ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we explore extant research from both organizational scholars and scholars of design and engineering to better understand how features of the physical work environment might promote creativity by supporting the practice of ‘design thinking’. That is, we suggest that physical workspaces ➔ design thinking ➔ creativity. Using this framework as a grounding, we engage in two, second-look analyses of previously published case studies to examine how common work areas, dedicated project rooms, and private work ‘caves’ may support the design thinking practices of brainstorming, rapid prototyping, user focus, and experimentation. Our analyses suggest that these features of the physical workspace may support different design thinking practices via multiple functions (i.e. instrumental, symbolic, and aesthetic functions) that have been proposed by organizational theorists (e.g. Vilnai-Yavetz et al., 2005; Elsbach & Pratt, 2007). In this way, our insights link extant work on the physical work environment from organizational research, to current research on the practice of design thinking from design and engineering. We illustrate these linkages in a framework and suggest how they provide opportunities for future research on physical work environments and creativity.
