Mark Forscher

I recently discovered Behance Magazine and their “insights and tips from creatives on making ideas happen.” In an article on promoting productive creativity by reconsidering the workspace, Michael Karnjanaprakorn and Scott Belsky highlight an important requirement for collaborative creative spaces:

While open-plan architecture may facilitate raw creativity, this kind of environment does not necessarily foster the focus and accountability required to push ideas forward. A workspace should be used NOT just to generate ideas, but also to make ideas happen.

I couldn’t agree more and I found their tips to foster a productive collaborative space insightful, particularly the importance of limiting impromptu check-ins and scheduling times for review and discussion.

From my experience, scheduling internal regular reviews enables designers to better prepare and present their ideas. It is a good way to make sure people with busy schedules and multiple projects are there to participate, so everyone who needs to be is included in the process.