Have you noticed there’s less color in our lives?

Vibrant colors like bright reds, blues, and greens seem to be fading from popular use and are being replaced by more subdued grays, beiges, blacks, and neutral tones. This is happening in almost every industry – from automobiles to interior design, fashion and makeup, and even films. Every corporate brand seems to have become bland.

This loss of color isn’t just observational. In 2020, researchers at the UK’s Science Museum Group analyzed more than 7000 everyday objects in its collection and found the number of colorful items dropped from 40% in 1900 to just 15%. In addition to being less colorful, the items also became more uniform in size and shape.

I believe there’s less color in our lives due to some combination of modern minimalism, risk aversion, and sensory overload.

Modern minimalism in architecture and design might be the most to blame. Gone are the days of the “painted lady” Victorian homes, avocado green appliances, and the bright pastel cars of the 1950’s. Cars, in particular, have made a significant shift; only 20% of today’s cars are non-grayscale colors compared to 40% in 2004. This lack of diversity is despite the same number of colors being offered to consumers.

The transition is perhaps most evident in technology. In the 1980’s, Apple’s brightly colored logo encouraged us all to “Think Different.” These days, the designs from Apple – and nearly every other tech company – are monochromatic.

For major purchases like homes and cars, manufacturers likely choose neutrals to broaden appeal and reduce the risk the items don’t sell. Similarly, since buyers resell homes and cars more frequently than in the past, they may believe neutral colors are safer and improve resale value. After all, a black or silver car is easier to sell than a bright yellow one.

Another theory is that, in this digital age, our brains are “forced to process aggressive color palettes, moving text, and high-contrast user interfaces.” Muted, less colorful, environments offer a calming visual white noise which acts as a balance against sensory overload.

Regardless of the underlying reason, the prevalence of more neutral colors is symbolic of a more homogenous world and less expression of individual personality.

Perhaps in response, dopamine dressing –wearing mood-boosting bright colors like cobalt blue, emerald green, or fiery red – has gained popularity. Accent walls, colorful art, and introducing vibrant, textured textiles have started to reappear in designs. Color seems to be slowly returning to our lives.

If you are unsure of what color to choose, may I suggest Pacific Teal?

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Travel changes you in multiple ways: from how you interact with others to the way you think and make decisions. Travel might even make you healthier or more successful in business. Let’s examine the evidence…

A 2013 research study compared the personalities of college students who studied abroad for at least one semester with those who didn’t. Students were evaluated according to the Big Five personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) both at the beginning of the research and after the study abroad ended. The students who travelled abroad increased their openness and agreeableness, and decreased their neuroticism. Being exposed to new cultures changed their personalities.

A 2014 research study examined the impact of multicultural engagement on empathy for others and success in the job market. Students who were more receptive to learning about new cultures and changing their own behaviors were more likely to acknowledge multiple viewpoints, even if they conflicted with their own. The traveling students who embraced other cultures and accepted conflicting viewpoints also received more job offers.

A 2010 research study showed living abroad increased creativity. Through a series of experiments, the researchers found multicultural learning experiences had the following impacts:
(a) more idea flexibility (e.g., the ability to solve problems in multiple ways),
(b) increased awareness of underlying connections and associations, and
(c) helped overcome functional fixedness (i.e., only using an object in the way it is traditionally used).

Clearly, multicultural travel changes you for the better.

But it doesn’t even have to be international travel. Almost any traveling has a benefit.

A 2005 study found that women who vacation at least twice a year are less likely to suffer from depression and chronic stress than women who vacation less than once every two years.

A 2013 study found that people who travel at least twice a year show a significantly lower risk of suffering a heart attack than those who only travel every six years or more.

A 2021 study found that people who regularly traveled at least 75 miles away from home reported being about 7% happier than those who traveled very rarely or not at all.

Science has shown that travel changes you for the better.

What are you waiting for?

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We know software development is a male dominated profession but it’s difficult to gauge how bad the imbalance is. Nearly 92% of the 82K developers who responded to a 2021 global survey reported being male but that could be due to a response bias. Separately, an on-going yearly survey shows about 21% of computer programmers are female; a percentage which hasn’t changed much since the first administered 20 years ago.

Regardless of the exact percentage, why aren’t there more women programmers?

It wasn’t always this way. Many of the pioneers of the computing industry were women. Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) is widely recognized as the world’s first computer programmer, creating instructions for the first general purpose computer machine (called the Analytical Engine). Grace Hopper (1906–1992) was a leading programmer and the inventor of the compiler, a program that translates English language instructions into the native language of a computer. While most of the acclaim goes to Alan Turing, nearly 300 women operated the Bletchley Park colossus machines which were built to decrypt German messages during WWII.

What’s more, for decades the number of women studying computer science grew faster than the number of men. By the 1970’s, women dominated the field of computing. However, in the early 80’s, the percentage of women in computer science dropped dramatically, even as the percentage of women in other technical fields kept rising. What happened?

According to the meticulously researched book Programmed Inequality, the switch to male domination in computer science was intentional – at least in Britain. As the discipline became more strategic and less clerical, government-led recruitment efforts focused on “career-minded, management-aspirant young men.” What’s more, the British Civil Service intentionally passed over already highly-trained female candidates because “high-level jobs were thought to be inappropriate for women.”

