The colours you choose in your office, reception area and meeting rooms can have a great impact on productivity, happiness and mood. Should you have a bright red meeting room? Or a green reception area? Colour psychology can help you solve the questions of which colour you should choose for each area.
The origins of using colours to change behaviour and emotions dates back to the Ancient Egyptians. Modern theories of colour psychology state that colour triggers automatic emotions in us and we have little control over that emotion.
Context and culture do have an impact though, so that depending on how we encounter a colour or even where we grew up and live determines the behaviour it triggers in us. Emotions in turn affect our actions like our capacity for decision making and our levels of productivity. It also states that different colours have different meanings for us all, so we experience individual and personal reactions to colour. The emotions triggered by experiencing colour in turn lead us to behaviour.
Colour and the Ancient Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians studied colour and the effect on a person’s mood. They used colours holistically in their medicines and treatments. They believed that:
Red is good for circulation and stimulates the body and mind.
Yellow helps purify the body and calms nerves.
Orange increases our energy levels.
Blue heals and soothes pain.
Purple specifically cures skin problems.
Black (interestingly the opposite to Western cultures) is the colour of life and rebirth.
Who created Colour Psychology?
Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist (1875 – 1961) first studied colour as a tool for psychotherapy. He developed the theories that form the basis of colour psychology that is used in marketing (especially branding theory), architecture and interior design today.
Jung famously said, “colours are the mother tongue of the subconscious.”
Jung also developed the concept of art therapy and using colour and art to heal the mind and body. He believed that our cultural perceptions of colour and our innate reaction to different colours worked in tandem with a universal bodily response.
Colours have different impacts on us depending on where we live…
Jung told us that the impact of certain colours on a person varies from country to country, cultural reference to culture reference across the globe. So, the impact of the colour red on us isn’t universally constant. Something to watch out for if you have offices around the world.
Why are so many logos blue!
Some fundamental behaviours associated with colour do seem to work regardless of country, however. How we interpret and respond to colours follows the general pattern below in the UK:
Blue
There’s a reason why so many logos are blue! Blue is associated with productivity and is a popular and dependable colour when used in branding. It’s been scientifically proven to lower heart rate, blood pressure and stress.
Yellow
Is yellow the perfect colour for reception areas? It’s associated with welcome and warmth but be careful as it can increase hunger and frustration!
Red
If you want quick thinking in a meeting room then maybe red is the colour for you? Red increases stimulation and excitement, increases the heart rate and brain activity. It’s the colour of love, passion and for danger. Studies have shown that employees don’t like to linger too long in red areas.
Green
Good for studying and reflective thinking, green is a restorative and calming colour that is associated with youth and energy. More olive shades of green have been shown to increase concentration levels and to aid deep levels of intense studying. It is also a colour that is restful to the eye and calming.
The use of colour in the workplace has a huge impact on your feelings of well-being and productivity. At Ezobord, we carry a wide range of colour palettes for our beautifully designed acoustic solutions to help you choose.
Our acoustic solutions come in lots of colours for your office or workplace. Most of our sound proofing products are available in at least seven colours that include; Desert Sand, Ruby Red, Charcoal Grey, Silver Grey, Classic White, Green Apple, Midnight Navy.
At Ezobord you can shop online for fast delivery of acoustic solutions for your office: walls, ceilings, desk dividers, space dividers and even acoustic notice boards and portable white boards.
