Throughout childhood, our lives are peppered with birthdays, graduations, and other events that nurture constant excitement, connection and joy. These events are something to look forward to and share with others, and they set our expectations for the future. Now as adults, we spend our days in the workplace, we identify with our job title, and we imagine much of our future in relation to our chosen career path. In a way, our work consumes much of our lives and identity, as does the culture that is associated with our different workplaces and brands. For this reason, more and more organizations are paying attention to culture as a way to strengthen their overall identity and attract and retain employees. Design is an integral part of developing and maintaining this workplace culture.
Design and aesthetics offer a means of connecting people to places and ideals; drawing a direct link to powerful emotional outcomes like trust, legitimacy and loyalty. One way to enhance organizational culture is by punctuating employees’ everyday experience with unexpected events and celebrations. There are significant events and milestones in the life of a company that warrant real acknowledgement both internally and with the public. These milestones may become more relevant or worth celebrating as the company grows, changes or reaches certain goals. Common reasons are a major anniversary of 10, 25 or 50 years, a significant merger or acquisition, or a substantial achievement. However, other milestones or stories can also be worthy of an event or acknowledgement.