Inside NERC: Can Office Design Quietly Kill Productivity?
13 April 2026
Your company has open offices, stylish interiors, and “inspiring” spaces. But in reality, that design is doing less for productivity than you think.
At Plekhanov University in Dubai’s Neuroeconomics Research Center (NERC), student researchers Shukrat Erkinov and Sherzod Mirsadikov studied the university’s workspace to answer this exact question. In their study, “The Impact of Workplace Neurodesign Elements on Employee Focus and Creative Thinking,” they explored how elements like lighting, color, acoustics, and ergonomics influence staff focus and idea generation.
Today, many offices unknowingly include elements of neurodesign: high-end chairs, open layouts, carefully chosen color palettes. These are science-based practices that have bled into mainstream office design over time. As a business, investing in a well-thought-out workspace can be the key to attracting top talent, giving you the competitive edge you need to outperform competition. This can only be achieved if one looks beyond how an office looks, but at how it actually affects the brain.
Companies often assume that an inspiring, open space is the key to keeping employees productive and creative. In reality, the link between feeling inspired by a space and improved performance is nearly nonexistent. So what really impacts productivity? Comfort. Think about it like this: why do people often have their best ideas right before they sleep? Not in a brainstorming session or a meeting room, but in a quiet, comfortable space where the mind is relaxed. It’s because that comfortable state reduces cognitive strain, allowing thoughts to connect more freely.
Changes don’t have to be dramatic. Practical steps such as adjustable lighting, dedicated quiet zones, and coherent color schemes make all the difference. These simple changes can make your office into an environment where employees think more clearly, feel less fatigued, and perform more consistently.
Remember, the key isn’t to push people to be productive, but to create an environment where thinking becomes effortless.
At Plekhanov University in Dubai’s Neuroeconomics Research Center (NERC), student researchers Shukrat Erkinov and Sherzod Mirsadikov studied the university’s workspace to answer this exact question. In their study, “The Impact of Workplace Neurodesign Elements on Employee Focus and Creative Thinking,” they explored how elements like lighting, color, acoustics, and ergonomics influence staff focus and idea generation.
Today, many offices unknowingly include elements of neurodesign: high-end chairs, open layouts, carefully chosen color palettes. These are science-based practices that have bled into mainstream office design over time. As a business, investing in a well-thought-out workspace can be the key to attracting top talent, giving you the competitive edge you need to outperform competition. This can only be achieved if one looks beyond how an office looks, but at how it actually affects the brain.
Companies often assume that an inspiring, open space is the key to keeping employees productive and creative. In reality, the link between feeling inspired by a space and improved performance is nearly nonexistent. So what really impacts productivity? Comfort. Think about it like this: why do people often have their best ideas right before they sleep? Not in a brainstorming session or a meeting room, but in a quiet, comfortable space where the mind is relaxed. It’s because that comfortable state reduces cognitive strain, allowing thoughts to connect more freely.
Changes don’t have to be dramatic. Practical steps such as adjustable lighting, dedicated quiet zones, and coherent color schemes make all the difference. These simple changes can make your office into an environment where employees think more clearly, feel less fatigued, and perform more consistently.
Remember, the key isn’t to push people to be productive, but to create an environment where thinking becomes effortless.