INTRODUCTION TO ART
FORCE AND EVIDENCE BASED
DESIGN
Several market studies have concluded that the returns on fine art
compares favorably to Market Indexes such as the S&P 500. CNBC
Alternative Investing, October 2010
The positive opinion of the EBD process is encouraging. Many recent
studies have examined how physical environment can influence wellbeing, promote healing, relieve patient pain and stress, and also reduce
medical errors, infections and falls. Design Research Survey, by Ellen Taylor;
Healthcare Design Magazine, January 2012
One of the biggest reasons EBD is working is the positive impact it can
provide an organization seeking to leverage art to help optimize
performance, confront adversity and/or manage organizational change.
Research and common sense tell us that the condition of an
organization’s work place has a big effect on employee morale and
ultimately productivity. 2003 survey by the Business Committee for the Arts Inc. and
the International Association for Professional Art Advisors.
A compilation of
selected studies
providing data
supporting the
integration of
evidence based
design in healthcare
and business
environments
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter from the President
Page 2
Section 1: Introduction to Corporate Art Force
History
Page 3
Return on Investment
Page 4
Risks Factors
Page 6
Risk Management
Page 6
Categories of Investment Returns:
Page 7
Section 2: Evidence Based Design
What is Evidence Based Design?
Page 8
Why is Evidence Based Design Important?
Page 9
How do you actually use Evidence Based Design Work?
Page 13
Acknowledgements
Page 15
1|Page
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Thank you for the opportunity to introduce Art Force.
We hope you are enlightened by our unique
perspective in approaching artwork as a valuable asset to your organization.
Located in the heart of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, Art Force has a mission “To be the
Premier Provider of Artwork Services”.
Our primary focus is to help our clients optimize their artwork program so that it perfectly aligns with
their organization’s culture and brand, while providing them with centralized control over how they are
perceived by customers or patients, employees and the general public.
We believe art has the potential for attractive Intrinsic Returns on Investment.
Over the past several years we have developed and implemented a comprehensive art management
program, which we call the SmartArt Program™. Our Certified Art Consultants have been specially
trained to guide clients through the SmartArt process.
With SmartArt we:

thoroughly evaluate our clients existing art program and potential artwork needs,

design a custom art program, based upon those unique uncovered needs, that would
incorporate key strategies like art re-distribution, rotation and exchange, inventory tracking and
maintenance; and finally,

execute the program, offer finance options and provide ongoing reviews and evaluations.
We provide our clients with a standardized logistical process necessary to select, procure, frame, deliver
and install artwork in their facility, so that they can stay focused on their core competencies.
Our hope is that in the following pages you will learn more about our philosophy and how we can have a
positive impact on your organization.
Sincerely,
Bill
William Kieger
President
Corporate Art Force
2|Page
SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION TO CORPORATE ART FORCE
HISTORY
Art Force was formed in September of 2009 during depths of the “Great Recession”.
During our formative years we asked our employees and partners to participate in a survey to select our
tagline. The survey results concluded that our tagline should be “The Premier Provider of Artwork
Services”.
We believe artwork is an asset that when matched to an organization’s mission, brand and objectives
provides both an intrinsic and a potential real return on investment (ROI).
We are located in the heart of the Northeast Minneapolis Minnesota Arts District and are currently the
#1 arts based employer in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Since our formation we’ve delivered more than 28,000 pieces of artwork to more than 150 clients in 42
states.
We are the originators of the SmartArt Program™, “The Smartest Way to Manage Your Art Assets”; a
comprehensive artwork management program that helps our clients plan, implement, and continually
evaluate the effectiveness of their artwork, throughout the complete life cycle of the art.
The markets we serve include Enterprise Organizations, Healthcare, Small and Medium Size
Organizations and Educational Institutions.
At Art Force, we share the belief that when carefully selected, framed and installed, artwork has the
ability to serve many valuable functions that far exceed decoration. An organization’s environment is a
reflection of who they are and what they value.
Our team is comprised of the most qualified individuals in the industry, possessing an appropriate blend
of creative and business process skills.
All of our Art Consultants are enrolled in our proprietary Certification Program that includes an internal
curriculum of art education and principles of business consulting. External continuing education is also
required to maintain the Certification.
