THE SUBTLE DESIGN TRICKS THAT HELP AND HARM CREATIVITY

“Well designed workplaces often create environments that make their employees more creative, often without even realizing they have done it.”

By: Bryan Borzykowsi

Published: 4 July, 2017; BBC, http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20170629-the-subtle-design-tricks-that-help-and-harm-creativity

Level of Difficulty: **

BEFORE YOU READ

Watch the video below and think about the reasons for the design tips

·         More than work: Tokyo office grows own food in vertical farm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJMZRIRkZWs

QUESTIONS

1.       George would have felt sad about moving out of her previous office if it had been …What made it so?

2.       It is implied in the text that the design of an office wouldn’t matter if ……..was not required. Which of the workplaces below would fit the bill:

·         An assembly line

·         A firm of interior designers

·         A call center

·         An architectural company

3.       The design of an office is important in the modern world because the focus of modern business is…

4.       People become better thinkers on the condition that they are experiencing…(Tweak the text)

5.       Why are blue, green and yellow specifically recommended as paint for office walls?

6.       The color red should be avoided in work places because of its…

7.       We understand from the first three paragraphs of the section titled mood lighting that the closer the lighting is to………….the better.

8.       Read the example of the office described by Sargent. The company would fail to deal with the problem if they:

·         Used pictures and posters

·         Installed a large aquarium

·         Bricked up the wall and installed light fittings

·         Installed plenty of plants with foliage

9.       We understand from the text that the choice of color depends on the company’s effects / purpose/ design / conclusions.

10.   Reading rooms in libraries, places of worship, auditoriums all generally have high ceilings. What might be the reason for this?

11.   Read the section titled “Putting it into practice” to the end. Creating different spaces in an office will enable both………………..and ………………..to be successfully completed
       WRITING TASK
       Use the information in the text and the video to describe an ideal office space

THE SUBTLE DESIGN TRICKS THAT HELP AND HARM CREATIVITY KEY AND TEACHERS’ NOTES

1.       A more inviting place to work / The lack of natural light and the color of the walls; OR The fact that there was barely any natural light and the walls were grey

2.       Creativity; 1 and 3

3.       Knowledge work that values innovation and creativity

4.       Feelings of security and comfort

5.       Calmer colors are more stimulating than saturated ones, so they distract us less from the task at hand.

6.       Link to degraded analytical performance and more aggressive feelings

7.       Natural light

8.       3

9.       Purpose

10.   Higher ceilings result in more creative thinking

11.   Creative work, hands on tasks