Major Project Report Visualising Colour Emotions Nikoloz Getsadze
Contents
6
Research question
10
Design area
Outcome & audience
Research methods
56
50
Bibliography & web sources
14
4 Visualising Colour Emotions
Research question 5
Research q uestion
6 Visualising Colour Emotions
Research question How can the perception of the relationship between colour and emotions be visualised in such a way as to produce a practical outcome? Red for danger? Black for misery? White for purity? All societies make and apply assumptions based on this kind of link between colour and emotion. How sound are they and how general in terms of history, age, gender and national origin, however? These are questions that are not only intellectually and historically fascinating, but ones which require truths in an age when coloured graphics are so widely used in all types of communication, from the informative to entertainment and to the manipulative. “ All human beings make an unconscious judgment about a person, environment, or item within ninety seconds of initial viewing and that between 62 percent and 90 percent of that assessment is based on colour alone.� (Marioka, 2006) I wanted to arrive at a better understanding of colour through the framework of one aspect – emotion. My challenge was to devise a visual, easily understandable form of analysing real perceptions of the relationship between colour and emotion. And I wanted my test to be completely contemporary, thus on the reaction of people now.
Research question 7
“It is necessary to reflect well, and to have a will and to be wide-awake� (Vincent Van Gogh)
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Visualising Colour Emotions
Design area
Desig n a rea
9
10 Visualising Colour Emotions
Design area I sought to test the question of the perception of colour and emotions across the widest criteria. I wanted to challenge representation of responses in a framework of information design through online interactive animation. My choice to use a website came as this would enable me to reach and survey the greatest human cachment area. As mentioned by Visocky O Grady (2008), “Users don’t want to think, they just want to understand”, so it was necessary to analyse the data to make its findings clear. The use of information design for the website was the perfect tool to do so. This enabled me to secure and manage a massive body of information and present outcomes to the questions in an understandable and attractive form. I had confidence that I could apply my knowledge of website building and the skills gained on the course - grid, structure, typography and visual grammar - to achieve rational and coherent expression. For my other aspect, mastering the use of colour was extremely important. “ Designers who are academically trained are often exposed to color theory as well as the psychological and international perception of color.“ (Holzschlang, 2001) Colour is also a highly sophisticated tool through which understanding of perception can be gained. So, colour was not just a dimension of my project but also one of my design areas.
7.1
6.4
6.1
Happiness
30.1
20.9
Love
31.9
9.5
7.8
6.8
5.2
5.1
4.6
Pleasure
9.8
10.8
Hope
13.1
Results of the experiment using survey database at 03.11.2010 when participants numbered 23 thousand.
10.0
9.3
6.8
Design area 11
5.8
4.1
3.9
3.4
10.2
4.4
3.2
9.2
4.1
5.3
3.4
4.0
4.9
3.6
4.2
3.1
3.0
4.6
3.2
3.8
2.7
2.6
2.6
2.5
2.3
2.1
2.6
3.8
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.5 1.4 1.3 1.1 1.0 1.0
3.5
1.5 1.5 1.01.0
2.0 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.0
1.9 1.7
1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1
12 Visualising Colour Emotions
Research methods 13
Research methods
14 Visualising Colour Emotions
Research methods Wide ranging primary research proved to be the best means for my investigations. This was highly productive for reviewing the content and format of my research was inspirational and provided my starting point, but merely reinforced my choice. To arrive at a clear exposition took much experimentation. I tried many different permutations as I wanted to break new ground in exploring colour in this complex relationship, born of each individual’s history and environment. “And yet the linkage of colour with verbal expression is highly problematic” (Gage, 1995) I explored primary secondary and tertiary colours, too, different shades and achromatic colours. As recent research carried out in Manchester (Manchester Color Wheel, Carruthers, et al. 2010) notes: - “In addition dark versus light shades of a colour might have different connotations for an individual.” Perhaps most crucial was the definition of cultures, age groups, class, etc. Risking generalisation, I gradually narrowed the selection in my testing in the interests of ease of data abstraction. It was vital to keep the questionnaires simple and direct as to avoid creating ambiguities or becoming over-complex. I needed simple responses in order to create a design that supported analytical reasoning through easy-to-use interfaces. Choice of emotions, too, was honed by experimentation. Starting point was Robert Plutchik’s “Wheel of Emotions” describing emotions as nuanced like a colour wheel. Then critical analysis showed the best result coming from theorists’ opinion on basic emotions and widening these with important additions made from reading specialist publications. (Based on Ortony and Turner, 1990 as published in Cognition and emotion, by Mick Power)
Research methods 15
Online survey on colouremotions.com
16 Visualising Colour Emotions
Secondary research Secondary research shows how relatively limited designers’ in exploration of the relationship between colour and emotions has been. Psychologists link colour and emotions, but lacking visual skills and focus their data presentation is not effective. Wide reading on colour theory, art colour history, and modern colour use in a variety of media revealed the examination as far from exhaustive. Review of information design showed little exploration of this topic, although it was useful in informing my project building.
