Going Global? Think About Color
As the world becomes more connected, the number of companies expanding into other countries is increasing. This expansion involves adapting to a variety of cultures and customs. If this step is overlooked, the company could face an embarrassing situation.
The use of color, for example, is an important cultural element that companies need to consider because of its implications for office design. David McCandless’ infographic cleverly demonstrates the meaning of a color according to its cultural context. It shows that the Chinese associate red with good luck, success, and marriage. For Hindus, red symbolizes energy and money. In South Africa, it symbolizes death, and in Russia, power.
So where does a company start? First, it’s important to learn about a country’s culture and how its people view things such as color. Only then can you design appropriate environments for those who will work in them.
Information on use of color in various cultures is critical in all art and design disciplines. I became aware of my own inadequacies on this subject while interacting with international students in graphic design courses at Oklahoma State University. On occasion the teacher/student roll was reversed as students explained their rationale for use of color in their design solutions.