Wellbeing is a word talked about in all businesses and every industry these days but it’s important that it doesn’t just become a buzz word without any actual action. The wellbeing of our team goes hand in hand with their creativity which is what helps them to create stunning designs for our clients. To ensure wellbeing and creativity remain at the heart of the business, we have tasked our operations co-ordinator, Amie with taking the lead on all our wellbeing activities for 2024.

Only a few weeks into this role, Amie has already introduced several new initiatives with more being planned for later in the year. We chatted to Amie to learn about her ideas and find out why this work is so important to her.

Why did you want to take on the task of organising wellbeing initiatives at ABDA?

This was due to a combination of things. My educational background played a big part in this decision by the directors and I as I have a degree in psychology and a master’s in forensic psychology and mental health. My previous work experience will also help me and recently I completed a Mental Health Workplace First Aider course. I have a passion for wellbeing and exploring mental health and I thought it would be great to implement some further wellbeing initiatives at ABDA Design.

We already have some wellbeing days for staff, and we rounded off 2023 with the start of our employee creativity days. It’s a great start but I wanted to build on this and ensure wellbeing is at the heart of what we do this year.

Tell us about some of the ideas you would like to introduce as part of this work.

We are starting the initiative with a monthly ‘cuppa and a catch up’ event. This started on Monday 29th January, and this is a chance for people to get away from their desks for a little while and chat about their weekends, the week ahead or anything else they’d like to get off their chest. The bonus of cake will go down well, I’m sure!

We are looking at focusing on something different each month and plans for the year ahead are already in progress. We will have events focusing on things such as ‘International Day of Happiness’, ‘Stress Awareness Month’ and ‘National Walking Month’. The full event calendar is currently a work in progress but will be revealed to the team soon.

Why do you think these initiatives are so important?

Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel and act. It can also determine how we handle stress, how we relate to others and can also impact the choices we make. Positive mental health is crucial in today’s society as it profoundly influences every aspect of our lives. Mental and physical health are equally important so we shouldn’t let either one slip through the net.

I believe that wellbeing and creativity go hand in hand so we need to nurture one to boost the other and being a creative team means this is so important. We need to ensure our staff are feeling as good as they can in themselves and if they aren’t, then we’ll help them to focus on what we can do to support them.

What are your long-term goals when it comes to wellbeing at ABDA?

My long-term goal is to ensure all staff feel supported and if they’re struggling in any way then to know we are there for them, whether that is professionally or personally. I also want to ensure that the mental health and wellbeing focus is something that continues into the future.

I am hopeful that my role will positively influence the way we work day-to-day, boost team morale, and impact the teams’ creativity so that they continue to push boundaries on design projects.

How do you think these initiatives will help both the wellbeing and creativity of the team?

People who engage in everyday forms of creativity tend to be more open minded, positive and intrinsically motivated by their activity. Those who experience everyday creativity tend to feel a greater sense of well-being and personal growth compared to individuals who engage less in creative behaviours. There is a strong link between wellbeing and creativity so we want to ensure our staff feel inspired and as positive as they can to make sure their creativity is at the best level it can be.

What else does ABDA have in place to support staff wellbeing and creativity?

Currently we promote wellbeing days which are extra days off during the year for the whole team. We also encourage all staff to utilise their annual creativity days, which we launched at the end of 2023. It will be great to see what each team member gets up to this year!

We aim to have an approachable and laid-back feel to the office and ensure that all the team feel comfortable enough to voice anything should they need to. I’m hoping the new wellbeing initiatives we are planning spark some inspiration as well as promoting healthy living and good wellbeing.

As hotel, restaurant, bar and leisure designers, one of the best ways to get us feeling creative is to fully embed ourselves within the hospitality industry. It helps to see what the latest trends are and explore the venues consumers are visiting. Simply being away from your desk can trigger a new idea. We also spend time researching local areas so that each design tells a story and is representative of the location.

As part of her annual creativity day, one of our senior designers, Rachael Sheldon wanted to explore what Jersey has to offer in terms of the food and drink market. She is working on a hotel project in a similar coastal town so wanted to visit as many food and drink venues as possible during her stay to get a feel for the venues. During her visit, she wanted to take time out for herself enjoying the stunning coastlines. Simply walking along the coast and enjoying nature is an effective way of improving creativity.

Creativity and nature

There are several studies that have found a link between exposure to nature and creativity. According to a study conducted by Stanford  researchers [i], 80% of participants were more creative during and after a hike than when sitting down. Another study, completed in 2012, by Ruth Ann Atchley et al..,[i], looked at the consequences of more time spent with media and technology over nature. The research found that backpackers who spent a few days hiking showed higher levels of creativity in a word association test than before they immersed themselves in nature.

Enjoying hospitality experiences

One of the venues Rachael loved during her visit was The Blind Pig which is a really cute speakeasy hidden away on a back street in St Helier.  This place was great if you were after something a little different. It offered a great selection of cocktails, and the staff were incredibly attentive and knowledgeable.