3|Page
RETURN ON INVESTMENT – (Including content from CNBC ALTERNATIVE INVESTING – October 2010)
Corporate Art Force maintains an ROI philosophy when working with our clients. The return on your
investment may be intrinsic or real.
Our belief, based on evidence based design studies (EBD), is that an organization has an opportunity to
optimize their wall space by aligning what is placed on their walls with their mission, objectives and
brand.
The intrinsic value of artwork includes the outcomes of what people consciously and subconsciously
experience when they are exposed to what is strategically selected and displayed in front of them.
Intrinsic Returns - Evidence Based Design (EBD) Studies
-
Increased employee productivity
-
Improved brand impression and customer awareness
-
Improved healthcare outcomes
EBD Optimization Illustration
High
Impact
Low
Impact
Productivity
Brand
Outcomes
Copyright 2013 Corporate Art Force. LLC
C
4|Page
Our research also suggests that artwork has a longer lifespan than other business investments including
furniture and equipment. In any organization there exists a “Hierarchy of Needs”. A traditional business
requires desks, chairs, telephone equipment, computers, etc. in order to function properly. Most of
those items will have minimal residual value after 10 years. Historically, both original fine art and
decorative art will hold its value better and longer than furniture and equipment.
10 Year Residual Value Comparisons
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Furniture
Equipment
Artwork
Copyright 2013 Corporate Art Force, LLC
Several market studies have concluded that the returns on fine art compares favorably to Market
Indexes such as the S&P 500.
For the ten-years ended July 2010, the price index of all fine art work sold more than once worldwide
has produced a nearly 11 percent annualized return, outperforming the Standard & Poor’s 500 index of
large cap stocks and most other asset classes, including bonds and commodities—though gold was the
clear frontrunner during those years, according to artprice.com in France, which tracks the market.
Despite the economic slump, strong recent sales of Impressionist and modern art pieces in 2010
similarly pushed the Mei Moses “All Art Index” to a 13.4-percent gain for the first half of the year,
compared to a 6.5 percent loss for the S&P 500 index, according to artasanasset.com, which maintains
the index.
Over the longer term, the Mei Moses Fine Art Index of repeat art sales at the leading auction houses and
the S&P 500 produced roughly equal compound annual returns over the last 50 years.
Indeed, investment-grade art enjoys a low correlation with other asset classes, including stocks and
bonds, strengthening its case as a candidate for portfolio diversification.
And some maintain art can act as an inflation hedge, since “real assets” (like gold) tend to rise in value
while the value of money falls.
5|Page
Risks Factors
To begin with, art is a volatile asset. It’s hard to tell when demand for a certain genre will suddenly surge
or dry up.
After a ten-year run, for example, in which Chinese contemporary art saw prices rise more than 500
percent and Indian contemporary art enjoyed a 700 percent gain, prices for works in both categories
then fell by 30 percent in 2008 and 2009, according to Art price.
Art is far less liquid than other financial assets, making it harder to sell in a pinch.
Lastly, keep in mind that indexes which track repeat sales are somewhat skewed because they include
only art pieces that already have an established following.
Risk Management
According to Artprice, some 70 percent of all artwork sold at auction between January 2008 and June
2009 was priced at $5,000 or less.
During that same period, “affordable” art priced below $5,000 gained 60 percent in value, while higher
end pieces gained a staggering 150 percent.
“It is important to educate yourself on the forces affecting the art market overall, and the niche you’re
hoping to pursue”, says Paul Provost, senior vice president, director of trusts and estates at Christie’s
auction house in New York.
“The art market is made up of a series of micro markets and each one moves in accordance with its own
dynamic,” he says.
Mr. Provost explains further that American furniture and decorative folk art, for example, have a
different demand cycle than, say, classical antiquities, impressionist paintings or post war contemporary
pieces.
“It’s the same with investing in the stock market,” says Provost. “You have to drill down to the issues
surrounding large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap stocks along with the different sectors. You’re not just
going to say, ‘I want to invest.’”
6|Page
CATEGORIES OF INVESTMENT RETURNS
- Original Fine Art - More Expensive/Lower Investment Risk
- Emerging Artists Creations - Less Expensive/Higher Investment Risk
Asset Allocation Catagories
Cash
Real Estate
Original Art
Artwork
Bonds
Emerging Art
Stocks
Copyright 2013 Corporate Art Force, LLC
7|Page
SECTION 2
CORPORATE ART FORCE: GUIDE TO EVIDENCE BASED DESIGN
WHAT IS EVIDENCE BASED DESIGN?
