Are you struggling with sluggish productivity and stressed employees? Is your workplace as inspiring as a tin of magnolia paint? It might be time for a workplace revamp. If so, understanding colour psychology might be the secret to success. Read on to uncover our hidden tips.
What Is ‘Colour Psychology?’
Colour is encoded into the human experience at a primal level. From recognising threats to controlling mood, reaction to colour is something that is instinctive, immediate, and powerful. Colour can enhance emotional experiences, influence attitudes, and affect behaviours. These are all tricks of the trades that marketeers have used for time immemorial to nudge buyer behaviour in the right direction. Now, employers are starting to recognise how to do the same by harnessing the power of colour to improve workplace productivity, efficiency, and morale.
Understanding Colour In The Workplace
The rules about colour and emotions are relatively straightforward. It goes without saying that a vivid, red office space is going to do little to create a chilled atmosphere. Instead, cool colours such as blue are known to banish anxiety and produce a sense of calmness, balance, and peace. In the workplace, this has been shown to translate to increased productivity, especially in spaces that are cluttered by deadlines, stress, and interruptions. Equally, green is associated with the balance of mind and body, making it a go-to option for highly productive creative spaces. Greens can help to relieve the inner stress that many creatives experience, and has the added bonus that it is comfortable on the eye, making it easier for people to concentrate for longer.
Less Is More
The psychology of colour repeatedly emphasises the need for delicacy and contrast in decorative schemes. Overdoing a particular shade can backfire, making people feel overwhelmed and claustrophobic. Instead, dashes, fragments, and accents are recognised as being the key to optimising colour psychology. A clean, organised white is often the preferred primary colour, with multiple and complimentary tones of an active colour such as blue used sparingly to create the desired effect. Studies have shown that accent lighting or digital displays can be just as effective as paint, especially when creative performance is crucial to the company.
Controlling Spaces
Given the power of colour psychology, offices with multi-purpose spaces can play with colour to change the emotional response of employees. For instance, when a cosy feel is required for a particularly important meeting, warm, fire-place colours such as reds and oranges can help to achieve an intimate and safe vibe. Equally, when optimism is the goal, bright sunshine yellows can help to lift a gloomy mood. One of the most exciting features of digitally enhanced workplaces is that colours can be controlled and changed depending upon the need. For instance, a meeting room can be shifted from a productive blue to a creative green at the swipe of a button, offering unprecedented opportunities to unlock the full potential of colour psychology in the workplace.
Find Out More
If you’re considering investing in a workplace revamp, colour psychology should be top of the list of considerations. To learn more about the productivity-enhancing possibilities of colour, get in touch with MTA today.
