A study of the ideal meeting space: Exploring the Use of Found Objects and Playful Thinking in Office Spaces

Meetings are inevitable in modern workplaces, but they are often seen as dull, unproductive, and stressful. Many factors could contribute to people's dread of meetings, such as poor room design, lack of engagement, and rigid structures. To address these issues, it will be essential to investigate how small design changes, adding playful thinking and using found objects can enhance the design of meeting rooms in workspaces.

How can the use of found objects and playful thinking improve the design of meeting rooms in office spaces, and what are the potential benefits for productivity, creativity, and wellbeing?

Additional research questions:

1. What are the most effective ways to incorporate playful thinking into the design of meeting rooms to facilitate creative problem-solving and idea generation?

2. How do different types of found objects (e.g., natural, repurposed, technological objects) impact the mood and tone of meetings held in a space?

3. How does the presence of found objects in meeting rooms influence participants' perceptions of the meeting's importance and relevance?

4. To what extent do participants in meetings in a space designed with more thought to playful thinking and creativity experience increase feelings of connection, collaboration, and mutual understanding?

5. How does the use of playful thinking and found objects in the design of meeting rooms affect participants' engagement and productivity in meetings?

Objectives:

1. Identify the critical design elements and features contributing to effective and engaging meeting rooms.

2. To explore the use of found objects and playful thinking to enhance creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving during meetings.

3. To assess the impact of these interventions on productivity, satisfaction, and wellbeing in the workplace.

4. To provide practical recommendations for the design of meeting rooms based on the study's findings.

Methodology:

The proposed research project will use a mixed-methods approach, incorporating qualitative and quantitative research methods. The following techniques will be used:

1. Qualitative research: Conduct semi-structured interviews and focus groups with office workers to explore their experiences and perceptions of meeting rooms. We will also introduce the concept of found objects and playful thinking and ask for their feedback on its potential value for meeting room design.

2. Prototype: Collaborate with an office, co-working, or other space and design a prototype meeting room. 

3. Experimental research: Recruit a sample of office workers who regularly attend meetings in this workplace and randomly assign them to a control condition (standard meeting room design) and an experimental condition (meeting room design with found objects and playful thinking prompts). We will measure the following variables before and after the intervention: Productivity, Creativity, Engagement, and Wellbeing.

Expected outcomes: The expected findings would hopefully be that using found objects and playful thinking will enhance the design of meeting rooms and improve productivity, creativity, engagement, and wellbeing. It also identifies specific design elements and features that are most effective in achieving these outcomes. Finally, this study will provide a wealth of information allowing for the creation of practical recommendations for office managers and designers to apply these findings to their workplaces.