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Creative Workplaces

By Smashing Editorial, December 10th, 2007 in Inspiration | 116 Comments | Forum

Your workplace and the atmosphere surrounding you determine the way you work and explore your imagination. The more inspirational your workplace is, the easier it is to break the creativity block and discover new ideas. And apparently there is a number of things you can do to improve your personal workflow.

As a part of our Monday Inspiration series we present a dozen of creative and unusual workplaces; in the end of the post you’ll also find references to related resources, among them office design galleries and Flickr pools. They can serve as an inspiration once you’ve decided to spice up your work environment.

You can also click on the images — they lead to the sites from which the screenshots have been taken.

Inspirational Workplaces

The Milk desk: a design to match Apple gear; with white surface and rounded edges. As Alexander Kjerulf states, “it lowers and raises electrically, it has ways to hide the cable clutter, and it also has four compartments at one end that can be configured for storage, trash or, em, as an aquarium.”

Pixar’s workplace: designers are allowed to design their workplace as they wish.

Google offers its engineers and developers full freedom. Not only bicycles can be found in the offices; also cats and dogs are quite usual.

References and Further Resources

Flickr Pool: Inspiring Workplaces
Pimp Your Office Flickrset
Some cool ways to spruce up your office environment.
Creative Work Environments
Office Design Gallery
Inspiration from the best of office design.
On My Desk
Artists, illustrators, designers and creative folk share the stuff on their desks.
10 Seeriously Cool Workplaces
12 Ways To Pimp Your Office
Here are some ways to spruce up a workplace that may actually inject some color and fun into your work environment.
Creativity in the workplace
Veerle Pieters discusses ways how to decorate your personal space and improve your workflow.
Cool Workspaces
An overview of ways people decorate their workplaces: some good, some bad, some cluttered, some clean.

Published in Inspiration, December 10th, 2007
Tags: inspiration, workplace

1.

Robert (December 10th, 2007, 5:03 pm)

that was so awesome!
2.

Sumesh (December 10th, 2007, 5:05 pm)

Quite the list, eh? A lot of beautiful pics in there, but some are crap. Did you really have to sacrifice quality for quantity? Like, #2 and #10 was really crap.

Linkbait is best left to SM, as they say!

I see you are upto 3diggs in a matter of minutes, now. Only problem is, Diggers aren’t active at nighttime at US.

Too bad ;)
3.

Vitaly Friedman & Sven Lennartz (December 10th, 2007, 6:14 pm)

@Sumesh: we publish articles not necessarily for Digg users, we write for our readers. Mondays in USA start later than in Europe and our European readers might want to get a bunch of Monday inspiration just as well as our American readers.
4.

Tajim (December 10th, 2007, 6:32 pm)

These are some extremely costyly setups. This also shows that how big is Google’s pocket that it invest so much in their employee statisfaction. But i were employeed in Google then i would only keep watching those bright colors rather than working :-)
5.

Valentin (December 10th, 2007, 6:50 pm)

Wish I’d own such an environment… but I got to make my work done on a simply white desk.
6.

RStankov (December 10th, 2007, 7:47 pm)

I should show those to my boss, to remind him about the new office plans …. ;)
7.

Life Design (December 10th, 2007, 8:09 pm)

Quite a list, loved the Google offices, but Sumesh has a point: some of those are a bit…light. I mean:

Tree through a desk = cool
gonks on a desk = samo samo.
8.

Basil Gloo (December 10th, 2007, 8:15 pm)

nice creative stuff here. ideas for inspiration :) btw, last two years we’d designed and create our custom furniture for our office places
9.

Matthew Griffin (December 10th, 2007, 9:24 pm)

As usual, great list and great photos. I did a remodelling job at my workplace a couple of years ago and now I can vouch for the effect of environment on work quality. It’s so much easier to think in a place that makes you want to create.
10.

Dustin Brewer (December 10th, 2007, 10:18 pm)

Those are all spectacular work spaces. They would definitely inspire me if I were to work at those locations.
11.

Jared (December 10th, 2007, 10:33 pm)

Just like everything else, I’m sure it gets old after a while. I can’t find the article, but I read a while back that changing your workspace/work area every year is more satisfying than sticking with the same “awesome” space in the same period (I think the study was 3 years). Of course it’s opinion, but I tend to agree. Especially with creative people, keeping it fresh is always a good idea. There was also a study done that shows it’s boosts productivity as well (this particular study was done with a change to the environment lighting a few times over a period of a year I think).
12.

