Get out of the office to come up with new ideas – is there really anything to it?

How we come up withnew ideas   is still one of the most exciting questions, especially in the creative sector. 

In this article, we want to take a fresh look at an old question – and answer it once and for all.

Psychogeography as a decisive factor

You are probably familiar with the following situation: you walk into a café where there are lots of round tables in the middle of the room – and some that are adjacent to the wall. Where do you prefer to sit? 

Clearly – not on a platter directly in the middle. 

This is an example from the completely neglected field of psychogeography.

It attempts to explain the influence of the geographical environment on a person’s perception and psychological experience and behavior.

Psychogeography is originally understood as a game: for example, it involves deliberate wandering and getting lost in order to break out of one’s everyday routines. What does that have to do with creativity? Quite a lot.

Changing perspectives in everyday office life

This is about a change of perspective.

A change of perspective is an important part of the triad of focus, change of perspective and contemplation (= concentrated, contemplative thinking and mental immersion in something) in order to allow new creative ideas to emerge, connections that you were not previously capable of. 

But achieving this triad requires a “creative break”. A creative break does not refer to 45-year-old Bernd, who is trying to find meaning in life again after his burnout – but rather to small moments in everyday life that we consciously create. 

Who hasn’t experienced it – when jogging, in the shower, looking out of the window, having a coffee in the morning – that’s where the best ideas come from.

Out of the office – into inspiring conversations

It is also important to know: The more meeting points (exchanges) there are, the more innovative. 

Steve Jobs’ idea of just ONE toilet at Pixar’s headquarters is a wonderful example of this. On the way to the toilet, people meet and have an exchange that leads to new perspectives.

If you want to promote creativity in your team in a very special environment, then team offsites or team retreats are also suitable – the perfect combination of a creative break and subsequent strategic work outside the office.

Coming up with new ideas – Team Offsites

In the end, it’s not about finding ideas “outside the office”, but rather about giving thinking space in the form of a creative break. And outside the office, we only come up with new ideas because we are guaranteed a creative break. 

We no longer focus on just one problem, so we gain distance and our subconscious begins to think for itself. 

The result: the desired creative idea.

burini helps you and your team to plan a team offsite to increase creativity and recharge your batteries.