Des Bendfordsche Gesetz-Random Walk
Research methods 17
Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café, 1880 [Oil on canvas 70.0 x 89.0 cm.] Arles: 5-8 September 1888
C.Fabe’s, Poetry supermarkets, 2006
18 Visualising Colour Emotions
Primary research So, while steered by secondary research, the main engine of my project was primary research – experiments reviewed by online questionnaires and surveys and tested and honed by trial websites. I wanted to achieve as wide a range of respondents and volume of information as possible.
Colour palette for online survey.
Research methods 19
Visual after completing test on the website.
20 Visualising Colour Emotions
Visual experiments The decision to use a website was of enormous help to me because it gave access to a wide sample base for visual experiments. I needed to avoid a common trap for designers – that of creating wonderful visualisation but failing to convey information. Visual experiments also helped me avoid the other extreme. I was bearing in mind that Friedman (2008) admonished that the “main goal of data visualization is to communicate information clearly and effectively through graphical means. It doesn’t mean that data visualization needs to look boring to be functional or extremely sophisticated to look beautiful.“ Given the complex data collected it was essential to check thorugh visual experiments that the findings were communicated successfully. I was also able to have confidence in the way in which I was managing the data. I could test that I was designing a dynamic solution that could be the base for continued development. The outcome I wanted was a tool of value to both professionals and academics.
Research methods 21
“The true method of knowledge is experiment� (Blake, 1977)
Visual tests for visualising the information.
22 Visualising Colour Emotions
Data blocks Development of my visualisations began with blocks. I used blocks and lines of colour to represent the results of the survey, trying different layouts. I tested many variants, taking results from the accumulating data base and some that were more abstract. My initial attempts were far too ambitious for clarity, however, as I was attempting to present a final outcome in one visualisation. Continued development with blocks and lines in a range of visualisations still failed to deliver positive reader responses.
Anger
Disgust
Love
Surprise
Fear
Experiment with blocks to show different gender results.
Happiness
Research methods 23
Hope
Interest
Sadness
Passion
Trust
Pleasure
24 Visualising Colour Emotions
Research methods 25
33%
26 Visualising Colour Emotions
colouremotions.com visualising colour emotions
13-18
Fear
19-49 50+
Anger
West
East
Asia
Disgust
Sadness
Experimenting for an efficient web design to show the relationship between colour and emotion taking into consideration screen size, colours and different sized blocks.
Pleasure
Trust
Research methods 27
Happiness
Passion
Interest
Hope
Love
Surprise
28 Visualising Colour Emotions
Fear
Anger
Disgust
Sadness
Pleasure
9%
Trust
Research methods 29
Happiness
Passion
Interest
Hope
Love
Surprise
30 Visualising Colour Emotions
One of my favorite experiments during the process. uses x and y axis in a long row and visualises all possible colour choices. The data on perceptions collected in the survey is visualised by proportionately scaled squares.
Research methods 31
“A grid is an essential aesthetic device that will allow the designer to walk the reader through the content� (Visocky O Grady, 2008)
32 Visualising Colour Emotions
Feedback indicated that I needed a different arrangement of the structural space, one that revealed connectivity, flows of energy, hierarchy and content more efficiently. “Every visualisation is an interpretation� and testing critically indicated that blocks were not the right interpretation for this subject.
Research methods 33
34 Visualising Colour Emotions
colouremotions.com visualising colour emotions
13-18
19-49 50+
West
East
Asia
Love
Happiness Interest
Anger
Fear
Passion
Surprise
Trust
Pleasure
Sadness
Hope
Disgust
Development of the previous visualisation, narrowing down the colours and making recognisable structures, again using proportionately scaled squares to represent the survey results.
Research methods 35
36 Visualising Colour Emotions
Research methods 37
38 Visualising Colour Emotions
colouremotions.com visualising colour emotions
13-18
19-49 50+
West
East
Asia
Passion
Surprise
Love
Sadness
Happiness
Hope
Research methods 39
“The clean uniformility of data as blocks imposes simplicity on complex topics� (Bourquin, 2008)
Fear
Disgust
Anger
Trust
Interest
Pleasure
40 Visualising Colour Emotions
colouremotions.com visualising colour emotions
13-18
19-49 50+
West
East
Asia
Further experiments to visualise simple results and comparisons for each emotion on the website.
Research methods 41
colouremotions.com visualising colour emotions
42 Visualising Colour Emotions
Data sphere Since emotions are abstract and “colour is actually the most abstract thing we see� I was not able to find any other tools for visualising this information than simple shapes. For practicality the visualisation had not only to be understandable but attractive. I sought also to introduce an enhanced element of readability to the final outcome. Hence my progress from blocks via lines ended with circles- its perfect roundity and unique geometry makes it the most fascinating of all shapes.
Happiness
Hope
Trust
Love
Surprise
Pleasure
Early tests to use circles in visualisation - visually attractive but inefficient in conveying information.
Research methods 43
Interest
Anger
Passion
Sadness
Disgust
Fear
44 Visualising Colour Emotions
Happiness
More recent visualisations using circles, leading me to my final outcome.
