What better way to celebrate our 200th post on Orange Element’s blog than to talk about some recent coverage we received in a national magazine called Incentive! The magazine caters to executives looking to improve company performance and we were very flattered to be featured in an article on ’soft incentives’ or non-financial incentives.

You can read the full article which was also published to Brandweek by clicking HERE, but here are a few paragraphs about us:

Extra vacation days and paid leave can help motivate, but fun time on the job can be an effective incentive as well. Small Baltimore-based design and visual communications firm Orange Element takes a creative approach to its monthly Fun Day, a daylong opportunity for team members to shut off their computers and do something recreational together. “Not only is it an opportunity to blow off some steam, but it really does help us grow as a team,” says Aaron Moore, principal and creative director. “We’ve found that in an industry riddled with deadlines and high-pressure situations, taking a break to refocus creates happier, less-stressed employees, which in turn creates even better work.”

The office field trips can provide intellectual experiences that are in line with the company’s creative goals as well. “So much of design is about perspective-and it’s hard to have a good sense of perspective when you’re stuck in an office all the time,” Moore says. “Fun Days get us out of the office to experience new things and help us keep an open mind.”

Orange Element Fun Days so far have included paintball at a partner firm, snowboarding, baseball games, golf and duckpin bowling, all in the name of a good time. “I think there is a direct correlation between the amount of fun we are all having here and the quality of the work that we produce,” says Moore. “Making sure that we’re having fun allows us to be fun people, and that’s a big part of what our clients love about us.”

Orange Element maintains the fun the rest of the month with a lighthearted blog, which employees contribute to, and a pinball machine and putting mat set up in the office. And they aren’t just for show, says Garret Ohm, marketing director.

“The perception is that design firms are lavish spaces with rooms filled with toys. But the harsh reality is that in most firms, this is only a façade,” he says. “Most employees are too scared to endure the countless evil stares from upper management if they try to spend any time during the day doing non-billable work.” Not so at his office, where “the games are used all the time.”

Sweet - even the blog was mentioned in the article! This article hit it on the head, though. We’re big believers in creating an environment where there is a healthy work-life balance. We feel as though it’s important to have fun and stay happy because we know we do our strongest creative work when we’re not bogged down by the stress and anxiety that so often infiltrates the corporate world.

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 at 9:49 am and is filed under Blog Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.