Most people will say neat.
However, a recent study by Kathleen Vohs and other researchers at the University of Minnesota, which is published in the Psychological Science journal, suggests that both sides have their benefits.
- On one hand, working at a neat and clean desk, or environment, may promote healthy eating, generosity, and conventionality.
- On the other hand, a messy desk may promote creative thinking and stimulate new ideas.
The researchers set up several laboratories with work areas that were either neat or messy. They then had participants sit down and perform certain tasks. They found that:
- People in a tidy rooms donated more to charity when asked to contribute some of their own money, picked healthier snacks and chose established products over new ones.
- Participants in messy rooms generated more interesting and creative ideas, and picked new/novel products over established ones.
“Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights,” Vohs concludes. “Orderly environments, in contrast, encourage convention and playing it safe.”
I think this is an interesting bit of initial research and as insights in the area become more advanced, there could be many implications for office environments [as a whole, as well as for specific work spaces], the internet, website design, our homes and so on.
Amit Puri - Managing Consultant, Sandbox Advisors