Good design, good business: engage clients and employees with vibrant office design.

• Author: Ostermiller, Pamela
• Position: Focus

Beige walls. Furniture that was new sometime prior to the advent of personal computers. Dented file cabinets and messy cork boards. Does this sound like an inspirational place to work? Or like an office you know--or an office you work in?

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

If so, this may be a great time to make some changes and, as a result, pump up performance and profits.

Instinct tells us a comfortable environment is a more desirable place to be, and it has been proven that thoughtful, functional, well-designed work spaces lead to happier, more productive, loyal employees and, ultimately, greater success for your company. At the very least, a little rearranging in a space feels good and energizes the team.

Gensler, a global architecture and design firm, published a 2008 Workplace Survey that "definitively connects profit and revenue growth, employee engagement and strong corporate brand to a well-designed workplace that supports the ways people really work in a knowledge economy." Top-performing companies--those with higher profits, greater employee engagement and stronger market and brand position--have significantly higher-performing work environments than average companies, Gensler found.

But what is a "higher-performing work environment?" It begins with basic functionality and support of human needs. Are spaces used effectively? Is it bright and clean? Are furniture placement and room layouts contributing to an economically sound workplace? How does your space function for all the work modes: focus, creativity, collaboration, learning and socialization?

A Provocative Office

Crowell Advertising in downtown Salt Lake City is a prime example of one of these extraordinary environments, where good design--implemented with clear goals in mind--has fostered an environment for success. Crowell has been winning awards for its work since its inception in 1987, and the firm is now getting recognized for its office space design.

On AintNoDisco.com, an online portfolio that features unique, creative office spaces from around the globe, Crowell received the most votes for "best looking." On the design blog Splashnology, it was included in the 150 best designed office spaces; and DesignYourWay.net included Crowell in the company of Facebook, Google and Skype on its list of "Best 38 I'd-Like-To-Work-In-That-Place Offices."

"The space isn't a typical office and we are not a typical advertising agency," says Tracy Crowell, president of the firm. "We use the...