The Psychology of Colour in Office Design

 
 

The Psychology of Colour in Office Design

Introduction

Everywhere you look, our world is absolutely brimming with colours. More than just an exciting phenomenon of the senses, colours serve as an important source of information for our brains. For example, our brains know that an apple is healthy and safe if it’s bright red–but if that same apple suddenly becomes brown, we know better than to eat it.

Since colours influence our perception of the world, they have a profound impact on our emotions, moods, thoughts and behaviours. Colour psychology can be leveraged to improve sentiment, efficiency, productivity and even collaboration.

While some colours can foster positive work environments, others can actually manifest negativity and make people not want to be there. For that reason, choosing which colours to paint your office is never an easy decision. In this article, we cover best practices for choosing the right paint colours for your office that will celebrate and enhance your unique company culture.

 

Principles of Colour Psychology

Colour psychology is something you’d definitely want to learn about. The right colour-palette has been shown to increase employee morale and boost creativity. Wrong colours, on the other hand, can reduce the efficiency of your staff.

Research has also shown that colours have a significant impact on productivity. This can be attributed to the way humans perceive colours. For instance, low-wavelength colours like green and blue (the main colours of nature) have been shown to boost employee mood and increase happiness. It’s no wonder many companies incorporate these colours in their office designs.

On the flipside, high-wavelength colours like red are associated with intensity, alarm and even confusion. Picture the colour of fire, fire extinguishers, and items meant to portray passion such as valentines and exotic sports cars. The aim of using high-wavelength colours is to attract your employees or customers to something. It puts an emphasis on a message, for example, the use of the red colour in your brand statement.

 

The Use of Colour to Provoke Emotion

The role of colour in inducing certain feelings in your staff is important. Studies show that the colour yellow plays a crucial role in triggering innovation and optimism. Colour psychologists have branded it the “optimism colour’. It’s the perfect colour for people who work in the creative field. Professionals who need this colour to boost their performance include:

  • Writers and content creators
  • Designers
  • Developers
  • Artistic directors
  • Producers

Most of the world’s population goes to work every day, which may lead to fatigue. This is where the green colour comes in. It rejuvenates the spirit, making employees feel fresh and ready to tackle more projects. Dark green depicts wealth and prosperity. Turquoise is usually linked with the mass communication field and is best used in a training or conference room.

In chromology, blue is the colour that stimulates the mind; it helps one increase focus or think clearly. The calmness brought about by this colour makes it ideal for individuals who want to engage in deep thought. But blue can have other consequences — scientists have proved that it makes the heart rate slow causing fatigue, among other undesirable conditions. Just like blue, pink also aids in creating a more tranquil environment. This is especially great for offices where the staff is constantly swamped and there’s the possibility of crumbling under pressure.

 

Different Colours for Different Rooms

Having gained some insights on the psychology of colour, it’s now time to think about how you can incorporate it in your new office design. It’s not wise to use only one colour in all departments/sections of your office. Use a mix of colours in the different environments of your workspace. For instance, you can use the colour blue in one part of the office as induces feelings of confidence and honesty. Green is ideal for creatives as it helps foster innovation and collaboration. If you want to be unique and have an edge over your competitors, red is the colour.

According to statistics, colour increases brand recognition by 80%. This goes to show just how important your brand’s colours are. People will easily identify your brand just by looking at your product’s packaging. Colour psychology should help you determine which colours will work best for your office. The goal is to pick colours that will invigorate your staff and enable them to achieve your monthly, quarterly or annual goals.

The success of a project or of a company as a whole largely depends on the atmosphere that you create. Colour theory tells us that there is great power in the colours that we interact with every day. If they can invoke certain feelings and emotions in humans, why not use them as part of your success strategy? Find out what feelings or atmosphere you want to create using various colours in different sections of your office. Ensure that they are in line with your objectives and the business goals you hope to achieve.

It might be difficult to come up with the right colours for your brand. You’re probably looking for colours which will reflect your uniqueness and help you achieve greater things. This is where we come in. We’re passionate about creating office spaces that boost productivity. We’ll analyse your corporate identity and culture and come up with the right colours for your office space. We’ll help you create the ideal workspace with expertise in real estate advisory and interior design as well!

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