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Science

Color Me Productive 42

Posted by timothy from the grey-is-friendly dept.
sartin writes "Forget the saturated colors from The Andromeda Strain lab, researchers at The University of Texas report how color affects productivity. The results have some expected (different things work for different people) and some surprising (bright red is very good for some people) tidbits. At long last, I have scientific proof that the taupe and beige on my cubical wall are not the best colors for my productivity."
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Color Me Productive More

Color Me Productive

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  • Im not imaging it! (Score:4, Funny)

    by Hardwyred ( 71704 ) on Wednesday September 01, 2004 @02:28PM (#10130915) Homepage
    These gray cube walls ARE sucking the life out of me!
  • The problem with a color scheme like this is some people (like me) think its just downright ugly. Beige is fairly neutral, pretty much everyone dislikes it just a little, instead of some people just hating it.

    Now what I want is wallpaper that can change color, something like the smart paper being developed where colored balls are suspended in a layer over the paper and can be moved towards or further from the layer to generate different apparent colors, or colored different on two sides and rotated betw

  • Strange idea... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by djsmiley ( 752149 ) <djsmiley2k@gmail.com> on Wednesday September 01, 2004 @02:32PM (#10130958) Homepage Journal
    We have known for a long time that, red, and the combonation of yellow / black has been a warning sign.

    We also know that some people react better in stressful situations.

    Has anyone tested to see if the same people that react well in stressful situations are more (or less) effected by these color schemes?

    I know the artical says "different people", but im wondering on a indivual basis, if this holds true in the other sense.

    I.e. Does a person who will stand and fight, match with the same colour scheme as someone else who stands and fights, or does the "way" your mind interpets colours change indenpently of this?
    • Also, a lot of fast food restaurants have a red/yellow/orange theme since it encourages people to eat quickly and leave [nightcats.com].

      According to another source (which I can't remember), it is because yellow is the color of wheat and helps in getting people hungry.
      And red is the color for danger which gets people out of there.
  • Now, since she's working for NASA, the color scheme of the ISS will be two tone- red indicating the direction of centrifigal force, blue-green indicating the other direction, with wainscotting (and how much will it cost us to use the shuttle to ship all of that wainscotting up every time we redectorate)?

  • It turns out The Andromeda Strain was wrong... (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    ...when the truth was closer to Goodfellas.
  • Unfinished pine, oak, mahogany, leather.

    For the walls, well, original paintings.

    For the floor: 1 inch shag, eggshell.

    Oh wait, we're looking at cheap material/gaudy colors for code farms, to help the corporate tigers squeeze more poductivity from the great unwashed masses.

    I'll pass then.

  • Mystery solved! (Score:5, Funny)

    by MarkGriz ( 520778 ) on Wednesday September 01, 2004 @03:02PM (#10131266)
    I guess that explains the hideous color scheme for the slashdot IT section [slashdot.org]... it's the color that makes you most productive.
    Of course, the fact that your reading it instead of doing work probably negates any potential increase in productivity.
  • I was thinking this would make a better wallpaper and increase productivity...

    http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/rotsnake.gif [ritsumei.ac.jp].

    Or, if productivity doesn't increase, the employees will end up killing themselves, thus saving the boss the effort of having to fire him.

    • My eyes!

      It took me about a minute to figure out that that image did in fact not constantly move. I saw that it was a gif and figured it was a moving one as well.

      For the mental agony I went through to figure that out I must now hate you forever.
    • http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/rotsnake.gif

      o_O Egad! That's not even an animated GIF!

      The parent poster's image came from this web page [ritsumei.ac.jp]...

      They have got to be the best optical illusions I've ever seen! I wonder if they would still work as well when printed instead of a computer screen, though...

  • Hawthorne effect (Score:5, Informative)

    by dpbsmith ( 263124 ) on Wednesday September 01, 2004 @03:10PM (#10131350) Homepage
    Umpteen decades ago, scientists studying productivity at Western Electric's manufacturing complex were baffled because everything they did seemed to work. They increased lighting levels: productivity went up. They decreased lighting levels: productivity went up. They finally figured out that what was increasing productivity was the workers' perception that management was displaying an interest in improving their working conditions. See Hawthorne studies [wikipedia.org]

    An article like "color me productive" that doesn't mention the Hawthorne effect and explain why they don't think this is just more of the same... is garbage.

    Furthermore, any study that doesn't compare the relative effects of: spending money on painting the walls red; spending the same money on alternative improvements (bigger cubicles, better chairs, quieter rooms, better lighting); spending the same money on raises... is garbage.

    • Re:Hawthorne effect (Score:4, Interesting)

      by helix400 ( 558178 ) on Wednesday September 01, 2004 @04:31PM (#10132153) Journal
      Another slashdot attitude of "I know it all, the professional who researched this for 20 years knows nothing" attitude strikes again!

      The Hawthorne study is so tainted with problems it's hard to set up a study any worse. On the other hand, the researcher, who the statistical geniuses of NASA consult, set up a correct study. The problem with the Hawthorne study is that they had little to really compare against. They were only comparing two groups, and measuring if productivity went up, and not by what percentage.

      An article like "color me productive" that doesn't mention the Hawthorne effect and explain why they don't think this is just more of the same... is garbage.

      No, you're comparing apples and oranges.

