New research has found that many office workers feel more motivated when they have a personalized and individual workspace. In fact, 72 per cent of workers questioned said having a personalized workspace increased their motivation at work, highlighting a fundamental human need. The research which looked into workplace psychology found that allowing workers to make their offices more personal was of utmost importance.
Your workspace isn’t just about the gadgets you use for work; your computer setup is an external projection of your personality. In looking at how you interact with your computer, we can see what kind of workflow you’re into and some of your values. Your relationship with your computer reveals your personality and greatly impacts how you spend most of your time at work.
The psychology behind workspace personalization
In incorporating personal space into our workspaces, we can look to the environmental psychology findings about the effect of personal space on well-being. By allowing employees to create individual workstations in the same physical space, we can see a measurable impact on both their cognitive processing capacity and overall well-being. On average, employees have a 15% decrease in cortisol when given control over their workspace, in addition to being able to complete 12% more tasks on average. How does this work? By bringing personal items into the workspace, employees establish psychological anchors which facilitate reduced stress and greater focus.
How someone uses their space and organises it can reveal a lot about a person. In fact it can reveal so much about a person that it is often noticeable to others around them. Perhaps someone who travels abroad frequently will decorate their workspace with photos of places they have been. A display of technical certificates can also give others the impression that you are a person who is committed to developing yourself and improving your skills within your job function. It could even be down to the choice of office plant that best suits their character or values.
Even when employees are not working from home, their workspace has become an extension of their personal brand. What once was a personal preference can now have ripples in the workplace and affect relationships with coworkers. As more people work remotely or in hybrid roles, your workspace can become a billboard to promote your personality. That background, those books, those plants can start a conversation, stop a conversation, signal shared interests or boundaries.
Functional items that double as personal statements
Smart desk personalization is reflective of a person’s unique personality, style and working habits. The range of technology available also reveals a lot about a person’s personality. For instance, Mac users are generally creatives who require computers with rich application design features and PC users are motivated by the customisation options and potential for optimisation of their PC systems to get the best out of their hardware and software. In terms of monitor choices, it generally depends on the type of work that a person does. For example, multitaskers require dual screens to boost productivity, while those who engage in highly immersive tasks require ultrawide screens.
Fascinating to note that people who use mechanical keyboards are very particular when it comes to the tactile feedback and go to great lengths to ensure that their keys are properly switched out, even using their own tools to get the job done. Colleagues might notice that you display mechanical keyboards and therefore can likely tell what your workflow is like and whether or not you adhere to a high standard of quality.
In addition to color and style, storage and organization systems offer another level of personalization. While the minimalist may want to hide the storage but show the minimal surface, the artist/crafts person may choose open shelving to display current projects and inspirational materials. Those with more traditional needs may prefer files or areas to organize letters and packages. The tech person might be drawn to a variety of stylish docking stations and cable organizing systems.
In addition to serving practical functions, items on your desk can also be used to express your personal identity at work. For example, your desktop lamp, pen holder, and printed mousepads can feature personal photography, original artwork, or sayings that express your personality. Desk mats also come in a variety of colors, patterns, and branded designs that reflect your identity and express your personality and interests in your professional work.
Color theory in workspace design
When it comes to the feel and function of a workspace, research has shown that the colour of the environment can affect the mood, productivity, and perceived level of expertise of those in the space. Many industry sectors have colour associations that are uniquely tied to their profession and products. The corporate and rich feel of blue has long been associated with intensity, focus, and analytical thinking, making it a preferred colour among those in the finance and technology sectors.
Green has a balancing influence on vision and can even reduce eye fatigue. This is especially helpful to heavy readers and writers. We also noticed that while red accents can give a boost of energy and create a sense of urgency, overuse of the color can have negative effects on stress. For the average productivity worker, a neutral palette with a few color “pops” is the way to go; enough personality is expressed without too much distraction
Digital integration and smart accessories
Whether it be keeping track of calendar appointments or synchronizing the colors of the room to the time of day, modern personalization at the desk is becoming more digital and temporal. Smart lighting adapts not only the intensity of the light but also the color/temperature to battle morning fatigue, cure evening fatigue or simply to match your personal preferences.
Digital photo frames make it possible to have a rotating slide show of memories without having to clear too much space on your work surface. Even programmable models can be set up to have the perfect experience for you. However, programmable RGB keyboards don’t stop at tailoring the illumination to your lapping needs. They can also be set to match the color of the keys and the backlight to the current project or even mood that the user is in. Smart speakers can also create a highly personalized audio space and can even tweak settings so that your experience is better tailored to your workstyle. For that reason, they’re a great addition to your workspace as well and can keep you even more engaged with your work throughout the day.
Professional boundaries and workplace appropriateness
You want to display your personality at your desk, but keep in mind there are limits of appropriate expression at work. When it comes to personal photos, keep them PG rated. You may want to think twice before displaying family photos in the workplace in case they are offensive to someone. Consider photos of pets, past events such as weddings or graduations (but not your sister’s wedding this past June with the people you hang out with), over pictures of you and your friends for example. Also, items which contain references to politics or religion can lead to some rather heated exchanges in the workplace.
Remember, scale. A couple of personal items can add your personality to your booth, help identify your name and contact information, etc. Too many personal items can give the impression that you are not professional or that you are not organized enough to keep your props and display items to a minimum.
Your workspace configuration acts as a 3D business card revealing glimmers of character, interests and working habits to those who enter your space, and you can benefit as well as those around you in terms of increased satisfaction and improved relationships. And with the space primed for authentic and meani
ngful productivity.
