Kobe at Facebook

 Visiting Facebook office

Okay, I have been really busy in life. I used to spend my holidays staying at home and drawing fashion, but I decided not to do so this time. “Lets try something out of my comfort zone!”, said me to me, and here I am doing my very first internship! And during this internship I had the chance to visit Facebook Singapore office. Surreal!

I’m not gonna share my internship experience nor why my boss could get all of us there. Let’s save it for another post. Instead, after much thoughts, I’m going to share with you the five things I learned from the Facebook office tour. And if I have my own studio, or office, and (of course) home, I would copy what Facebook does.

1. Serve some food, and it would feel like home.

The free flow of snacks, drinks, peppermint candies (Christmas time) and even BEER (heartbreak during office hour? Help yourself some drinks) are served at a well-designed kitchen and dining table – and that rack is the first thing welcoming you after you pass the gate. I can only imagine myself working there and happily think of ‘what snack I should get next’ or ‘should I bring home some Hello Pandas for my little cousins’. It is food, I know, but food is inevitably an element that would make you feel welcomed, and want to stay longer.

2. Good natural lighting for a brighter future.

Lighting comes directly from the sun into our office/studio/room would not just allow us to take good selfies and instagram flat lays (yas to more fun at the office, right?) or supreme view, but also to feel more peaceful and somehow homey. I can’t explain this feeling scientifically nor psychologically but I believe there are different light spectrums from the sun that would affect our mind and soul. No matter what, we belong to nature – that’s why we feel better to have more nature around us.

3. Some empty spaces for the growth of creativity.

I believe creativity is one of the most versatile virtues (virtue, not skill okay?) every human should have and nurture. That is why it is really important to have a living/working/living-and-working place that would help your brain produce creative juices. One of the way is to provide the ‘undone’ or empty spaces for you to fill in, erase, create, destroy. It can be the doodling wall like what Facebook provides, a table full of legos (for our kids, yeay!), gigantic chalkboard, transformable furniture, etc!  It is the incompleteness of something that triggers us to complete it. And “how to complete it” is called creativity.

4. A great toilet for a great private time

I’m regretting myself not to take pictures of the toilet because it is totally pretty and smells darn good. And after the toilet time, I felt so refreshed afterwards. I could never forget the lavender/lemongrass smell of Facebook toilet. It is very very homey. Imagine working in a place where whenever you get stressed or stuck about something, you could just go to the toilet to have a comfortable nature call in the airconed cubicle, enjoy the great smell and wifi connection without anyone disturbing you. I believe my well-being will be leveled up just by working in such a place.

5. Festivity.

Sadly, not all places (homes, offices, schools) would have festive decorations or food when it’s Christmas time, or Lunar New year or Easter. Yes, festive seasons are temporary. Yes, it could waste money. Yes, not everyone is celebrating it. But what festivity brings to those who see, feel and experience it is excitement, to most people. And it is the little things in life that matters. Facebook has the peppermint candies (i wish there were gingerbread cookies), Christmas tree and some Christmas decoration on the wall. I believe Facebook has their Christmas lavish party too.

Some other offices would be similar, or even better than Facebook, but well I have never been there so I could only stand in awe when I visited Facebook. And, I do not know what the other stuffs that Facebook office has. This experience is purely based on my observation and opinion. Since not everyone has the chance to go there, let me share with you my excitement <3.

So what do you think? Would you do what Facebook does to its office and employees? 🙂

part 2: Kobe at Facebook

Credits: Feliciana Natali