In the U.S., a similar result occurred, although for what appears to be less sinister reasons. Early personal computers weren’t much more than toys and, as NPR points out, “these toys were marketed almost entirely to men and boys… computers are for boys became a narrative.” It wasn’t long before boys became the exclusive focus of techie culture.

Hollywood cemented this viewpoint through movies like War Games, Revenge of the Nerds, and Weird Science. The screenplays all followed the same basic plot: socially awkward boy genius uses technology to triumph over adversity and win the girl. The geeks were all male.

The government. Hollywood. Those are huge influences on our belief system. No wonder there aren’t more women programmers.

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Research shows that businesses with more diverse workforces perform better financially and are more innovative. Similarly, diversity and inclusion is good for the business of sports. The more that sports teams embrace the diversity of the community they are in, the more likely their fans will embrace them back.

The National Hockey League (NHL) uses the international reach of the game of hockey to help drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities. Under the slogan Hockey is for Everyone, the NHL takes a unifying and supportive approach:

We believe all hockey programs – from professionals to youth organizations – should provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.

Over the years, the San Jose Sharks have embraced these ideals. From Sikh and Filipino heritage nights to Los Tiburones themed events as part of Hispanic heritage month, Sharks fans in the SAP Center represent the amazing cultural diversity that is the Silicon Valley / Bay Area.

At last year’s Hockey Is For Everyone Night, the San Jose Sharks partnered with You Can Play, an NHL-supported non-profit organization that works to ensure the safety and inclusion of all in sports including LGBTQ athletes, coaches, and fans. Sharks players taped their warm-up sticks with Pride-themed hockey tape and proceeds from these autographed sticks were donated to charity. The next Hockey is for Everyone Night at SAP Center will be Sunday, March 31 when the Sharks play Calgary in what may well be a battle for first place in the Western Conference.

The SAP Center also works hard to support the accessibility needs of our guests. Assistive Listening Devices are available at no charge. Guests with disabilities may bring their service animal with them. In addition, SAP Center offers safety sensory kitsto fans who have sensory sensitives (e.g. Autism, Neurological Impairment, PTSD, or Dementia).

On the lighter side, the idea of hockey is for everyone can be interpreted literally and extended in unexpected ways. Through an event called Pucks & Paws, we allowed dog owners to bring their pets to a San Jose Barracuda hockey game. While the majority of the attendees were hockey fans, many were first-time attendees who were attracted by the spectacle of bringing their dog to an arena and spending time with their pet – the hockey game was secondary.

We are all unique. Let’s celebrate our differences. You don’t even have to like hockey. Doggonit.

[This article previously appeared on Becher’s Bytes.]

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The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines “diversity” as follows:

1: the condition of having or being composed of differing elements : variety; especially : the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization <programs intended to promote diversity in schools>
2: an instance of being composed of differing elements or qualities: an instance of being diverse <a diversity of opinion>.

However, this specific focus of the word on race and gender, which is now a primary part of the definition, is only a few decades old. In the 1978 landmark United States Supreme Court ruling on university admissions, the word ‘diversity’ is used for the first time as a noun to refer to both a qualitative distinction of ethno-cultural groups and their quantitative distribution in institutions of higher education (from the paper “On diversity”).

In the early 90s the word “diversity” became closely linked with HR initiatives that promoted “tolerance” for differences in race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. It was used as part of efforts to eliminate discrimination against people who weren’t part of the majority – whatever that majority was. 

In the past few years, this mindset has expanded to “diversity as a competitive advantage.”  Diversity of the seen and unseen – culture, thought, style, skills, education, workplace flexibility, and perspectives – ensures that every member of the team is represented and valued. If they feel like the belong. This more inclusive definition allows for a broader and more productive discussion.

To make sure organizations prioritize diversity, it’s worth trying to determine if the data truly support diversity as a driver of corporate value. It does. The numbers, anecdotal evidence, and logic all support diversity as a business enabler:

• In a Forbes Insights report, “Fostering Innovation Through a Diverse Workforce,” 85% of survey respondents agreed a diverse and inclusive workforce brings the different perspectives a company needs to drive innovation.  97% of the companies surveyed had formal diversity and inclusion strategies in place, viewing it as a competitive advantage that helps capture new clients, and adds to the potential for adding consumers in emerging markets.
• Companies with a strong commitment to diversity on average outperformed their peers with higher profit margins, and greater return on equity and assets. (“The Business Case for Commitment to Diversity”, 2008)
• The 2009 report, Does Diversity Pay? Race, Gender, and the Business Case for Diversity, showed that companies with greater racial and gender diversity performed better in terms of sales, revenue, number of customers, and market share.
• Employee satisfaction and engagement hinges partially on satisfaction with a company’s treatment of diverse people. (Catalyst – “Why Diversity Matters”, 2012)
• The 2010 McKinsey Women Matter report showed companies with the highest share of women in their senior management teams outperformed those with no women by 41% in return on equity and by 56% in operating results.

It makes sense. Diversity of thought, viewpoint, and mindset leads to more innovative results than “like thinking”.

For any business trying to be more innovative, it is good business practice to tap into all of the unique backgrounds, experiences, and ideas its employees represent. Diversity drives innovation.

An earlier version of this article appeared on the SAP Community Blog.

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