Businesses looking to renovate their space for increased employee and customer satisfaction need to consider not only the scope of the project but also its potential cost and the return on investment they can expect.
Fully soundproofing a space can involve tearing down walls and replacing them with new materials. However, achieving an effective noise-dampening effect is possible at a much lower cost through acoustic wall art.
As an additional benefit, this installation contributes not just to the functionality but the aesthetic of the space as well.
However, before committing to acoustic wall art, businesses should understand what return on investment they can expect, as well as the benefits acoustic art can bring. Here are the primary factors to keep in mind.
How Acoustic Wall Art Works
Acoustic wall art comes in many forms, sizes, and orientations, but in general, it functions the same way — a piece of art is installed as a three-dimensional piece of décor that absorbs sound waves and prevents them from bouncing back into the room.
Commonly, acoustic art takes the form of actual artwork, such as paintings or photos printed on fabric and overlayed on a sound-absorbing canvas.
Alternatively, acoustic wall art can be more creative, mimicking wooden slats or other natural materials to integrate noise control with upgraded décor and a professional, chic look.
When acoustic art is exposed to sound waves, the material from which it is made, coupled with its texture, traps those waves much more efficiently than a sheer, glossy wall.
As a result, fewer sound waves bounce back into space, reducing noise and echoes. Acoustic art is most effective when placed opposite the noise source; in most businesses, this will be roughly at eye level. Multiple pieces of acoustic art can be used in the same space to enhance the effect and tie the décor together.
Benefits for Employees
Employees who work in loud environments have been shown across studies to experience higher levels of stress, mental unwellness, lack of focus, and decreased productivity.
Whether the noise is coming from ambient equipment such as air conditioners or the conversations of their coworkers, employees need well-managed sound levels to succeed.
For businesses, sound mitigation strategies such as acoustic wall art address multiple problems at once. They can:
- Increase employee alertness, boosting productivity for greater profit
- Decrease employee absences due to burnout and anxiety or depression
- Improve customer relations by allowing employees to hear accurately and respond to customer requests
- Improve employee morale by demonstrating care for workers’ comfort and happiness
While the financial repercussions of these elements will vary based on a business’s size and the company’s current noise level, the return on investment for acoustic wall art makes the installations worth considering.
Even better, businesses need not worry about purchasing so many panels that the entire office becomes silent. Studies show that too much silence can also be problematic. Aiming for around 50 decibels of ambient noise is ideal.
Benefits for Customers
A business’s workers are not the only people who stand to benefit from a carefully curated selection of acoustic art. Customers see a number of advantages that improve brand loyalty by being able to shop or visit a location that is not excessively loud or full of echoes.
Some of the factors that contribute to a company’s ROI for its acoustic art include:
- Making customers feel appreciated by keeping them comfortable, thus increasing the chances they will return and refer others
- Allowing customers to converse with each other and service workers without hassle during their visit, resulting in better consumer outcomes
- Controlling customers’ impressions of the space, encouraging them to form brand loyalty
- Keeping conversations private (especially in certain niches, such as healthcare and law, where this is a legal concern), allowing customers to relax and feel respected
As with the employee side of return on investment, the financial benefits of improving customer relations through noise mitigation cannot be assigned a blanket number due to businesses’ varying sizes, types, and setups.
However, after modifying the space with acoustic art, most companies can expect to see a noticeable change in consumer behavior KPIs (e.g., longer visits, spending more, or returning more often).
Explore Acoustic Wall Art for Your Business
Businesses come in all shapes and sizes. If your business struggles with noise levels, you have plenty of incentives on both the employee and customer sides to invest in acoustic wall art to make your space more comfortable.
Doing so can boost profits and reduce losses via multiple avenues. The experts at Tree Towns can help you explore how acoustic art can fit into your business’s aesthetic. Contact Tree Towns to discuss your vision, needs, and budget.