Evidence-based design (EBD) is a field of study
that emphasizes the importance of using credible
data in order to influence the design process.
Evidence-based design is a relatively new field of
study which borrows terminology and ideas from
several disciplines including Environmental
Psychology, Architecture, Neuroscience and
Behavioral Economics. Over the past 10 years, EBD
has emerged within healthcare delivery as a
scientific response to questions about how the
built environment impacts patient, staff and
resource outcomes. During this timeframe, EBD
inquiries have exponentially exploded in the wake
of the Institute of Medicine’s benchmark studies
on the quality and safety of healthcare delivery in
America. The approach has become popular in
Healthcare Architecture in an effort to improve
patient and staff well-being, patient healing
process, stress reduction and safety. Because of
the recession, both operationally and strategically,
business has changed. Some of the major
challenges for business’s today are team building,
talent development and retention, leadership and
full scale organizational development. Early
evidence demonstrates that the use of EBD can
positively impact these issues.
According to the Third Annual Design Research
Survey, by Ellen Taylor, AIA, MBA, EDAC, 82% of
1,300 study respondents indicated some use of the
research, while 72% indicated regular use of the
EBD process. Only 3% acknowledged that they
were not familiar with the term EBD and just 2% of
respondents indicated not knowing about research
on how the design features of the built
environment could improve outcomes.
8|Page
WHY IS EVIDENCE BASED DESIGN IMPORTANT?
Because early indication is that it works! Even in a weak economy, the positive opinion of the EBD
process is encouraging. Many recent studies have examined how physical environment can influence
well-being, promote healing, relieve patient pain and stress, and also reduce medical errors, infections
and falls. Many hospitals are adopting elements of evidence-based design in new constructions,
expansions or re-modeling. It is a process used by architects, interior designers, facility managers, and
others in the planning, design, and construction of commercial buildings. An evidence-based designer,
together with an informed client, makes decisions based on the best information available from
research, from project evaluations, and from evidence gathered from the operations of the client.
Personal Opinions of EBD
Improves OUTCOMES………………………………………….
97.9%
Informed DECISION-MAKING……………………………..
97.0%
Improves QUALITY OF LIFE in healthcare……………
95.6%
Improves SAFETY………………………………………………..
94.8%
USING FEATURES supported by research………….
90.2%
A FORWARD THINKING trend……………………………
87.8%
REDUCES COST over the life cycle.…………………….
80.2%
PRESERVES INTENT in value engineering…………..
81.3%
Using HYPOTHESIS & MEASUREMENT……………….
78.3%
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE………………………………..
77.9%
A DEFINED PROCESS of outlined steps……………….
56.2%
More IMPORTANT during a weak economy……….
50.3%
A passing FAD………………………………………………………
8.4%
Just meets an RFP REQUIREMENT……………………...
6.2%
A WASTE of money………………………………………........
1.2%
SOURCE: "Are you using EBD" by Ellen Taylor, Dec 1 2011.
9|Page
Everyone has an intuitive knowledge of the relationship between colors and emotions. Colors influence
mood. And sunlight has a number of positive effects. It provides people with Vitamin D, and has even
been shown to ward off depression. But can it make us smarter or more productive? Evidence points to
yes. Students who are fortunate to be in a school classroom with large windows and skylights perform
better on tests than those in rooms with very little natural light — between 7 percent and 18 percent
better, according to research conducted more than a decade ago in the Day lighting in Schools study,
administered by the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. This study also demonstrated that test scores go up
even higher if the windows are operable. This is valuable information for an interior designer or
architect hired to create an educational facility, which could potentially improve both teaching and
learning, as well as the productivity of the space and client satisfaction. Evidence can be a powerful tool
used to inform designers’ and architects’ decisions.
Traditionally associated with healthcare architecture, evidence-based design (EBD) is making inroads
into being part of the process for designing schools, office spaces, hotels, restaurants, museums, prisons
and even residences. In short, EBD is when decisions about physical space are based on research and
data. “EBD took hold in hospital design because of the existing evidence-based medicine culture,” says
David Watkins, FAIA, Founding Principal of Houston-based WHR Architects, and co-author of EvidenceBased Design for Multiple Building Types (2008).
