Colour matters

How do colours affect us?

First and foremost, colours help us to organize work in the office. We often indicate important issues with yellow cards. What has a physiological importance to human is emphasizing important things with a red colour. Indeed, this colour strongly affects us. Additionally, it can be applied in construction materials. If we want to get our team’s attention to a special element of a project and we want it to be well remembered by our employees, it is better to prepare a document within a colourful text than only black and white. All texts written in a colourful font are read by us faster, we remember and understand them better.

What can we do in a situation when we work in a grey and monotonous office, and repainting walls is rather out of question?

If we cannot repaint our office, we can leave green cards, which will make that our sight will be relieved from the screen of a monitor. However, it has to be bright green, because a dark hue can irritate.

We can also enrich our room with a colourful blackboard or hang an image presenting a view, which has a positive impact on our well-being. For instance, a beach, a sea, a motivating slogan, etc. In case of inclement weather, we should hang a picture which reminds us warmer days. Thus, our mind automatically goes there. Colourful keyboard mats, gadgets on our desk, mouse mats, colourful cards, etc. – they all enrich the working zone.  

Can we exaggerate when it comes to colours?

Yes, we can. We can exaggerate with colours of walls if they will be too intensive. According to some surveys devoted to the use of intensive colours in rooms other than creation ones, if walls have too intensive colours, we will have difficulties in spending time there. We will feel overwhelmed from the moment of entrance to our building. While choosing colours to the interiors of our office, we should take common sense and balance into consideration.

Should we be surrounded with other colours in autumn and winter than in spring and summer?

Of course. We should choose bright colours in autumn and winter, because much less light reaches the interiors in these periods. We should pick bright and warm colours. While comparing what colours are best sold in the region of the Mediterranean Basin and in Poland, it can be observed that people living in a warmer climate choose dark colours to their interiors. Let us look at the Scandinavian style to confirm it – a white colour definitely dominates.

You specialize in the psychology of colour and visual merchandising. What is actually the psychology of colour?

The psychology of colour concerns classification of emotions and combining them with colours. The impact of colours on our behaviour and mood is analysed within surveys. Of course, these are always subjective answers of the respondents, since we base on things related to feelings. For instance, a red rose may be positively associated with love, whereas a red sign ‘stop’ may produce different associations. Visual merchandising, on the other hand, is an art of creative setting of exhibitions in order they could bring profits. What is the most important thing in merchandising are both colours and exposition. The goal is to make such an arrangement of a shop so that clients would like to go inside while looking at the exhibition.