Colors are an important part of visual appeal. There is no doubt about it. From logos to products, from app screens and websites to brick-and-mortar storefronts, color themes play an important role in defining the visual perception of a brand or business.
For one, color is a great mode of communication that can help businesses set the tone of their operation. Moreover, the right color themes can help facilitate and even improve the performance of people working, something that is a high priority for a coworking space.
But how can you choose the color theme for your coworking space? What are the factors that can help you create and portray the right work environment to your tenants? Let’s take a look at the different color schemes you can use, their meanings and perceptions, and why choosing the right color theme can help you build a strong brand.
The Argument for Lighter, Airy Colors Over Garish Shades
Psychology has been researching the impact of colors on our perception and emotions. And studies have discovered that different shades can affect how we perceive things. For example, many fast-food restaurants tend to use the color red in their imagery, from McDonald’s to KFC, Sonic, and more.
Similarly, your choice of color theme for your coworking space will have the ability to affect how users perceive it, which will influence how popular your offering may become compared to other options. And while the actual colors or shades you use may depend on your target audience or the feel you want your building to embody. Lighter shades are better at creating productive environments.
Light pastels in nature-inspired colors are often used to give the space an open, airy feel. It exudes a sense of purity and serenity compared to the darker colors that exude passion, desire, and other strong emotions.
However, in the end, your choice of colors and shades depends on your target market, as well as the image you want to portray.
Building a Coworking Space Brand with Your Color Theme a Unifying Force
The Wing, pastel-hued London coworking space
While it is important to choose the right colors for your coworking space, there is another important factor to discuss – the development of the brand and how your choice of color theme affects that.
Developing a brand can be quite an intricate and elaborate task. In fact, it is a set of distinct tasks that, combined, form a brand. And your brand colors are an important part of it, as when used along with your brand logo or name, it signifies that the object is a part of your brand identity.
Let’s take the idea of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Their colors consist of red and white predominantly. And if we see their products, from their stores to the product packaging, even the employee uniforms, the color theme is uniform.
It is easy to identify KFC products from afar just because of their color scheme. It is the same way with other visual elements like shape, as in the case of the Coca-Cola bottle. It is a shape so unique among drinks, that a person can identify it just by the shape of the bottle, despite no brand markings on it.
If we talk about your coworking spaces, choosing a brand color theme and using it for your buildings or spaces can help unify your brand image among consumers, making it easier to establish a market presence.
In business, there is a lot that changes over time. From logos to marketing strategies. However, some of the least changed elements are the brand colors. Companies like Google use their brand colors everywhere, from their website designs to their buildings and other items.
So choosing your brand colors at the start allows you to fulfill one of the most important brand and web design trends for businesses nowadays, giving you a head start over your competition.
Generate recurring revenue and offer exceptional customer experience at your shared or coworking space
Popular Color Themes and What They Represent
Now that you know why choosing the right color theme can be helpful to your brand, let’s look at the meanings that different colors portray and how to use them to boost the visual impact of your offering.
Red
Red is the color that is often associated with passion, energy, and strong emotions. It is a color that usually pops out in a group of different shades. And it is the color that people gravitate towards in high-energy or high-intensity situations.
Red tends to raise our pulse rates and give us a burst of energy. However, studies suggest that overstimulation results in reducing our performance, as we tend to be more emotional than rational in areas dominated by red.
For a coworking space, this is usually not recommended unless tempered by cooler colors or used sporadically in a controlled manner.
Blue
Blue shades are the polar opposite of red on the color spectrum. If red is passion, then blue is calm. Studies suggest that blue is more productive, as it allows people to be calm and collected. However, darker shades of blue can have a detrimental impact on the levels of creativity, as well as curb the sense of invitation for a room or area.
Despite that, shades of blue are some of the most commonly used color themes for traditional office spaces, along with shades of grey. However, coworking spaces are more dynamic and should either avoid these shades altogether or combine them with warmer shades to give the room a sense of lightness.
Green
Green is usually associated with nature and has a calming and soothing effect on the senses. It has a relaxing effect on the eyes and keeps the environment mellow. And although it is usually associated with places that are eco-friendly or work towards a greener footprint, lighter shades of green are a great choice for coworking spaces of all sizes that want to boost to attract new tenants and retain the existing ones.
Brown
When talking about nature, brown is the other color that accompanies green in highlighting that idea. But whereas green is calming and soothing, brown is inviting. Different shades of brown give off different meanings, with darker tones usually giving a sense of decadence and opulence, while lighter shades give a sense of warmth and belonging.
Coworking spaces can add wood tones of brown to meeting and waiting areas for a sense of luxury and elegance, while raw wood shades can be a great addition to places like cafeterias, lounges, and other places where people might go to relax.
White
White is the epitome of neutrality in color themes. However, using it alone can take a lot of work to have the right impact. That is because too much white invokes a sense of sterility and blandness, one that is usually associated with hospitals and other such places. White highlights imperfections and dirties up quite quickly, which can be a hassle for your tenants. Moreover, in some cultures, white is the color of mourning, similar to how black is associated here in the US.
You can use white mixed with other shades to give smaller rooms a somewhat open feel without compromising their coziness or making them seem too bland. That way, coworking spaces can utilize small alcoves and cubbies by giving them a relaxing, open look with lighter shades of brown mixed with white.
Yellow
Yellow, in many cultures, is considered the color of happiness or joy. However, many shades of yellow can have a taxing impact on the eyes, making it hard to look at for too long. That is why it is not a good choice to use yellow alone for your coworking spaces. However, different shades of gold; a derivative of yellow, are a great addition to any working space to uplift its elegance and impact, especially when used for highlights.
Black
Blacks can turn into voids of colors, especially if used in blocks for a coworking space. This can make the space look dull and depressing, which is something you don’t want for your coworking space. Moreover, here in the west, it is also a color associated with death and mourning.
However, black can be a great color if appropriately used. By mixing it with other colors, you can give them a sense of emphasis and depth, enhancing the overall visual impact of your color theme. Moreover, it can also be used to impart a sense of elegance and power, which could add a great accent to any business’s corporate look. And it can be a great look for tech-oriented coworking spaces.
Why Do You Need to Choose a Color Theme That Represents Your Brand
As a coworking space, you need to choose a color theme that not only represents your brand but will also be highlighted in the brand visuals of your tenants. That means that you need to choose a color theme that goes naturally with your target market and gels well with their brand perception.
There are many reasons why the color theme of your coworking space should match your brand colors. Foremost among them is the impact you will have on potential customers. In the digital age today, people tend to search for their answers online. If they come across your website, you need to ensure that your brand colors have the same impact on those consumers as the one you want your coworking space to impart.
Another great reason is to build brand recognition. This is especially important if you run multiple coworking spaces in the region, as it allows people to recognize your brand and its areas just from the color theme alone.
That is why it is so important that you choose a color theme for your coworking space that represents your brand perfectly.
Conclusion
In short, there are a lot of options for color themes that can boost the visual impact of your coworking space, attracting leads to your business over your competition. However, your color theme should be representative of your brand too. It needs to reflect your brand values without clashing with the brand view of your potential tenants.
And if choosing the right color palette for your coworking space is something you are finding difficult, then the color guide above is a great place to start.
