Light is a key part of our lives, so it makes sense that lighting affects our performance at work.  For instance, a few years ago research showed that very bright lighting is best for work that requires focus, whereas murkier light can prompt greater levels of creativity.

It’s a topic further explored in research from the Eindhoven University of Technology, which investigates how lighting affects the performance of knowledge workers in an open-plan office.

The impact of lighting on our mood and behavior is often not something we notice consciously, but with around 90% of our time spent indoors, is nonetheless hugely important.  The researcher examined the impact of lighting via three experiments that were designed to assess the role wall, desk, and ceiling lighting played respectively.

Performance at work

The experiments also linked lighting to the tasks knowledge workers typically perform, with the experimental environment designed to mimic the normal work environment as closely as possible so that any findings would be applicable to the real world.

The study of wall lighting found that it had a clear impact on those exposed to it, with an increase in light level linked with a feeling that the environment was more attractive.  People in such a setting also said they felt more alert, which echoes previous findings that bright lights help us to focus.

When the desk-based lighting was adjusted, this mainly affected people’s ability to read but not their alertness, performance on tasks, or perception of the attractiveness of the space.  Ceiling lighting mainly impacted the brightness and attractiveness of the space rather than the task performance.

All things are not equal

As we might expect, not everyone was affected by the lighting in the same way or to the same extent.  This is in itself not surprising, but the researcher was able to distinguish people into a group that was sensitive to changes and one that was largely not, which they believe would be valuable for future research.

This sensitivity could be predicted with reasonable accuracy due to specific parts of the field of view.  With the finding that wall, ceiling, and desk lighting back all result in brighter spaces, but just ceiling and wall lighting affect attractiveness, the researchers hope that facility managers will design spaces accordingly.