Mind the Design! Part 3
Now that we’ve seen an overview of Design Psychology in our first two blogs, it’s time to turn to Color Psychology. By this we mean the true impact of color on the human psyche and the emotions or feelings color evokes, not the symbolism of certain colors found when googling what yellow “means.” While symbolism carries significance for many, and those who value that attribute should find ways to incorporate it into their décor, our focus here is how to best use color to positively influence the lives of those who inhabit a home or workspace.
Color and its influence on human’s psychological functioning have been studied for hundreds of years, but only in the last century or so has the study been directly applied to the surroundings and dwellings that we function within. “The field of color emotion has indicated that each color, as well as each combination of colors, conveys its own range of meanings”.1 Our perception of color and the expression of our emotions have a direct correlation, but this correlation cannot be summarized by one influence alone.
In fact, there are five factors that affect color perception2:
1. Dynamism [as used in Psychology]: a habitual mode of reducing or eliminating tension.
2. Spatial quality: the strategies, policies, design and the effective creation and use of spaces.
3. Emotional tone [also known as “feeling tone”]: the mood or feeling associated with a particular experience or stimulus
4. Complexity: the color “variety” aspect of an image or thing. This could be hue, tint, tone or shade as defined in Color Theory:
HUE refers to the brightest 6 - 12 pure color, unmixed pigment families on the Color Wheel
TINT is any Hue with White added (the color remains the same only lighter)
TONE is any Hue with Neutral Gray added (the color remains the same only less vibrant)
SHADE is any Hue with Black added (the color remains the same only darker)
5. Evaluation: The perception of a color automatically triggers evaluation by the person perceiving it. The evaluation process in turn forces color-motivated behavior.
Color Emotion occurs during the process of perceiving colors when “an associated feeling or emotion is induced in the brain. The human eye perceives color as stimulus in the form of light and the brain further processes that perception with the result that feelings and emotions are evoked”3
We all experience color somewhat differently, from our own unique field of experience to culture and our gender. At the same time, color and our emotions bring us together. There is an undeniable agreement among us that red induces excitement and arousal, and that blue is calming and restful. The science behind colors can explain this by delving into wavelengths. Color has the ability to improve or disrupt our spatial reasoning of the surroundings. Color can influence the element of light in a room and thus natural or artificial lighting can impact how we perceive a colored wall as well.
However you wish to dissect what color means to you, the fact remains that color is a major influence on how we live our lives. “Color and emotion are systemically related”4 . Each color has a psychological impact on individuals, and each individual will have a different response to the same color. What colors can do for or against us is important to understand when designing the interiors of people’s homes.
Many find that nature’s balance of color is a true expression of what humans seek to recreate in their own homes. Balance is a key goal in how one uses color and any other design element in one’s home. Just as nature will find its balance in any instance, we too require balance to create a stimulating and welcoming home. Color is an incredible tool for us to use toward this goal.
Up next in our series will be the discussion of how specific colors (hue, tint, tone and shade mentioned above) can influence us and our experience in our surroundings…
‘Til next time!
In case you missed them, check out our previous installments: Part 1 - Intro to Psychology & Design and Part 2 - Design Psychology
References:
1 Kobayashi, 1981 3 Billmeyer & Saltsman, 1981
2 Hogg, Goodman, Porter, Mikellides, and Preddy, 1979 4 Levy, 1984