Posted on Wednesday 28th July 2021 | Inspiration
Why do you need art in the workplace?
In this article we will take a closer look at the positive effect that art and
custom picture frames can bring to both employees and visitors, as well as some tips on how to choose the best art for your workplace.
Did you know that displaying art in your workplace can be a great way to elevate your employee's mood and physical well-being, as well as helping to create more personal bonds between your employees and your clients? There have been lots of studies undertaken over the past ten years or so, that have identified a multitude of ways – both conscious and unconscious – that installing carefully chosen pieces of art in the workplace can not only help to improve employee experiences and their level of achievement, but also can help your firm to communicate the right impression to your clients as well.
In this brief guide, the team of
picture frame online experts from Frames.co.uk will summarise the most common benefits hanging art in the workplace brings to employees and clients, as well as sharing ideas on how to choose the art for your workplace.
Art can be used as a reference guide
The places that we work in can often feel like mazes, with doors, hallways and desks around every corner. As human brains hold onto little details, such as memorable features in our environments, art can be hung to be used as a reference guide, or landmark, so that as people travel through the space they can remember where they have been and where it is they need to go next. Art can also come in handy when it comes to giving people directions.
Art can also be used as a tool to help communicate your key brand messages in a non-verbal way, and so it should be included as part of your overall brand strategy. For example, if you are a marketing firm who conducts its business in a less conventional way than others, you could choose to use unusual artwork to help display that message to employees and clients. If you hang pictures of high-prestige locations such as Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament in your office it could give the impression that you work with powerful people, while hanging works of art that depict multiple ethnic traditions can signal a bias towards multicultural management practices and inclusivity.
Moving on from this idea, if the art you choose to hang features a common identity or common issues of concern, such as health-related images or environmentally responsible practices, then it can support both a feeling of unity amongst employees as well as between your business and its clients. You could also use the art you choose to promote your local area and local culture to help create a bridge between your workplace and the surrounding area. You could also choose to feature local artists, giving them a spot to display their latest pieces and supporting the local community.
If you want to give your employees a sense of ownership about where they work, then allowing them to choose and display their own pieces of art can help to give them a feeling of control, which has been linked to an increase in productivity at all levels of organisations.
Art can also play a role in helping with employee performance and stress levels
Art has long been used in hospitals as a rehabilitative influence and in a similar way it has been shown to benefit employee health and well-being as well. This is critical as the workplace can very easily become a place of stress and tension, with people becoming mentally drained after periods of highly-focused work. However, spending some time looking at artwork, particularly artwork featuring realistic scenes set in nature, can help them to reduce their stress levels and increase their mental energy – both of which have a positive effect on brain performance. Being surrounded by nature images has also been shown to lower levels of anger as well.
Being angry at work has been linked to negative behaviour such as absenteeism, interpersonal aggression, increased turnover and poor performance. However, employees who work in places that feature artwork depicting nature typically experience less anger and stress when faced with work-related frustrations, and this contributes to a more collaborative and enjoyable workplace for all.
Art is also ideal for sparking discussion among employees that can help to foster more interpersonal activity and therefore, bring your team closer together. If your culture is one of creativity and innovation, then pacing engaging pieces of artwork can help substantiate these values and reinforce them daily in every employee's eyes. If employees are exposed to works of art and images that they find appealing, they will also be more open to considering different points of view in their daily work tasks.
Certain objects of art have been shown to provoke higher emotional reactions in certain people, than say paintings can. Paintings tend to represent a personal expression of something, that holds emotional value to the viewer, whereas an object is more subjective. If various artistic objects are placed around the workplace, then this can also encourage employees to communicate with each other about them, as well as inspiring some personal reflection as well.
Art works in a similar way to nature, in that it can transport the person looking at it to a different place, by creating a sense of awe. When people experience awe, it can lead to a significant decrease in the levels of inflammation that tend to cause chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, depression and diabetes. It can also help to stimulate more efficient processing of information in their brain, helping employees to feel more patient and less rushed.
How to choose the right art for your workplace
When thinking about what pieces of art to hang in your workplace you need to take into account:
- Content
- Positioning
- Scale
- Texture
If you want to encourage positive feelings amongst your employees, you should look for artwork containing:
- Grassy areas
- Green foliage
- Gently flowing body of water
For the most positive effect, these views should look as if the person viewing the painting is looking down on them when they are standing in front of the painting.
Interestingly enough, pictures featuring older people and images of our distant past have proven to improve employee's performance on intelligence tests. Artwork that shows people being cared for can also remind us of how we are loved, which can reduce employees stress levels – helping them to function better during stressful situations.
Having said all this, implementing art as part of your office décor is not an easy task – as it can be quite hard to please everyone. However, the body of evidence is weighted heavily towards it improving employees intellectual and mental health.
If you are looking for
cheap picture frames uk to add to your office artwork then please browse the Frames.co.uk website.
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