Paint a Branded Office, Painting with Your Brand in Mind

The psychology of color can help your brand. When moving those colors to the office here’s how to paint a branded office building.
Be Brave
There is a fine line between trendy and tricky when choosing colors. There are websites available that give you information on how colors interact with each other. At the earliest onset of color choices, this is a good place to start. First, pick a color that you like. Move from there to learn what colors work with it, and what to avoid.

Demographics

It’s important to take into account your audience. A 50-year-old mother will react very differently to a color than a 22-year-old gaming male. The colors must speak to the group you’ll have in the space, and also psychologically accomplish your goal of productivity.

60-30-10 Rule

Professional designers follow the 60-30-10 Rule which says the three colors chosen should be used in that ratio. 60% main color, 30% trim, 10% accent.

Competitors

When looking for a branded office color scheme, do competitive research to see what your closest brands are doing with their spaces. It is easy to mark off some choices based on images of what other offices look like. The same goes for potential colors.

Psychology

Every color contains a psychological side effect for the people it’s surrounded by. Peace and serenity are in blues and greens, high contrast colors evoke frenzy or panic. Orange can encourage energy, yellow creates optimism, and so on.

Move Past Personality

While psychology is important, think beyond just the psychology of colors. If a color feels warm to you, your office mates will feel it too. Feel cold, they see it too. Does it make you feel confident or pleasant? They will notice.

Stand Out

Use the competitive research you have done and see if there are similarities. Are all of the companies going the same direction? Go the opposite. It will help you stand out in the crowd. Choose colors you like and stand behind. A charismatic brand is a successful brand.

Intentions

This is a big decision. The cost of painting your office can run into the thousands. Be sure the colors you choose make the building feel productive, vibrant and homey. After all, your employees will spend a lot of hours here. Three colors is more than enough to effectively design your walls. Choose a neutral for the majority, a bold trim, and a bright accent. If you choose to add a logo or any additional company art to the walls, not only will it match, but it will accentuate the colors.

Tryouts

Once you’ve landed on several colors, it’s a good idea to paint at least poster sized swatches onto several of the walls in the colors you intend to put up. Test the colors with natural and lamp lights. Get a feeling for the room different times of day.

Go Big

Popularity and trends wane. Don’t be afraid to choose a color scheme that speaks to you, regardless of the passing phases. What’s popular today might not be tomorrow meaning a whole new color scheme and paint job. If you pick based on what you like, then you’ll still love it for years to come.