How to Use Art in Workplace to Increase Productivity: A Portfolio

Infographic: Using Art to Promote Creativity

Competencies

• Determine the historical impact of art on modern culture, society, and the workplace.
• Identify the role of music, poetry, prose, and visual art in the modern world and workplace.
• Utilize art elements in real-world contexts and the workplace.
• Apply strategies for evaluating different art forms in various contexts.
• Explain how art contributes to problem-solving skills and idea creation in personal and professional experience.
• Identify how art benefits wellness and creativity in the community and workplace.

Scenario

You are an independent contractor who has been hired by a multinational technology company to increase productivity at one branch office. The location in question is failing miserably and your contract with this company is a last ditch effort to bring this location’s productivity up, or else it will be shut down. The designers haven’t submitted a good, usable design to headquarters in months.

When you begin your work figuring out what’s going wrong, you immediately see many red flags. Records show that employees call in sick frequently, come in late, leave early, and several complaints between employees have been filed by Human Resources.

When you visit the office, you are immediately struck by what a dismal environment you see. Florescent lights flicker over beige cubicles, ambient noise of machines buzzing and phones ringing fills your ears, and employees look bored and tired. You notice only one communal work space piled over with old projects and clutter. The supply room is sparse. The break room is small and cluttered, and nobody is using it.

You decide to interview employees and learn some alarming information; employees mostly work alone, do not seem to know each other well, some outright dislike one another, they report having no fun or enjoyment while at work, and some suffer chronic work-related health problems such as migraines and back pain. You notice wonderful diversity among employees, yet nobody seems to appreciate or understand the unique perspectives of their colleagues.

It is clear to you that this office is not conducive to the kind of creative collaboration necessary to pull it out of its slump. Using what you know about the importance of art in the world and workplace, you will come up with a plan to solve these problems.

Instructions

Assemble a portfolio of recommendations on how to turn this office from a non-productive location to a creative hub of productivity. Portfolio should include the following parts:

Part 1

Compose an introduction (1-2 paragraphs) indicating the historical impact of art on modern culture, society, and the workplace.

Part 2

Create an infographic on how to use the arts to promote the following within the company:

• Collaboration between colleagues
• Multiculturalism/diversity
• Community engagement

Part 3

Construct a visual model using diagram software of the ideal creative workspace that includes the following areas:

• A space for individual work
• A space for collaborative work
• Public interaction area
• Visual display areas

NOTE - You may add additional areas as you see fit.

Each area in the workspace must be clearly numbered and the following questions answered:

• How will this space be used and by whom?
• What Elements of Art and Principles of Design will be used in this space?
• How does the space promote creativity and collaboration?
• How will the arts be used to promote creativity and well-being?

Part 4

Create a descriptive resource list with contact data of at least six funding possibilities for art events. Each resource should briefly explain the resource and how the employer might use it.