A lot of it is down to how our brains respond to the spaces around us.
You may not have heard of Neuroaesthetics before, or if you have, the chances are it’s not something that comes up in your day-to-day conversations yet. However, with a growing focus on wellbeing, performance and experience in the modern workspace it is a concept that is well worth taking some time to understand and implement.
In this blog, we’ll cover:
- Why Neuroaesthetics is important in Workspace Design
- How the office environment affects the brain
- How Office Furniture influences behaviour and wellbeing
- Some of the key principles of Neuroaesthetics in Workspace Design
- How you can apply Neuroaesthetics in your next project
Why is Neuroaesthetics important in Workspace Design?
The field of Neuroaesthetics is focused on moving beyond how a workplace looks to how it genuinely supports the people using it day-to-day.
It explores how our brains respond to the environments around us and considers design elements such as colour, light, material choice and space.
Understanding the principles of Neuroaesthetics and embedding them into workspace design decisions allows you to create a working environment that best meets the needs of your team.
It elevates your thinking and increases employee motivation, comfort and productivity.
How Office Environments Affect the Brain
At any given time, our brains are processing and filtering a vast amount of information. A lot of this happens subconsciously to allow us to function without having to consciously process everything happening around us.
When it comes to office environments, visual clutter, poor acoustics and uncomfortable settings can all contribute to higher stress levels and ultimately poor performance.
Introduce neurodiversity into the mix and there is an even greater need to align workspace design with the needs of your team.
Today’s workspaces must become destinations that teams want to come to rather than have to. It’s important that employers and workspace designers recognise the need to earn the commute when hybrid work is the norm.
How Office Furniture Influences Behaviour and Wellbeing
Good space planning and office furniture design takes into account much more than simply functional considerations.
The field of Neuroaesthetics sees furniture as a sensory and emotional experience, moving far beyond choices such as the amount and variety of furniture pieces needed to accommodate a certain occupant number.
By considering things like scale, proportion, materiality and tactility it’s possible to support different work modes as well as sensory preferences within one space.
Key Neuroaesthetic Principles in Workspace Design
Applying Neuroaesthetic principles comes down to a series of practical decisions rather than an overtly scientific approach.
Some of the core elements of Neuroaesthetics are Colour, Materiality and Light, let’s break down each of these to understand more about their impact on individuals and their relevance to Workspace Design:
- Colour: Colour choices have a profound impact on how people feel within in a space. Neutral, softer tones are often applied to spaces to create a sense of calm and tranquillity whereas more striking saturated colours increase energy and stimulation. Research by Scandinavian furniture brand Muuto highlights how colour can be used to support both emotional wellbeing and cognitive performance when applied thoughtfully.
- Materiality: Material selection impacts our subconscious perception of comfort and how inviting a space feels. Specifying tactile, natural materials can soften a space compared with harder, synthetic materials which can feel colder and less welcoming. Variation is key here in order to create visual interest whilst balancing the sensory experience.
- Light, Space and Layout: Thoughtfully laid out spaces with natural light can reduce cognitive strain and enhance wellbeing and energy levels. Ultimately, if users have to work too hard to navigate and make sense of a space, they are more likely to focus on this rather than the work they are there to do.
How you can apply Neuroaesthetics in your next project
Applying Neuroaesthetics to workspace design leads to more considered, better performing workplaces that support the needs of the team working within them.
By making evidence-led design decisions, driven by Neuroaesthetic principles, you move beyond designing for appearance alone and start designing for how a space is experienced day-to-day. This means thinking more holistically about how furniture, materials, layout and sensory elements work together to support different behaviours and work modes.
Ultimately, applying Neuroaesthetics is about designing with people in mind. When done well, it results in workplaces that feel intuitive, comfortable and fit for purpose, creating environments where individuals and teams can perform at their best.
