Coffitivity - Do coffee shop noises increase productivity?

by Startacus Admin

As I write this, I am surrounded by a familiar din of clanking cutlery, relaxed murmurs, the gentle whoosh of a coffee steamer and the occasional clatter of loose change being dropped into a grateful tip bowl…am i in a coffee shop you ask? I wish!

No -  I am at my desk as usual in the Startacus office draining the last lukewarm dregs from the so-so coffee I picked up on the way to work this morning…the noise I and everyone else in the office is being treated to is courtesy of a rather fab web app we’ve discovered called Coffitivity.

Coffitivity puts to the test the notion that the noise of a coffee shop makes you more creative and we, ever on the hunt for experiments in creativity decided to give it a go. What better time than now during UK Coffee Week?

The app is incredibly straightforward - it recreates the ambient sounds of a busy coffee shop with the aim of encouraging the boost in creativity which drives many people into such places in the hope of inspiration. Coffitivity says “Research shows it pretty hard to be creative in a quiet place, and a loud workplace can be frustrating and distracting, but the mix of calm and commotion in an environment like a coffeehouse is proven to be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing.”  

We are using the Android version which allows you to select the ‘style’ which which you find most conducive to your own creative needs - there are three to choose from;

University Undertones - Certainly takes me back to my days as an undergraduate (and has apparently had the same effect on my co-workers as following the occasional sound of someone dropping a cup or a spoon they erupt in a trademark canteen “ooooooooooooooooo”) - this one is perhaps a little bit too busy for me…Next!

Morning Murmur - The sound of this is much more calm and I must say that in the short time I have been using it there has been a definite increase in my productivity…could definitely get used to this one!

Lunchtime Lounge - This one sounds the most like a coffee shop in my opinion - you can hear the Baristas working away in the background and get a real sense of the energy of the place. (I think this is my favourite.)

I must say when embarking upon this highly scientific and controlled experiment I was somewhat sceptical and feared that the noise might prove to be too much of a distraction to allow me to get anything done. I have been thankfully proven wrong, after about 5 minutes you stop noticing the noise and it seems to absorb other sounds in the office which otherwise might have been a distraction.

I feel Coffitivity may become part of my daily routine!  If you want to try it out for yourself then why not visit the website and dont forget to let us know whether it helps to boost your creativity!

If you are into quirky stuff then you might like to take a little look at some of these recent posts:

Twittertape - Mixing old and new technologies

Talking taxidermy and breathing stones- Objects Sandbox startup winners anounced

HeuttenPalast Camping - Enjoy the great indoors


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Published on: 6th April 2014