It Doesn't Have To Be A Battle: Work V Fun

On reading a few words from Richard Branson on industry and marketing, he states that you should be having fun in running your business- a concept it is all too easy to forget.

When Toucan launched over 11 years ago, it was founded on a base of passion and excitement, and the willingness to create good graphic design for local businesses. A decade later the values still underpin our work, and we balance a fun outlook with a highly professional service.

Psychology researchers Juliano Laran and Chris Janiszeski, conducted a series of experiments where they studied people’s responses to tasks deemed either as ‘work’ or ‘fun’.  Participants were split into two groups and asked to hold a sweet in their mouth for 5 seconds, remove and then repeat multiple times. Whilst conducting other tasks, they were allowed as many sweets as they liked.

The group that perceived the task as an obligation to work ate significantly more sweets than the group that perceived it as an opportunity to have fun.  The reason?  Studies have shown that tasks recognized as ‘work’ can deplete stores of will power, whereas self-control activities deemed ‘fun’ can actually revitalize people.

So how does this relate to our working lives? Well, going to work is just that- ‘work’, however, many factors can affect how this is perceived. At Toucan we run an open and friendly design studio which encourages communication and the sharing of ideas. We also make the effort to get team members and clients involved in as much of the design process as possible.

Motivation is key, and we believe this enhances our efficiency and the quality of service we provide. Fun can be injected through great working relationships, creativity and innovation, values which Toucan holds dear. We bring honesty and a stress free approach to each project, and take pleasure in designing for you and your company.

Toucan provides a highly skilled service, where fun is enveloped within the experience and professionalism of the team. We trust that our clients (and Richard) would agree that we have the perfect business balance!