Anthony (December 10th, 2007, 10:33 pm)

Sign me up, I would love to work at any of these locations. Back lighting the computer was a pretty cool idea, Its how I have my setup at work. Its also alot easier on the eyes.
13.

Roweena (December 10th, 2007, 11:00 pm)

Thanks for the Monday inspiration…no’s 2 and 10 might not be as impressive as the Google offices but they are a bit more within reach for most office workers…can you really take your cats and dogs to work at Google…that would be great!
14.

Grant (December 10th, 2007, 11:14 pm)

WOW! the offive desk with the orange table and blant going through it is awesome! I wish i could have something like that in my room :(

All have to wait to i get my own place!
15.

Robert (December 10th, 2007, 11:37 pm)

Don’t forget all the great offices at Link [aintnodisco.com] too!
16.

mikemike (December 11th, 2007, 12:21 am)

The top one is the best. The one below, which is just a Mac on a desk…? How is that inspirational other than being a symbol of corporate Marxism?
17.

Nick (December 11th, 2007, 12:39 am)

Looks like someone pissed in Sumesh’s coffee. Most likely him. I guess you didn’t get the inspiration on here quick enough…

These are pretty cool. I have seen a few more cool ones, but I’m sure they’re included in that Flickr link you provided.

Keep it up!
18.

unclewilco (December 11th, 2007, 12:49 am)

Love those sheds!!!!
19.

Lica (December 11th, 2007, 4:02 am)

I already knew about Google and Pixar’s space. I’m more interested to see how other smashing magazine fans workspace looks like. The links were cool though!
20.

Avasilcai Daniel (December 11th, 2007, 5:16 am)

I love the design of the first one and the light in the second one …we work every day in artificial places build by us, but we need to see some nature chaotic forms…
21.

Lee (December 11th, 2007, 6:55 am)

Some of these are amazing. I can only dream…
22.

Swift (December 11th, 2007, 12:30 pm)

Damn I really wish I could work in those places. Seems really fun and cool!
23.

Myke Cave (December 11th, 2007, 4:24 pm)

Wow I really love #4. The outdoors indoors thing. That would be sure a great Idea for an apartment with friends. You’d have to have a great place to start with though.
24.

shafiu (December 11th, 2007, 6:02 pm)

I would love to work in a place like this
25.

Therapix (December 11th, 2007, 6:48 pm)

Holly cow, 8 lcd screens? That’s 4 times what I have :(
26.

Sonny (December 11th, 2007, 7:30 pm)

awesome!
27.

Romeo Manzur (December 11th, 2007, 10:20 pm)

google offices are just great, also pixar’s, 8 lcd monitors 8 times more than I have, if you want creative people, give them time to have fun ;-)
28.

thomas (December 11th, 2007, 11:17 pm)

Those are all spectacular work spaces. They would definitely inspire me if I were to work at those locations.
29.

Open English (December 12th, 2007, 2:42 am)

Love how Google treats their employees… all of these workspaces are pretty awesome, although I do agree with one of the comments that it’s probably better to change it up every year than to keep it a certain way all the time… after a while you forget to notice how “awesome” your space is.
30.

John John (December 12th, 2007, 4:18 am)

Ther are a few very slick ones in between… a specialy the pic with the blue screens..
31.

Jeff (December 12th, 2007, 6:52 am)

great list and great photos! you guys always leave me super inspired!
32.

Gisele (December 12th, 2007, 7:55 am)

Oh my, I want to take my pet to work!!!
33.

DiggityDaw (December 12th, 2007, 1:09 pm)

I love this one and also all the inspirational articles i have been reading on this page. Thank you Smashing Mag!
34.

jonnn (December 12th, 2007, 2:17 pm)

okay list, the ones in your “references and further resources” are better

this place has become a “monday inspiration” and free fonts blog

had something good going for a while
35.

ASh (December 12th, 2007, 8:02 pm)

I think that most of thease workplaces aren’t comfortable for working. They are just for saying: “Oh, wow, cool. But I’ll use my own, not that one, thank you.”
36.

jackie-b (December 12th, 2007, 8:36 pm)

looks good, how your workplace looks. really tells a lot about your aproach to work. -check this page on my site.http://jackie-b.com/cubion.html
37.

