According to a study by the University of Texas, colours in our surrounding environment can affect emotions and behaviour and therefore impact on employee productivity.
Selecting the right colours is not as simple as it may seem. Indeed, the colour that improves productivity depends on the type of work that each person undertakes:
- Grey, beige and white: often induce feelings of sadness, especially in women
- Purple and orange colours will have a similar impact on men, yet orange can also boost self-esteem and enthusiasm.
- Blue: is a stable and calming colour. It helps employees focus on the task at hand and is an excellent colour choice to improve productivity.
- Green: induces feelings of calmness, does not cause eye fatigue and improves efficiency. It is a great colour for people who tend to work longer hours.
- Yellow: is associated with optimism and encourages creativity and energy. It is a good colour to use in artists' and designers’ workspaces for example.
- Red: draws attention, increases activity, heart rate and blood flow. It is a good colour if you want your employees to take urgent actions, take notice of something or for employees performing physical tasks. Red can also be seen as alarming and aggressive and should be used in moderation.
Some great ways to achieve a backdrop of colours that suit your company are through our soft furnishings, breakout furniture or workstations screens.