Is harder than it looks.
The study of how colour affects perceptions and behaviours is called colour psychology; and when translated to the workplace, colour can influence mood, productivity, and wellbeing; colour can also be used as a powerful means of communication.
Colour is all around is and ingrained of our everyday lives; subconsciously or not, we are influenced by colour, green means go, red means stop, we’re brighter surrounded by a blue sky, and less so when it’s grey and dreary outside. Brands use colour psychology to influence consumer behaviour, how is it you’re suddenly hungry when you see the golden arches (BRB!)?! In the office, a colour palette can dramatically impact your workforce, for better or worse, and studies have shown that tapping into colour psychology can also improve your employees’ productivity and job satisfaction, and can impact how your business is perceived to the outside world.
Did you know that red increases blood flow, boosts heart rates and is widely used in KPI driven industries, yellow is the most used colour in the creative world to inspire innovation, and blue is the colour of choice for financial institutions as it’s perceived as trustworthy, dependable, and secure?
Understanding the needs of your business, and how designing with colour can drive certain behaviour – this is where we come in. We ask the important questions to tell your unique story and positively impact your people in the most powerful way through the use of colour, amongst other things. The colour scheme of your office is (and should be) a fundamental element of the overall design, getting it right can be key to your business’ success, getting it wrong can be seismically damaging to the brand, the image, the culture, and employee engagement, and not to mention – expensive!
Here, we’ve listed the most used colours, and what they each bring to workplace – what do you think, any surprises?
Take a moment and look up from your monitor. Consider the effect that the most dominant colour you see is having on you. Does that colour energize you? Does it soothe you? Does it cause negative feelings? Visualize having your office workspace, conference rooms, and collaborative zones complete with colours that will create a positive and productive emotional state – what does that look like?
IN A NUTSHELL
Colour in the workplace and in our everyday lives is much more than just aesthetics. When used skilfully in the workplace, colour can be used to create a conducive environment to elevate our moods, improve our productivity, and sharpen our focus at the office, while keeping your people happy. If you’d like to use colour to influence your workplace, we’d love to be in your fuchsia (couldn’t resist), please give us a call today.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE US
At PALM, we LOVE colour, and could talk slash write about it all day… here, we’ve listed a few other areas we'd cover when talking shop and colour with you, as there is so much more than just a lick of paint.
Nailing The Palette
Tints, shades, and tones; the small details of colour that will make or break the office environment. High saturation colours can be more stimulating, glossy paint elicits high energy, and accent colours create balance and define your space. You’ve landed on three colours… but what about the actual shade? Sounds complicated, right?! This is where an Interior Designer comes in, aka us, we can take the lead on this process to land on the right colour combination and composition to work for your business and people, after all, there are 250 shades of blue #help.
On Brand?
Your physical office space is a branding tool and can represent your company vision and values to align your people, as they collectively work towards achieving business goals. Getting the balance and execution right is the hardest part. The physical space, the audience, and desired emotional effect should inform what, how and where, and how much. It makes sense the company logo is front and centre at reception to make a lasting first impression, behind the door, not so much; company values and <insert other emotion here> should be the hero; with colour palette, furnishings and layout doing the heavy lifting here.
So Many Feelings, All In One Place
With a range of spaces with different functions under one roof, there’s a multitude of emotions and actions that need to be considered, therefore a strategic and flexible approach is key when selecting the colour scheme for each space. Green is a soothing choice for a quiet room, and yellow encourages innovation and creativity, perfect for a brainstorming space, for example. What would be the perfect colour/s for the room you’re sitting in right now, and why?
But wait, there's more (to it)
Temperature, lighting, pattern, and of course, furniture and accents like art, all go together with colour and play a big part on getting the office design and vibe right. In simple terms, set the mood and reap the benefits. Again, this is where you lean on the expertise of an Interior Designer, insert ‘hand up’ emoji here, we are all yours...
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