Taavi (December 12th, 2007, 9:35 pm)

orange desk + white mac…thats hot
38.

Lloyd (December 13th, 2007, 5:05 am)

Great roundup. Thanks for the links. Please all do come by and see all of our other offices on Link [www.officedesigngallery.com]
39.

Sam Lowry (December 13th, 2007, 10:53 am)

Anybody have a good website which shows creative HOME offices? I have a new room I’d like to make into a great 2-person office (for graphic designers).
40.

Dwayne Charrington (December 13th, 2007, 11:56 am)

Wow I wish I worked for Google seriously. Just the satisfaction of knowing you’re working for Google is enough to make you feel inspired. Oh and of course working for Google would have it’s bragging rights associated with it as well ;)

I would love to see more pictures of inspirational offices that one with 8 LCD’s was mind blowing, at my work I only have 2 of them :(

-Dwayne Charrington,
Link [www.dwaynecharrington.com]
41.

PixlNinja (December 13th, 2007, 10:13 pm)

Cool, This story seems different from all SM articles !!
Truly the designer ready workspaces ….inspiring.
42.

Ryan Plesko (December 14th, 2007, 6:48 am)

I love to see people being creative with their space, a plain cubicle just isn’t good for productivity. A little visual interest goes a long way in all applications, whether it is a workspace or your home. I’ve never seen a blog post or magazine article for boring, safe, unoriginal rooms.
43.

jennifer ramos (December 14th, 2007, 1:20 pm)

These office spaces are the COOLEST, i work from home and love it, but if I knew my office space looked like that, i’d want to go to WORK haha- It creates an environment you want to excel in.
44.

Pete Marshall (December 14th, 2007, 9:55 pm)

Couldn’t agree more that the environment that surrounds you termines the way you work, some truely excellent examples.
45.

Phil From Loreauville (December 15th, 2007, 12:52 am)

Wow. Now I know why my sites look so crappy. All I have is a busted-up old desk I got from my employers warehouse in the corner of my bedroom.
I’d be the first to agree that the condition of our workspaces can be seriously under estimated at times. At my house, when the wife and kids pick-up something that they don’t know where it goes, it usually winds up on my desk and nothing is as detrimental to me as trying to work on my website surrounded by piles of junk.
But to comment on the pictures. Some of these are pretty cool. I could really get into some of these offices. I wonder how much productivity Google credits it’s lavish offices to. It’s definitely something to think about.
But I got to say, a couple of those pics look like they were set up specifically for a photo shoot — like they belong in a computer ad.
46.

pj (December 15th, 2007, 1:20 am)

It appears your site is loading up worse now with your new hosting provider… Also I agree with many of the above posts this wasn’t a post that really meets the quality I’ve seen from SM. Seems like you guys are running out of ideas?
47.

Regina (December 15th, 2007, 1:52 am)

I love these workspaces. Google looks so open and fun (and I would love to bring my cat to work). But I also appreciate the coziness of Pixar’s. Working as an animator or concept artist for Pixar would be a dream come true.
48.

MarkP (December 16th, 2007, 1:16 am)

Very Impressive spaces! This makes me realize how depressing my office environment really is… :)

I second Sam’s comment above, I’d really be interested in seeing some examples of creative home work spaces.
49.

Luka (December 16th, 2007, 3:11 am)

I love the table in penultimate picture….
50.

momo (December 20th, 2007, 4:58 am)

One more resources: Link [www.aintnodisco.com]
51.

dharma (December 27th, 2007, 3:13 pm)

I heard that the Yahoo offices also have a creative workspace setup… but yes Google does score here.
52.

Creativ Era’s (December 27th, 2007, 7:18 pm)

It’s really very cool and nice designs in this post. I love the whole designing work and the post is really very innovative. Great work.
53.

Oguz Celikdemir (December 28th, 2007, 11:02 pm)

Hi,
could someone tell me where I can find last picture toys (monsters)?
I like very much and I would like to buy :)
Thanks,
54.

Edjuh (December 29th, 2007, 2:14 am)

Really cool! It inspires me to look for a new office for my own ;)
55.

sarah hawilo (December 30th, 2007, 5:25 am)

really cool workplaces and love the inspiring art placed in each dept. Wouldnt it be such a horrible job working at Google!!
56.

Visien (January 8th, 2008, 5:04 am)

love google