Learning & Dopamine?

Colour theory has been linked to many things, but most recently has been proven to positively impact our well being.

It’s been shown to have the power to alter our mood, raise our temperature, boost creativity, alter our perceptions and even change how we taste something!

So how does this link to learning?

Dopamine is the ‘feel good’ chemical that our bodies produce when we experience something pleasurable.

When you learn something your brain is looking for a reward, and in many cases dopamine is the big cash prize.

We all get dopamine hits daily from our mobile phones and our bodies have become used to the little beeps, tings, tones and bells that make us feel, well, kinda good!

In learning this might be the sounds in an eLearning module, a star or a ‘ting’ at the end of a bitesize module or a well done message for finishing a podcast.

Sometimes, Learning & Development can influence these ‘feel-good’ chemicals before delegates even start learning. How? With colours that boost dopamine of course!

Dopamine design, dressing and decor has been a thing for a good 12 months now but it’s not showing any signs of slowing down and at Learning & Design we’ve been incorporating little splashes of dopamine colour theory into our clients work.

We might even be a little ahead of the curve on this one, have you checked out our own brand colours and styles?…Yep – they’re all dopamine colours 😉

If you drop some of these incredible colours into your content you already switch on the receptors in our brains for the feel good chemicals – and when you learn, and you feel good, you retain and recall that information better. Boom 💥

Don’t believe us? Here’s some examples.

We’ve recently seen it in New York Trend Colours for Spring Summer 2023 and in home & decor magaizines as the urge to make ourselves feel good in & out of our homes takes over.

One of the strongest uses you’ll have seen of dopamine takeover recently was of course the phenomenon that is the Barbie Movie. If ever the colours in a film were designed to make you feel good, then this was it!

How many dopamine hits can you spot in this Barbie Screenshot?

So, have you thought about weaving some pops of colour into your learning content?

We can help you design new (or refresh existing) eye catching, memorable and engaging materials, with a little (or a lot) of dopamine boosts along the way.

Just ask us, we’d love to show you what we can do.