Colors will make a significant impact on how workers feel as they they return to offices, according to Fast Company.
According to the article, certain colors are tied to specific emotions and feelings:
- Green: The most important colors in the workplace are those that have strong ties to nature. This isn’t limited to one shade of green, but a variety of shades that exist in nature. Green evokes a feeling of abundance and is associated with refreshment and peace, rest and security. In the office, the connection to nature helps people feel rested and secure.
- Blue: Similar to green, blue is a color that is reminiscent of nature, whether it’s through the bright sky above us or the deep blue sea. Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity and it is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly.
- Yellow: This color stimulates emotion, which makes it an ideal choice for creative industries. It also evokes feelings of happiness and can brighten one’s mood. Despite being such a bright and lively color, yellow works in offices that are geographically positioned in colder and rainier areas, such as Seattle or Northern Europe, to heighten the energy.
- Grays/neutrals: Neutrals work especially well in the context of a home office. Neutral tones can represent anything from peace and calm to wholesomeness and reliability.
“As soon as we perceive color, our brain and endocrine system receive the input—releasing hormones throughout the body. This process is what sends signals to the brain to make us respond and feel certain ways. According to the Institute for Color Research, a study found that people make a subconscious judgment about an object, person, or environment within 90 seconds of initial viewing. In that small pocket of time, 62% to 90% of that assessment is based only on color.”