Watkins suggests that EBD, less formally, already occurs in designing other building types. “We use facts
to inform our designs,” he states, noting that rational experience, building codes and guidelines, as well
as existing practices, such as post-occupancy evaluations, all provide designers with solid information
that directs design decisions. His goal, through authorship and his practice, is to make it apparent that
EBD cuts across all aspects of building design, and he pushes for a cultural shift in industry thinking, to
include EBD as part of design services. In his book, Watkins defines EBD as “a process for the
conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence from research and practice in making
critical decisions, together with an informed client, about the design of each individual project.” Watkins
aims to broaden the healthcare-focused definition to include all building types and built environments.
It makes sense that EBD has its roots in healthcare, where lives are at stake and legal implications are
palpable, outcomes are fragile, and decisions need to be justified by hard data. Watkins says; however,
that this need for justification is becoming more commonplace in most other building designs. “Clients
take risks when they make decisions, often having to defend their decisions to a board or their
supervisors,” he says. It then trickles down, where the building professionals are held to a higher
accountability for their design solutions.
10 | P a g e
Critical thinking is required to develop an appropriate solution to the design problem; the pool of
information will rarely offer a precise fit with a client's unique situation; and therefore, research that is
specific to the project's objectives is almost always required. In the last analysis, though, an evidencebased design should result in demonstrated improvements in the organization's outcomes, economic
performance, productivity, customer satisfaction, and cultural measures.
The process is being adopted across various
corporate segments, but has gain the most
significant momentum in health-care and
complementary fields. The positive effect is
shown from the patients and families, which
have higher-quality stays; physicians, who
practice based on medical evidence and the
business-minded administrators, who prove
this, would reduce costs and improve
organizational effectiveness. However, it is
applicable to many types of commercial
building projects, but is uniquely suited to
healthcare because of the unusually high stakes
and the financial and clinical outcomes that can
be impacted by the built environment. The
building itself can help to reduce the stress
experienced by patients, their families, and the
teams caring for them. The healthcare
environment is a work environment for the
staff, a healing environment for patients and
families, a business environment for the
provision of healthcare, and a cultural
environment for the organization to fulfill its
mission and vision.
Evidence Based Design and the Changing Face of the Business Workplace
One of the biggest reasons EBD is working is the positive impact it can provide an organization seeking
to leverage art to help optimize performance, confront adversity and/or manage organizational change.
Research and common sense tell us that the condition of an organization’s work place has a big effect
on employee morale and ultimately productivity. And the pressure from the economy isn’t making it any
easier. In today’s marketplace businesses are facing big human capital challenges, and the quality of
their office environment has become a major pawn in the game of retaining or recruiting talent.
11 | P a g e
Workplace change can’t happen fast enough for some. Sir Stuart Lipton, CEO of Stanhope, the developer
behind Chiswick Park, Broadgate, Stockley Park and other schemes, including the Treasury Building in
Whitehall, counsels patience: 'Government is becoming more aware of good architecture and there's a
focus on outcomes, not just output. A more holistic approach is emerging, centered on light, art,
diversions, break-out spaces, landscaping and all the things that make us feel good at work. Generally,
I'm not surprised by the overall willingness of managers to trade other perks for a more productive,
more communal, less stressful work environment. We're working harder and longer. We want it to be
more enjoyable, more fun.'
A survey of over 800 employees working for 32 companies that currently display art within the
workplace has revealed that it can be a valuable business asset:







78% of employees surveyed agreed
workplace art helps reduce stress.
94% agreed it enhances the work
environment.
84% agreed it was evidence of their
employer's interest in improving the
quality of life in and out of the
workplace.
64% agreed it increases creativity and
productivity.
67% agreed it enhances morale.
82% indicated that art is important in the
work environment.
73% wanted more art in their workplace,
claiming it helps make them feel more
'motivated' and 'inspired.
SOURCE: 2003 survey by the Business Committee for the Arts Inc. and the International Association for Professional Art
Advisors.
12 | P a g e
HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY USE EBD?