      The researcher did it very differently. Better setup, many more groups, and accurate measurement of productivity changes. This allows for effective comparison. The researcher can validly ask things like "How much more did red groups work than blue, green, yellow, and purple groups?"

      Furthermore, any study that doesn't compare the relative effects of: spending money on painting the walls red; spending the same money on alternative improvements (bigger cubicles, better chairs, quieter rooms, better lighting); spending the same money on raises... is garbage.

      What? You're just a cynical thinks-they-know-it-all.

      This survey is very useful and desired, (unless you think the NASA folks are idiots). This study's stated goal was to see how colors effect productivity. Your stated goal for a study is also valid, but completely different...you want combine monetary costs and see what is most effective for real world business application.

      • What study, exactly?

        All I see something that says "Support UT" (University of Texas) that appears to be promoting donations to the University. I see a color portrait of Dr. Nancy Kwallek and no actual data or statistics or description of methods used.

        Do you have a citation for the study itself? The article, for some reason, does not give one.
      • You have zero-clue what the study conditions actually were, because they're not published there with the article.

        You also ignore the fact that the study notes in the tiny little article there specifically state that the skillset tested was typing/clerical. Those colors just *might* be absolutely horrible for someone doing either a creative job, or a teacher trying to teach adults, for example.

        The article sucks, the study appears to suck, and you're defending it?

        Feel free to find the actual study require
        • Meanwhile skepticism reigns. If NASA trusts it, is very interested in it, and uses it...then I think it's safe to say they did their homework. If an annoying know-it-all slashdotter comes along and thinks he or she can spend 10 minutes on the subject, and know more than both NASA and the person who researched this for 20 years, then I ignore them.
          • NASA does research. Saying that they "trust" the science before they've done the science is pretty retarded. They want data, they're not actually attempting to raise productivity. (i.e. There's a difference between a NASA *RESEARCH* project and NASA Engineering. A big one.)
    • Furthermore, any study that doesn't compare the relative effects of: spending money on painting the walls red; spending the same money on alternative improvements (bigger cubicles, better chairs, quieter rooms, better lighting); spending the same money on raises... is garbage.

      or an Ad. I don't know...I think I heard her plug her resume too much for me not to think she was selling something.

  • I don't even need to perform a study on this (Score:5, Insightful)

    by NanoGator ( 522640 ) on Wednesday September 01, 2004 @03:29PM (#10131505) Homepage Journal
    The color that boosts productivity is green. Green, as in money. Throw money at me, watch how much more I work. No, putting candy that I have to pay for in the kitchen won't boost my productivity. No, bringing a motivational speaker won't boost my productivity. No, telling me we all have to work 18 hours a day to stay with the competition and that I should be excited about the challenge won't boost my productivity. M$O$N$E$Y. MONEY. Gimme money and I'll work harder.

    (Sorry, that little rant's been building up in my system for years.)

  • Green, of course (Score:1, Redundant)

    by blunte ( 183182 )
    Green seems to really motivate me. Not $ure why...

  • Why you want Andromeda Strain lab colors: (Score:4, Funny)

    by dexter riley ( 556126 ) on Wednesday September 01, 2004 @07:02PM (#10133573)

    Interior Wildfire lab. A message flashes across a computer screen:
    DEGENERATIVE CHANGE IN GASKET G455-1
    DEGENERATIVE CHANGE IN GASKET G455-2
    DEGENERATIVE CHANGE IN GASKET G455-3

    HALL: The lab's been compromized!
    COMPUTER VOICE: Self-destruct sequence has been initiated. There are now five minutes to detonation.
    STONE: Quick, you've got to get up to the taupe level, to stop the sterilization protocol!
    HALL: (long pause) Taupe?!
    STONE: Yes, there's no substation on the beige or ivory levels. Get going!
    Hall slowly walks off.
    HALL: (to himself) Taupe? What the hell kind of color is taupe?

    Later:
    COMPUTER VOICE: There are now thirty seconds to detonation.
    Hall exits the stairwell and looks around. The walls are a uniform grey color. He presses the intercom button.
    HALL: Hey, Stone! Is this taupe? It all looks gray to me.
    STONE: What are you doing on the ecru level? Taupe, Hall! Taupe!
    HALL: TAUPE?!? Yeah, I got your taupe right here--

    The nuclear device detonates, vaporizing everyone in the complex. The resulting mushroom cloud is a lovely shade of umber.

  • A pale sky color, a horizen, and then an earth tone ... like being outside. Could it be that instinct makes us more aware and work more/better outside? Nah, it was all her research I am sure. Yeesh, next study: "Why having large dried blood spays on the walls causes employee absence." and "Why vomit on the carpet reduces productivity."

    • hmmm. Actually, vomit on the carpet might actually increase my productivity at work.

      Of course, it'll be at the entrance to my cube. And it can't be my vomit, 'cause that means I'd have been sick. But no one will want to bug me if it's there. Just need to get some good nose plugs if it's still ripe...
  • since I got cubicle partitions covered with forest print/camo fabric instead of dirty beige.
  • it's the access to /. at work that lowers productivity.
  • I personaly would not want my cubical colors picked based on some testing. Although bieng dignosed that you are productive only when everything is colored black, with a few blue leds for illumination purposes. Could be kinda cool(I know blue LEDS are getting overused, but I like its pretty light). But immangine if you had to work in a cubicle filled with pastels or bright colors. Some people might find it a little difficult.

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