The University of Toledo had a very long hallway in their College of Engineering, with very blank walls. Not only was the hall used by current students for studying and socializing, but it was a primary avenue for prospective students visiting the school. The school wanted to use branding as a recruitment tool, and allow students to learn about the different concentrations available to study at the college.

It pays to invest in creativity at work. Three in four people believe there’s an increasing pressure to be productive rather than creative at work. Yet, more than half say there’s an increasing expectation to think creatively at work. The most successful and innovative companies are the ones that generate better ideas faster. When companies encourage and support creative thinking and creative work, the results are powerful. We recently interviewed three more of our freakishly creative associates to find out how expressing personal creativity makes a difference in their lives.

Ask any business what their biggest investments are and they’ll likely respond with their people and their real estate. Coincidentally, these are also likely their greatest assets.

We recently brought together some of our designers along with a member of our human resources team. We wanted to know how the two disciplines can work together to tackle the rising problem of associate attraction and retention. How does design play a role in the associate experience? What are some examples of design elements that help to attract, and keep, talent? Does the environment affect culture? If so, how? It was these probing questions that led to a thoughtful discussion on a timely topic that continues to challenge.