Brainstorming is breaking out of the box. Quite literally. The frame of an interactive whiteboard is beginning to feel outdated as writing walls, ideas walls and graffiti walls are increasingly becoming part of a corporate space design scheme. Looking at many forward-thinking London based corporations, you will find writing walls for a variety of functions littering the working space. Meeting room walls can be written on from floor to ceiling, while social and foyer spaces invite staff and visitors to add their own mark or message.
Function
A functional wall isn’t a new thing. Whiteboards have been a standard conference room addition for years, the fashion industry transforms mood walls with colours and textures, and massive calendars have long overseen the schedules of busy events teams. Yes, there’s a digital solution for everything, but sometimes the visual stimulus of your surrounding walls are irreplaceable.
Expression
To enable a workforce to embrace freedom of expression, the tools should be openly available. Employees are at their most creative when they can choose which work methods they would like to use and opening the opportunities for expression enables this. A whiteboard is suited to a very limited function of space, and its looming frame suggests the requirement of permission before writing. A writing wall, by contrast, invites and embraces inclusion by anyone who happens to pass!
Creativity
Creativity thrives in an environment of structured chaos, and this is what the writing wall offers. It appeals to the anarchist within each of us; we have all been told as children not to draw on the walls! With this suggestion of the forbidden, creative thought can be unleashed. Creative problem solving gives a competitive edge that all businesses strive to achieve.
Innovation
All corporations or institutions want to achieve innovation and yet, many deny the importance of creativity. However, one depends entirely upon the other: creativity describes the process of generating new ideas, innovation involves the application of that idea. So in actual fact, innovation is applied creativity.
Ownership
Writing or idea walls mean more than simply being a platform for new business ideas, though. It’s about building a work environment in which employees feel empowered and enriched. Writing walls in different areas of your corporate space offer ownership of that space. When colleagues are encouraged to graffiti for fun, they have made their mark and feel part of a team.
Art
Writing walls aren’t the only wall function to break out of its frame. The trend for direct application to walls extends to office artwork, too. Many large firms commission office murals to foster relaxed and creative environments, or to tie in their branding within a decoration scheme. Admittedly, it doesn’t come cheap. For those with a smaller budget, wall graphics can achieve a similar effect, enriching the branding and collaborative focus of a workspace.
Products
What’s really involved in making an idea wall? While the use of specialised white paint is both practical and common, a clear dry erase paint opens up a wealth of possibilities for creatively utilising your office walls, while maintaining your decorative identity. Alternatively break out from walls entirely with dry erase glass partitioning. Or increase the functionality of your wall still further by making them not only writable but magnetic. With high-quality products and thoughtful application, your workspace can really embrace and encourage the ideas of those within it.
Creative ideas and innovative approaches can come from anyone visiting your building: employees, clients, partners and visitors. They offer fresh perspectives and concepts so it is important for open exchanges of ideas to be supported and encouraged by the company. By utilising writing walls thoughtfully across your workspace, you can open the platform to benefit from these ideas for years to come.
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