Red or blue? How the colour of your office really affects productivity
The choice of colour for an office is often based on aesthetic criteria or brand guidelines, rarely on performance criteria. However, a study published in 2009 in the journal *Science* – one of the world’s most rigorous publications in terms of scientific validation – shows that there is a real, measurable and actionable link between office colour and productivity.
What the study published in *Science* shows
Ravi Mehta and Rui Zhu, researchers at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, tested the effect of red and blue on two types of cognitive tasks: precision and memory tasks on the one hand, and creative and generative tasks on the other.
The result: red improves performance on tasks requiring attention to detail and rigour, by triggering avoidance motivation – a form of heightened vigilance. Blue, by contrast, enhances performance on creative tasks by triggering an approach motivation that broadens the scope for associative thinking. This is not a matter of aesthetic preference, but of the cognitive mode activated by exposure to the colour.
For a broader perspective on the use of colour in interior design, our article on how to approach colour in your spaces complements this study by providing more general guidelines.
What this study does not say
It would be an exaggeration to conclude that an entire open-plan office should be repainted bright red to boost accuracy. The study tests a real but isolated effect, on specific tasks and under controlled laboratory conditions. It says nothing about the effect of prolonged exposure to an entirely red wall for eight hours a day, nor about individual tolerance to saturated colours.
The correct interpretation is therefore not ‘which is the best colour’, but ‘which colour for which purpose, and in what quantity’. This is an important distinction, one that is often lost in popular summaries of this research.
How to make the most of this effect without overdoing it
Save blue for brainstorming and creative sessions. Project rooms, reception areas, co-design spaces: blue fits in perfectly here.
Add touches of red to the control and precision areas. Accounting, proofreading, quality control: a single red mark in the right place – not an entire wall of them – is enough to achieve the desired effect.
Avoid using a single colour throughout. Furniture, accessories and signage allow you to use colour in moderation without visually overwhelming the space for eight hours a day.
Test on a small scale before a full roll-out. A pilot area allows us to gauge the teams’ response before rolling out the option across an entire set.
Take natural light into account. The same colour can appear different depending on its exposure and the lighting conditions, a factor that architects take into account right from the design stage.
How Wooh incorporates colour into an interior design project
At Wooh, colour choices are never made in isolation from how the spaces are used. The team of interior designers combines furniture, paint and signage to create functional coherence – not just visual coherence – drawing on this kind of research as well as practical experience. This approach is integrated right from the design phase with our design studio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to repaint an entire office blue or red to get the full effect?
No. The study tests controlled exposure, not an entire wall on a daily basis. Targeted touches – such as furniture or wall accents – are enough to influence perception without overwhelming the space.
Does this work for all types of work?
The study clearly distinguishes between two types of task: precision and memory tasks on the one hand, and creative tasks on the other. The effect has been documented for these categories, not as a universal rule applicable to all activities.
How can you incorporate colour without repainting the walls?
Furniture, partitions, accessories and signage can be used to introduce a specific colour to a particular area, offering a more flexible solution than painting an entire wall.
Which colour should I choose if my team carries out both creative and precision-based tasks?
In this case, it is better to divide the space into zones rather than choose a single dominant colour: a blue area for moments of open reflection, and a more neutral area – or one with red accents – for monitoring tasks.
Sources:
Blue or Red? Exploring the Effect of Color on Cognitive Task Performances (Science)
Exploring the Effect of Red and Blue on Cognitive Task Performances (PMC)
