The Colours of Productivity

Human beings are incredibly visual, so they tend to assess and analyse situations, places and products using mainly their eyes. And colour is one of the things we notice first, since around 90% of judgements on products are based on colour alone. Even though you might not realise it, if you consider your workspace to be bland or boring, you probably don’t feel very excited to go there every morning.

Colour is able to affect your mood, either at a conscious or unconscious level, but it also depends on your personality. So while there might not be a right or wrong option, or a choice that everyone can universally agree on, you can still find broader patterns of perception for all colours.

Yellow

While this colour is certainly able to capture attentions and is associated with energy, it can also make you more tired. If your workspace is too yellow, you might find yourself becoming more irritable without realising why. Your desk should also provide contrast with documents you’re working on, so that you can avoid strain on your eyes. So yellow should be used in moderation.

Blue or Green

We associate both blue and green with nature, like the almost hypnotic movements of a waterfall or the vibrant trees of a rainforest.

Blue works well for collaborative spaces and conference rooms. It reduces the heart rate and has the added benefit of being a colour associated with authority. It can also help people focus on their tasks. Green is a good colour for people who need to work long hours, because it doesn’t provoke eye fatigue and helps reduce anxiety, which is especially useful when the lights aren’t very bright or you need to spend a lot of hours staring at a computer screen.

Red

If you work mainly at night, you might find it useful to be surrounded by red, since it stimulates brain waves and can make you feel more awake. It can also evoke anger or hostility, however, so it’s a colour that should be used in moderation, just like yellow.

So What Is The Most Productive Colour?

Although all colours have different effects on people depending on personality types or personal preferences, blue is considered by many to be the most productive colour. People tend to work better but also feel more relaxed. You should avoid darker hues of this colour, however, since they are said to make people sadder instead of helping them be productive.

If you’re interested in how colour can make a difference, why not check out some of our recent work? While there might not be a right or wrong colour to decorate a corporate environment, we know that bland, at least, shouldn’t be an option. To learn more about our commercial interior design services, contact us or call us on 01553 811 833. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.