How you can use color theory to create better workplaces

Ragan Insider Premium Content

Think about your favorite shirt to wear to the office (or on your daily Zoom calls). What color is it?

Does it make you feel powerful, confident? Perhaps you like this shirt because you feel it makes you appear approachable and friendly.

Interior designers use color in a similar way, to make spaces feel inviting, clean, exciting or calming. And color theory, defined as “the collection of rules and guidelines which designers use to communicate with users through appealing color schemes in visual interfaces,” is becoming increasingly important in designing offices and other workspaces.

Color theory at work

According to architecture and design firm Hammel, Green and Abrahamson’s (HGA) guide on using color theory in workplace design, being intentional about which colors you deploy in each space can encourage deeper social connections, improve  learning and foster more collaboration.