 |
| by HvH Interiors |
Are people who have previous experience or training with colour (i.e. designers, artists, etc.) better at remembering and differentiating between colours than un-trained people?
I would have guessed yes ... but this Design Research Friday study shows the answer may be no.
(If you do go look at the article, make sure to scroll down to page 18 of the document to see this particular study.)
Why did they conduct this research? The main purpose was to test colour memory of people who had previous colour training vs. people who didn't. They were also curious to see what kinds of cues were being used to remember colours, if any. Additionally, they compared their results to previous research on the topic of colour memory (i.e. which colour is remembered best?).
How did they do it? They used two groups of university students - one group was composed of design majors, the other wasn't. All participants were female (this struck me as funny, but maybe they did this on purpose since it has been shown that females have better colour memory than men). They decided on four target colours - red, yellow/red, green and purple. Each target colour had nine distractor colours that were closely related to yet varied from the target colour in hue only, chroma only or value and chroma only. Participants looked at the target colour chip for 5 seconds and were instructed to try to remember the colour. Next, they looked at a white chip for 5 seconds. Then they were given a collection of 10 colour chips (9 distractors and the original target) and asked to pick out the target colour. Later participants were asked about which mental cues they may have used.
What did they find? There was no difference in memory accuracy between the trained group and the un-trained group. Yellow was the most accurately remembered colour, followed by purple, then orange and then green. Yellow being the most and green being the least remembered colour was both consistent and inconsistent with previous findings from other studies. Both groups used visual and word cues to remember target colours. Both used visual cues significantly more.
How interesting, right? It would be safe to assume that people who have some kind of colour training know about colour characteristics and therefore can describe a colour properly. If one can describe a colour and break it down based on its characteristics, then that person would probably be in a better position to remember it more accurately than someone who couldn't. Apparently not.
It seems then that our relationship with colours may be governed by something more inherent and intuitive ... would you agree or disagree? Care to share your thoughts?
Have a great weekend folks!
Xx. Holly.
Holly,
ReplyDeleteColor is an inseparable part of our soul. We can train as much as we want, but it is in us.
Maria
Colour, the subject of many research papers, artists, scholars and laymen...you know the landlords who specify 'Magnolia' for the walls:)
ReplyDeleteActually as Ms Colourliving I would have guessed that whether you're trained or not wouldn't make much difference in remembering and dissecting colour.
I think you're right to say that most people would think that but somehow I believe that colour, as Maria says, is intrinsically connected to our souls and if you have that gift, it becomes a gut reaction, rather than something you're taught.
I know many designers who are absolutely useless at colour and others who are not artistically trained who can articulate the most incredible colour reference that puts me to shame.
Well Ms Grey, where do you stand? I believe that I have colour stamped on my soul and the colours I don't remember weren't simply memorable to me.
I would think though I would have remembered that simple test they did:) xx
Love your Design Research Friday
Thanks Maria and Tina for you comments :)
ReplyDeleteI would have initially guessed that people who have colour training would be better at this task... but after reading this and thinking a bit about it, I guess it makes sense that recognizing colour is something more intrinsic. From an evolutionary standpoint it makes sense - being able to distinguish colours may have been something crucial to our survival. And so, over time, it has become something that is part of us on a deep level.
I love colour! Especially when I paint - that's when I express myself with colour most. When staring at a blank canvas, my first instinct is always to scoop up a big blob of gooey red paint and smear it all over - red is my favourite colour after all. It excites me very much. But I do give the other colours a chance - I like them all.
But when it comes to interior spaces and the home, I can't handle such excitement - that's why I gravitate towards the soothing comfort of grey and neutrals and natural materials like wood. Same with my wardrobe.
Ms. Colourliving, I had a feeling you might like this topic ;)
Xx.
I'm with the other girls, I would have thought it's something instinctive. Colour makes me happy - I use lots of it in my children's interiors, but not much in my 'grown-up' interiors. In fact, one of the reasons I decided to specialise in kids interiors is to have an outlet for my colour loving side.
ReplyDeleteYup, I too, thought it would be instinctive. Personally, I've always been able to remember exact shades of colours....if I'm in love with them. Another interesting post, Holly!
ReplyDeletemy you have a bright panel...i agree with all of them. instinctive, for sure...color affects us; our mood...innate, for sure. xx
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating. I would have thought the same as you initially-until I listened to my own kiddies and their friends and realizing how much they actually see in colour themselves-so intuitive and obviously inherent as they are far too young to even know how colours are formed or combined. Re only women in the survey-quite a few friends have sons who are partially or fully colour blind and apparently this is very common, so there may be many men out there with some form of colour blindness without even realizing it!
ReplyDeleteHm, how interesting. I think prior to reading your post, I would have guessed someone with color training would do better at remembering colors. Though, I have to say, with my bad memory and all, I distinctly remember colors, especially in fashion and interior design. As Tina mentioned, I think it helps if the colors speak to you in some way.
ReplyDelete