Although there are many different templates for application of Evidence Based Design, most practical
use of EBD is divided into four sequential phases:
(1) REVIEWING existing research literature
to select significant findings and
recommendations;
(2) MATCHING referenced findings with
data gathered from site visits, surveys
results, subject matter experts;
(3) PREDICTING the outcomes of design
decisions; and
(4) TRACKING the positive outcomes for
design implementation.
Traditionally, evidence-based design has been used to measure the efficacy of a building design applied
for the measuring of the efficacy of a building design; it is typically carried out at the post-construction
stage as a part of a Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE). POE evidences the effectiveness or the
weaknesses of design decisions in relation to human behavior in built environment. Usually questions
concern issues such as acoustics, odor control, vibration, lighting, ser-friendliness, and so on, and are
binary-choice (acceptable or not acceptable). Other research techniques, such as direct observation,
photography, checklists, interviews, direct surveys and focus groups are utilized to supplement
traditional design research methods. Several assessment tools have been developed by The Center for
Health Design and by *The Picker Institute, to help healthcare managers and designers in gathering
information on consumer's needs, assessing their satisfaction and measuring quality improvements.
These tools are commonly used in EBD practices and can be downloaded from the CHD web site.



Patient Environmental Checklist is addressed to patient and is useful to assess an existing
facility's strong and weak points. Specific environment features are evaluated by patients and
their families through a 5-point scale. Checklist quickly shows which areas need to be improved.
Patient Survey’s purpose is to achieve information on patients' experiences with the built
environment. Questions range is wide, since patients' priorities may be very different from
those of administrators or designers.
Focus Groups with consumers are oriented to learn more about their specific needs and
generate ideas for future solutions.
13 | P a g e
The”White Paper (series 3/5)”,written by The Center for Health Design, identifies ten strategies to help
decision making, according to EBD practices.
1. Start with problems: identify the problems the project is trying to solve and for which the facility
design plays an important role. For example: adding or upgrading technology, expanding services to
meet growing market demand, replacing aging infrastructure.
2. Use an integrated multidisciplinary approach with consistent senior involvement, ensuring that
everyone with problem-solving tools is included. It is essential stimulate synergy between different
community to maximize efforts, outcomes and interchanges.
3. Maintain a patient-and-family-centered approach: patient and family experience are keys to define
aims and to assess outcomes efficacy.
4. Focus on financial operating impacts, getting past the paralysis of first-cost, exploring the costeffectiveness of design options over time and considering multiyear returns of investment.
5. Apply disciplined participation and criteria management. These processes uses decision-making tools
such as SWOT analysis, analytic hierarchy processes, and decision trees that can also be used in design
processes, particularly for critical technical aspects, such as structural, fire safety, or energy design.
6. Establish quantitative criteria linked to incentives in order to increase motivation of the team design
through the definition of measurable outcomes and to involve end users through checklists, surveys,
simulations.
7. Use strategic partnerships to accelerate innovation, in order to create innovative new products using
hospital staff expertise and leverage.
8. Support and demand simulation and testing assuming the patient’s perspective through making
lighting, energy, and other kinds of models; and computer visualizations.
9. Use a lifecycle perspective (30–50 years), from the strategic planning to the sustainment, especially to
explore the lifecycle return on investment of design strategies as they impact safety and work-force
outcomes.
10. Over communicate: positive outcomes are closely linked to the involvement of clinical staff and
community members; it can be reached by attending meetings, sending out newsletters, creating Web
cams, and other tools.
14 | P a g e
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(1) MT Workplace Satisfaction Survey; Jeremy Myerson, June 1, 2003.
(2) 2003 survey by the Business Committee for the Arts Inc. and the International Association for
Professional Art Advisors.
(3) Article: Does the Emotional Context Influence the Recollection of Color? By Stephane Rusinek; PsyArt,
January 2004.
(4) White Paper: Evidence Based Design: Application in the MHS. By Eileen Malone, August 1, 2007.
(5) White Paper: The Value of Art-Based Initiatives During a Recession. By Joanne South; Art & Business;
July 2009.
(6) Article: The Future of Evidence Based Design. By David Whitemyer; Perspective Spring 2010.
(7) Design Research Survey, by Ellen Taylor; Healthcare Design Magazine; January 2012.
(8) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Contact Information:
Corporate Art Force, LLC
DBA Art Force
1400 Van Buren St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone.763.567.2200
www.ArtForce.org
15 | P a g e