When you walk into an office for whatever reason you look around the room and then you come to sit down in front of a desk. One of the most important artifacts that a person places in an office whether it is a home office or a place of business is a desk. One of the most famous desks in the world is the Resolute Desk that the President of the United Sates uses and has used since it was delivered to the White House in 1880. Only three Presidents have not used the desk Johnson, Nixon and Ford turned down using it.
This desk is both functional and aesthetic and displays a since of power and history in its detailed hand crafted design all around it. This is an artifact that when placed in to the environment of the Oval Office is striking and breathe taking.
People use desks as artifacts to display whatever type of personality they have and use them to project what they feel on the inside and what they want whoever sees them to think of the person. A person who for example would want to project a feeling of transparency or trust may have a glass desk placed into their office.
The glass may help to bring a sense of trust to whatever conversation or transaction is occurring over it. By projecting transparency the person behind the desk can steer the meeting and gain favor by the appearance of being open and accepting.
Where a formal desk may send the message and project dominance and power to whoever sits in front of it. The size of the desk has lot to do with what type of artifact it is. For example a large wooden desk with dark wood that is high and has formal chairs around it, sets a tone for dominance, power and importance. This type of artifact could be used to intimidate or make people on the other side of it submissive. It could also be used a s a no nonsense place where business is discussed and deals are made by professionals’.
Others uses for desks as artifacts would be used for home use and not meant to display dominance but more to feel calming and welcome a person to sit down and talk at them or work at your leisure.
The desk shown in the above picture may be used by a writer or someone that likes to look out of the window and draw inspiration or peacefulness from the views. All desks are used as some type of artifact in the environment that they are placed in. They are used to show place in status in corporation or in a classroom. They are used as power items and relaxing places to work, study or play. A lot more thought either conscious or subconscious is out into every desk that you see.
The next time you go into a room that has a desk, even if it is your own take time to look at it. Try to fugure out what the person that owns it, even if it is you, is trying to communicate to the people that see it and see if you can put the artifact and the person together.
By: Robert A. Varis
Sources Cited:
Glass DesK
Resolute Desk
Artifacts in Organization
http://www.workpsychologyarena.com/artifacts-and-organizations-9780805850369
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