For More Creativity, Raise the Roof
Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 by Frank Roche
Want to your people to focus on the details? Bring down the roof. Want more creativity? Raise the roof. Those are the findings in paper titled The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing People Use that will be published in the August issue of the Journal of Consumer Behavior. One of the study’s authors says:
“When a person is in a space with a 10-foot ceiling, they will tend to think more freely, more abstractly,” said Meyers-Levy. “They might process more abstract connections between objects in a room, whereas a person in a room with an 8-foot ceiling will be more likely to focus on specifics.”
Pretty interesting idea. In our office we have 13-foot ceilings in part of the office and 9-foot ceilings in others. When I want to concentrate and write, like I’m doing right now, I go into the lower-roofed room. Hey, it works!
holly
Apr 26th, 2007
Hmmm interesting, perhaps that is why most artists use lofts as their studio
. There’s a pretty cool book called “How Buildings Learn”
http://www.amazon.com/How-Buildings-Learn-Happens-Theyre/dp/0140139966
that talks a little more about how space/buildings can affect what we do.
Frank Roche
Apr 26th, 2007
Okay, that sounds like a super book! That’s funny about the artist’s studio…Q.E.D.
Bill Strahan
Apr 26th, 2007
This is one of those reports (not posting – report) that makes me happy that one of my favorite words is “horseshit”.
Did the cave gal who invented fire have a cave with a high roof?
Does a U-boat commander who outsmarts lend lease convoys and their escorts have a really tall U-boat?
Did Michaelangelo have to climb down the scaffolding to think about what God looked like creating man and then climb back up to merely execute?
Is it the high ceiling or the low floor?
Did Steve Jobs, Bill Hewlett and Bill Gates have garages with really tall ceilings?
Would early Native Americans have created “American Idol” before Simon if pueblos weren’t just so damn short.
Horseshit – it’s a wonderful word.
Frank Roche
Apr 26th, 2007
Biil, did you “sneeze” when you said “horseshit”? LOL. I do like the limitation of the pueblo…You make good points, and I don’t think that all creativity comes from people with high ceilings, otherwise we’d all work outside…or in the naves of gothic churches. I do, however, believe in feng shui and the “feel” of some places. Creativity bubbles.
BTW; That’s a very creative counterpoint, much more clever than “Jane, you ignorant slut,” which I understand was written in a small, cramped office at SNL. I don’t think you need a tall ceiling to be creative…so point made!
JT
Apr 26th, 2007
Um….
Apparently I am a bit cranky today. My apologies to all.
Frank Roche
Apr 26th, 2007
No sorrow, all joy, is what I learned from a famous Philadelphia Philosopher King…and in a conversation, especially a really good one, I like the exchange of ideas…I’m a fan of being made to think every day…to invoke another philosopher, namely Socrates: The unexamined life is not worth living. I try to remember that daily.
Robyn
Apr 27th, 2007
Frank, I loved this concept. Who would have considered that the height of a roof can make the difference. On the other hand, I find that I’m very creative when I go outside and the roof is ever changing!
Rick
Apr 27th, 2007
Bill I love when people are articulate and eloquent in making their point regardless of the tone. It takes quite the person to make a tome structured around the word horeshit sound eloquent.
Frank Roche
Apr 28th, 2007
Hi Robyn,
That’s funny that you say you go outside. I really liked that piece you wrote about learning styles and creativity…the naturist, that’s what I believe you called a person who is energized by going outside. And yes, if high ceilings invoke creativity, then under the unlimited sky should be the best place to create.