Typicality is essentially the opposite of novelty. It is a feature that emphasizes familiarity and the positive effect that it can have on employee well-being. Typicality was found to be more beneficial to employee well-being than novelty because familiarity and comfort carry more weight than flashiness and high status.

Syracuse University

Novelty, typicality, variety, and unity are the four design features, and are believed to have a role in affecting employee well-being in a hotel setting. Design is a prominent aspect of hotel success and a lot goes into how the interior design will make the patrons feel. Novelty was found to not affect well-being as much as the other factors. Unity and typicality allow for comfort and coherence, while a sense of variety allows for brain stimulation. These three factors are found to promote subjective well-being in hotel employees from a design-based approach. 

Workplace design features and their role in affecting well-being

Ksenia Kirillova, Xiaoxiao Fu & Deniz Kucukusta (2020) Workplace design and well-being: aesthetic perceptions of hotel employees, The Service Industries Journal, 40:1-2, 27-49, DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2018.1543411

Workplace design and well-being: aesthetic perceptions of hotel employees

The novelty design feature is presence of higher end decor. This feature is valued by some and not prioritized by others. Overall, it was found not to affect well being of employees as much as the other features. Novelty does not benefit well being as long term as other features.  

Novelty design feature

Typicality design feature

This refers to the decorations in an area making sense and creating cohesion. Those who value this feature believe that decorations and physical design relating to one another benefits well-being and people are more at ease when the things around them are sensibly integrated. 

Unity design feature

This feature refers to presence of a mixed variety of decorations in a workplace's design. This feature is arguably the opposite of unity and typicality, allows for brain stimulation and feelings of pleasant newness if done correctly. 

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