Color at Workplace

With my previous blog-article, I shared an insight into my digital tools of daily work.

Today, it's about the hardware that provides these digital tools.
In our everyday life, workstations with their software, their operating systems, are just technical helpers that should work perfectly.

Now a new computer has arrived, an M1 iMac from Apple. The new M1 generation has already raised enough attention technically, I don't have to worry about the performance and the technical features.

More important is the small, underestimated side effect, the color, in my case it is yellow. A sunshine at my workplace. It's just nice to look at this computer.

We often underestimate the effect of design on our everyday lives.

For me, this results in a very special journey back in time.

In 1999, Apple had attracted even more attention with a color roundup when the first iMac came in five different colors in Revision C - a small revolution at the time.

As IT manager of an advertising agency, I had back than more of an eye on the technical component, saw the opportunity to replace Apple Performas used in consulting and assistance. Next steps:

• Create project plan for retrofit
• Grasp technical need
• Get blessing from CFO to move forward with implementation

Simple procurement math: 30 new iMacs, five colors available, six computers per color - it suits. Order to trading partner and wait for delivery.

Then came THE delivery day, 30 large boxes, the ordered iMacs in the appropriate color constellation.

A wonderful time with colleagues began, but differently than I had hoped. Their gratitude for the new technical equipment sometimes lagged behind the life-threatening question of the right color.

A nasty trap, color is not relevant? Oh yes, it is relevant!
The essential color question undermined my project plan for the computer swap, rich workplace communication was assured.

Color compromises were made without the permanent loss of good workplace climate. Priorities are sometimes set by real color, not just status color.

And now back to the present. Again, Apple has made this remarkable move. The new generation iMacs come in the rainbow colors of the old Apple logo, get again this small, important piece of emotion. In this case, everything went well, we were allowed and individually selected our color ourselves in advance ;)

Thanks Apple, for a new splash of color at workplace.

Today, I would plan the workplace refit project with Merlin Project keeping the color choice in focus as a risk.