The SPACE for Innovation and Design is the newest area on campus dedicated to one of the things Boise State is known forâinnovation. But The SPACE is very much also about design, and the College of Innovation + Designâs desire to provide a welcoming, open, adaptable area for strategy sessions and design thinking. It is designed to give faculty, staff and partners a place to explore, experiment and innovate. What sets The SPACE apart isnât just its modern and open lookâitâs the intentional focus on three core principles: community, collaboration and creativity.
Community
Innovation doesnât happen in isolation. In fact, communities are essential for innovation because they provide a platform for individuals to connect, learn from each other, and access a wider range of resources and expertise.
The open and welcoming atmosphere reflects this commitment to building community. Itâs not just a place to work; itâs a place to belong.
For Stephen Crowley, professor and department chair of philosophy (and frequent SPACE user), The SPACE provides exactly that. He used it to host a two-day workshop on the social impacts of computing, which brought together faculty, staff and industry professionals to discuss emerging technology. By utilizing all the rooms and open spaces, participants were able to engage in breakout sessions, structured discussions and informal networkingâall under one roof.
âBefore that workshop, the social impacts of computing group was just an informal, low-energy campus discussion,â Crowley said. âAfterward, we became a completely different group, with much higher levels of participation, especially from industry. We went from a space to build community to an actual community that pursues meaningful work together.â
Collaboration
In The SPACE, people notice right away that almost everything is a whiteboardâwalls and tables and, of course, the rolling whiteboards in every room. This was a thoughtful design decision to make working together easier.
From the adjustable tables in each room to the sticky note brainstorming supplies, each detail was chosen with collaboration in mind.
For Crowley, this flexible setup made all the difference.
âWe used all the rooms in The SPACE,â he said. âWe could move people around, keeping the energy flowing, without ever being so far apart that they lost connection. It created a sense of âwe,â a shared space where collaboration happened naturally.â
Creativity
Creativity is the driving force behind all new ideas and it doesnât usually happen in a room with four blank walls. Creativity truly flourishes in an environment designed with color, natural light, nature and energy – all of which The SPACE has.
A study from the University of British Columbia found that the color blue helps people think outside of the box. Additionally, natural light and plants in the workspace have been found to increase dopamine levels and lower stress, all of which make us productive and more imaginative.
Crowley notes that The SPACEâs professional yet vibrant design helped set the right tone for his workshop, especially for industry partners.
âIt feels like a conference space, in a good way. It signals that something important is happening here. When people walk in, theyâre ready to engage, think bigger and push boundaries.â
The SPACE in Action
The SPACE is a testament to how each principle is a vital ingredient in the recipe for innovation and what can happen when people come together to share their talents, perspectives and passions.
While each area in The SPACE reflects the core principles, they also hold unique purposes. Some rooms are designed for quiet, solo focus time, while others are designed for high-energy workshops ending with a cocktail hour. No matter the event, The SPACE is where ideas take shape, communities grow, and collaboration leads to real impact.
Go to The SPACE website to learn more.