The Effect of Color | Off Book | PBS Digital Studios

Here’s a great video that I found which gives a succinct presentation on the effect of colour in our everyday lives.

Learning points and my questions arising from the video include:

• People wear the colours they like – does this mean digital learning tools would be more effective if colour schemes were customized to the individual?

• We interact with the world through colour perceptors in our eyes – rods (which see b&w) and cones (which see colour).

• Colour theory focuses on Hue, Value and Chroma
  -Hue: Colour value
  -Value: Light/dark
  -Chroma: Bright/dull.

• Investigate ‘Clash’ colours (that are one off from complimentary) – investigate effect on users journey.

• Reaction to colour is soulful and well as mental – people change throughout life in their reaction to colours based on life experiences (schema).

• Colour is a silent and emotional language – we associate it with different life events – there are 3 types of colour association:
  -Universal
  -Cultural – mainly a learned response – adapts over time
  -Individual – affected by trends to some extent

• Red increases heart rates and makes you want to move! You’ll talk faster and eat faster if you’re in a red room.

• Blue calms the viewer and relaxes.

• A black and white learning tool theme could be good to experiment with – but use colour very selectively to add contrast and make learning points pop.