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Color psychology desk

Color theory instead of color emptiness - color psychology during workdays

The effect of different colors on humans is scientifically proven. Colors trigger associations that have been consolidated in society for generations. Why is blue the favorite color of the Germans? And why do we connect green with nature?

Color associations can be explained from different perspectives. On the one hand, our culture plays a part in how we feel colors. While black in Germany is considered to be a mourning color, in China to wear sad events White. In Christian cultures, it is often assumed that God is in heaven. That is why Blue is often associated with God. It is considered as a very powerful and calm color at the same time and is to this day the favorite color of the Germans. What many do not know: Himmelblau was formerly a girl's color, because in paintings Maria was traditionally dressed in that color.

 

Red and blue

Finally, color perception can also be explained physiologically: Red is the color that babies can recognize first. The preference therefore often goes down to the basic school age. Red is the color of love, but it also symbolizes anger and danger. The origin of this perception lies literally in the blood, which was previously only visible in dangerous situations. Red is therefore also considered an aggressive color. The fact that many Germans prefer blue also has physiological reasons: the perception of the color of the sea requires the least amount of work to the eye.

Sun from Novus staples

Our experience with the environment also influences the way we see the world: green is the color of life and hope. The latter may be religiously grounded again, but the association with life is explained by nature and herbal growth. Purple is the color of mind and spirituality: it is blue, the color of the soul, and red, the color of the body. Purple lends energy and inspiration and has a cleansing effect in color therapy. As a wall paint, violet is given a soothing effect.

Rainbow from Novus staplers

How can the knowledge of color psychology and knowledge about the effect be used for customer contact or employee motivation? On the one hand, color selection plays an important role for the perception of one's own brand. The corporate logo as well as the colors of the corporate design can be found in various parts of the office architecture and furnishings, sending signals subliminally. This begins with the color selection for the wall in the conference room and draws through to details such as the color-coordinated napkin, which is handed over to the opposite of the conversation day.

Get out of the gray everyday life

Colors are important for our mental well-being. A realization that bosses can make use of. The gray shades, which are so typical for office furnishings, are not conducive to performance. As early as 1947, the Swiss psychology professor Max Lüscher developed Lüscher Color Diagnostics, probably the most famous color test, providing insight into the power and stress tolerance of a human being. According to Lüscher, Gray stands for indifference and shielding - not just qualities that should be shown by employees. In order to avoid the effects of gray office furniture, it is not necessary to re-create offices at the same time. Having a red wall over a large area and over several hours in the field of vision, for example, encourages unrest and nervousness.

The situation is different with color accents through corresponding accessories, which can be exchanged as desired. In order to strengthen employee motivation, managers can give them the opportunity to design their own office. If, for example, staplers, punches, dustbins, and wallmaps are exchanged for green in a white-gray office, the color accents have the same positive effect on the entire room. Another approach: in many offices, a whole wall of cluttered folder backs is covered. Even choosing a different folder color can have a similar effect to a colored background. Just try it out!