If you ask a committee to choose a color, they will always choose beige. I’ve seen this for the color scheme in a new building, for new carpets, and even for new systems.
Here is my theory. Everyone in the committee has a favorite color, and they hope the group will choose it. And they have interesting favorites, like turquoise, magenta, or even electric lime. The problem is, most people also have colors they hate, and usually they hate the same interesting color that someone else loves. One person says, “I’m allergic to citrus: no tangerine,” and another says, “I lost my promotion to a Harvard grad: no crimson.” So it goes, through all the interesting colors. Nobody likes beige, but nobody hates beige either, so that’s what you end up with.
My input to committees is this: I hate beige!
As a result of this strategy, the color scheme in our headquarters building is avocado and purple. Not what I would have chosen myself, but it’s not beige, so I love it. I would much rather make a choice that some love and many like, even if it pisses a few people off. If your goal is to offend nobody, then you will appeal to nobody. I believe this style of committee-think is why so many big companies produce boring pablum.
Colors are my example, but projects and strategies can also be beige. I hate that too.
I part Beige being so widely used is that it brings certain feelings to individuals subconcience. You wouldn't want to use Red because it may promote anger. Beige seems to be soothing and in many situations it is neutral so that design can be changed within the surroundings
Posted by: Josh | July 16, 2008 at 07:53 PM
Tim Beige is a great guy. I am not sure of the source of the animosity towards him.
Posted by: | August 07, 2008 at 09:38 AM