Thin Blue Line
The new Ystrad Mynach police station in the UK utilizes interior design and color psychology to try to calm and focus those placed in the cells. Blue and yellow colors are used in the cells of this new police station to encourage truthfulness (blue horizontal line on the walls) and to help calm unruly people (a yellow border around the door).
This design is based on the hope that blue suggests “trust, efficiency, serenity, duty logic, coolness, reflection, and calm.” The yellow used in these cells is hoped to increase optimism and confidence as well.
I do hope that whatever effect the design of these cells has helps the police who use these cells and the people who are put in them. I would be very interested to see some sort of study to see if the design of these cells has any significant effect.
In my personal view, which is unsubstantiated by any actual evidence or test results, is that a general goal of “design” does matter in relation to people’s moods and outlooks. However, I am skeptical about any claim that says one color causes specific moods in people just like I am skeptical about claims that the bumps on my skull reveal details about my temperament. One must also be clear that this will not be anything of an effect that can take prescience over something that people are honestly upset about. One cannot make people happy simply by changing the color scheme of the room that you lock them up in.
At the least this may show a general care and attention to detail by the police who are building and running this station. This care may have a much more powerful results than any design could.