During her visit, Rachael stayed at The Grand Hotel and loved being able to see the coastline thanks to a sea view room. Guests have access to the spa area to encourage rest and relaxation and the hotel also has a cinema where all guests can book to watch a film of their choice.

Visiting Bohemia Bar

One of the highlights of her trip was a visit to Bohemia Bar which is within a hotel that has a Michelin starred restaurant. Rachael booked into the bar for their lunch menu. The food was so good they ended up staying for a three-course meal and had to cancel their evening meal reservation as they had such an incredible lunchtime experience.

Exploring design influences

During her stay, Rachael did a lot of walking and there are some fantastic buildings with French design influences. There were also some great wall murals around and she enjoyed just exploring and soaking up the atmosphere.

Something different 

Most of the ABDA design team have been to visit London for their creativity days but Rachael wanted to do something totally different and head to a coastal area. Jersey has been running a big campaign on the TV and radio to drive tourism, so she thought this was a good opportunity to see what it had to offer.

Looking back on her experience and the introduction of creativity days at ABDA Design she said: “I thought the introduction of a creativity day for every team member was a great idea. We attend a lot of hospitality and design shows, but it was nice to go off and do something that would benefit each person personally and professionally. It’s so important to step away and take a break. I tend to find if I am struggling with an idea, that when I step away from it the solution or design will then just come to me organically.”

References 

[i] Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: the positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of experimental psychology: learning, memory, and cognition, 40(4), 1142.
[i] Atchley, R. A., Strayer, D. L., & Atchley, P. (2012). Creativity in the wild: Improving creative reasoning through immersion in natural settings. PloS one, 7(12), e51474.

In the design world, maintaining creativity is a necessity. Sometimes we can find ourselves getting stuck in a rut with our busy lives and day job tasks taking over. That’s why it’s important that we ensure our team are given plenty of opportunity to actively work on their own personal creativity and well-being. We know that everyone finds their creativity in different things; for some it might be a walk with nature, for someone else it might be completing a craft-related activity, for others it could be visiting somewhere that’s full of culture. This is why we introduced our own creativity days to allow each team member the chance to do an activity that allows them to work on their artistic flair in their own way.

Spreading creativity

Not only does ABDA Design allow each team member a full day off to boost their creativity, but we also cover the costs of whatever they choose to do. The only requirement is for our team to share their learnings with the rest of ABDA so that the creativity can be further spread and embedded across the team.

Working on their creativity allows the team to break away from routine, discover emerging trends, and stimulate the mind. Making our creative days part of our annual calendar, was a strategic move by the ABDA directors to grow and evolve within the design world.

Creativity in action

The first of these new creative days was experienced by Claire, Tansin, Melissa and Amie who all agree that it’s important not to get stale and stuck behind your desk. Melissa said: “If we don’t force ourselves to get out into the industry and see what’s happening, we aren’t exposing ourselves to new trends”. Not only was the day about improving creativity but as Tansin, Amie and Melissa are fairly new to the team it was nice for them to spend time outside of the office together.

Claire Smith, director at ABDA added: “Keeping yourself creatively stimulated when you work within a creative business or industry is super important. You can’t grow and develop without constantly feeding your mind. Not allowing yourself time away from your desk because of workload or being caught up in day-to-day tasks can prove to be a real barrier to creativity. You have to want to make moments for yourself to take time for creativity.”

Embracing art

The creative day included visits to a range of arts and hospitality venues including The Royal Academy, Fortnum and Mason, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Opera House, Somerset House, Whitechapel Gallery, Tate Modern and the OXO Tower.

The group were shown around the Royal Academy by Grace who is the general manager for the Jose Pizarro café, restaurant and also the private dining space which was stunning. The art in all the spaces is provided by the Royal Academy and changed frequently.

The visit to Fortnum and Mason was not part of the original agenda but once the creativity was flowing the team decided to visit. As well as seeing their flagship ice cream parlour, they were shown around the tea rooms and tasting room which was very traditionally and quintessentially British with hints of colonial design.

Spring at Somerset House was another highlight which the team stumbled upon. As well as being a stunning space, the team discovered they have introduced a ‘Scratch Menu’ which is announced at 3pm every day. Spring offer three courses for £30 everyday with dishes produced from the waste of the previous services.

ABDA Design has been working with museums and galleries for years, however it is becoming more apparent that clients are wanting to create destinations in these spaces, and we wanted to see what best practice was in the industry.

Trendspotting

Tansin Blankley commented: “There were trends that were clearly visible throughout the venues we visited such as natural materials, muted tones and sculpted counters. Most spaces were unbranded and utilised the artwork from the associated gallery. We noticed a distinctive pattern with the furniture that was used within these spaces.”

Thinking about future creativity days and the impact they will have on the team our operations co-ordinator, Amie told us: “It’s so important for the team to get out and explore new places and experience different things to allow themselves to be inspired. What we don’t want is people to feel as if they’re stuck to their desks and then struggle with creativity. Allowing people to take some time away and explore their creativity is vital for a business’s success.”

Look out for more of our creativity articles to discover how other members of the team have spent their time.