Color Me Productive 42
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."
Im not imaging it! (Score:4, Funny)
Color change... (Score:2)
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
Re:Color change... (Score:2)
Green when the previously nightly build went okay, red when it crashed, etc...
Strange idea... (Score:4, Interesting)
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?
Re:Strange idea... (Score:1)
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.
Re:Strange idea... (Score:1)
Yeah, so danger is an abstract idea and can't really have color.
Let's say you're walking in the forest, and you see some vivid red splotches on the foliage near you. What do you feel?
Re:Strange idea... (Score:2)
I wasn't aware danger had a color. I always though red was "scary" because it's the color of blood.
For most of our evolutionary history, any time we saw a great deal of red (blood) around, danger was the best conclusion!
Oh great (Score:2)
It turns out The Andromeda Strain was wrong... (Score:1, Funny)
My best colors/textures (Score:2)
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.
Now maybe that was a typo (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Now maybe that was a typo (Score:2)
Mystery solved! (Score:5, Funny)
Of course, the fact that your reading it instead of doing work probably negates any potential increase in productivity.
Re:Mystery solved! (Score:1)
Better idea (Score:2)
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.
Re:Better idea (Score:1)
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.
MY EYES! THE GOGGLES DO NOTHING! (Score:2)
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...
Re:MY EYES! THE GOGGLES DO NOTHING! (Score:2)
I just downloaded the whole lot, converted to
Re:MY EYES! THE GOGGLES DO NOTHING! (Score:2)
Mod Parent Up(TM) (Score:2)
Most of the images were in color, so I couldn't test them by printing them out myself... (No color printer right now...)
Hawthorne effect (Score:5, Informative)
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)
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.
Re:Hawthorne effect (Score:2)
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.
Re:Hawthorne effect (Score:2)
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
Re:Hawthorne effect (Score:2)
Re:Hawthorne effect (Score:2)
Re:Hawthorne effect (Score:2)
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)
(Sorry, that little rant's been building up in my system for years.)
Re:I don't even need to perform a study on this (Score:2)
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Re:I don't even need to perform a study on this (Score:1)
at least not for most people.
There's a limit when you have enough money and want to have more free time so you're able to spend and enjoy all that money.. working weekends and not be able to spend money ? no thanks, and a lot of people will think that way
and for the company, yes they can spend more money on you and all your collegues, but that may cost them more then painting the walls in another color, so for the company it's more efficient to spend money that way then giv
Green, of course (Score:1, Redundant)
Why you want Andromeda Strain lab colors: (Score:4, Funny)
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.
What a shocker!! (Score:2)
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."
Re:What a shocker!! (Score:2)
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...
I've felt much better (Score:2)
More then colour (Score:1)
Hmm.... (Score:1)