Research methods 45
All emotions
Trying different positions, and layout for welcome page on colouremotions.com
46 Visualising Colour Emotions
www.colouremotions.com The domain name has been extremely efficient in generating feedback and bringing strong support to my marketing of the survey. The breadth of the feedback was an important element in validating the project. The audience for the survey was intended to be not only designers but everyone who has access to the internet and anyone with basic English. Both the name and the content of the website were aimed at the simplest common denominator in viewer terms.
“Users are more likely to engage with something they like or have already experienced� (Visocky O Grady, 2008)
Research methods 47
Happiness
Love
Pleasure
Hope
Passion
Surprise
Trust
Interest
Sadness
Disgust
Anger
Fear
Visualisations for the first part of the project using circles to test the results of the online survey.
48 Visualising Colour Emotions
Outcome & audience 49
Outcome & audience
50 Visualising Colour Emotions
Outcome and audience As the survey produced data of a complex nature and in large volume the chosen medium for the presentation of the outcome is an interactive website in the framework of information design. The project can be used by professionals in a wide variety of fields as well as for personal analysis. The website has been viewed by 25,000 people in the last three months, giving me good feedback. My final design reflects comments from designers, design forums and web communities. But face-to-face-discussions, both individually and in groups, have also been critical in its development. The target audience for this website is primarily designers, although good and interesting feedback has also received from psychologists. Both groups will be able to learn from and apply the information on www.colouremotions.com Development of the website is by no means exhausted. Feedback has suggested the visualisation of more complex information such as comparisons between genders, age groups and cultures. Fascinating, too, will be to test reactions in different seasons - to see if winter or summer bring differing responses. Also to see how the progress of time changes perceptions by testing again in one, two and three years. There is also the possibility of widening out the emotional aspect. Professionals in the field of psychology in Georgia and at Indiana University have contacted me saying they have suggestions for further development.
Web based outcome www.colouremotions.com
Outcome & audience 51
“We often ascribe personality, meaning or emotion to different shapes as we do with colours.� (Visocky O Grady, 2008)
52 Visualising Colour Emotions
colouremotions.com visualising colour emotions
13-18
19-49 50+
West
East
Asia
Happiness
Fear
Interest
Pleasure
Hope
Sadness
Prototype for the final outcome. Please see colouremotions.com/visualising
Outcome & audience 53
Passion
Trust
Surprise
Disgust
Anger
Love
54 Visualising Colour Emotions
Design area 55
Bibliography & web sources
56 Visualising Colour Emotions
Bibliography Auden W. H. (1961) V. Van Gogh: a self-portrait; letters revealing his life as a painter. London: Thames and Hudson Blake W. (1977) The Complete Poems. England: Penguin Group Bourquin N. Tissot T. Klanten, R. Ehmann S. Van F. (2008) Data Flow 1: Visualising Information in Graphic Design. Frankfurt: Gestalen Bourquin N. Tissot T. Klanten, R. Ehmann S. Van F. (2010) Data Flow 2: Visualising Information in Graphic Design. Frankfurt: Gestalen Carruthers H. Morris J. Tarrier N. Whorwell P. (2010) Manchester colour wheel: Development of a novel way of identifying colour choice and its validation in healthy, anxious and depressed individuals. BMS Medical Research Methodology Friedman V.(2008)Smashing Magazine, an online magazine dedicated to designers and developers. [Accessed:http:// www.smashingmagazine.com/ author/vitaly-friedman on 2 November 2010] Gage J. (1995) Colour and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction. London: Thames and Hudson Holzschlang M.E. (2001) Color for websites. Switzerland: Rotovision
Kaya N. and Hellen H. (2004) Relationship between color and emotion: A study of college students. Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors College of Family and Consumer Sciences. The University of Georgia: College Student Journal, Vol. 38. Marioka A. (2006) Color Design Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Color in Graphic Design. Gloucester: Rockport Publishers Inc Power M. and Dalgleish T.(2008) Cognition and Emotions: from Order to Disorder. East Sussex: Psychology Press Visocky O’Grady J. and K. (2008)The Information Design. Switzerland: Rotovision SA
Bibliography & web sources 57
Quotations
Images
Websites
“It is necessary to reflect well, and to have a will and to be wide-awake”- Auden W. H. (1961) V. Van Gogh: a selfportrait; letters revealing his life as a painter. London: Thames and Hudson
V. Van Gogh, The Night Café, (1880) Van Gogh Museum, [Online]: http:// www.vangoghmuseum.nl/ blog/slaapkamergeheimen/ en/:Accessed on 12 July 2010
www.colour-emotion.co.uk www.colormatters.com www.computerarts.co.uk www.sensationalcolor.com www.findarticles.com www.wordswithoutpictures.org www.informationdesign.org www.coolinfographics.com www.webdesignforum.co.uk www.graphicdesignforum.com www.interiordesignforum.co.uk www.sensationalcolor.com www.findarticles.com www.wordswithoutpictures.org www.informationdesign.org www.coolinfographics.com www.emotionalywague.com www.wefeelfine.org
“A grid is an essential aestchetic device that will allow the designer to walk the reader through the content”Visocky O’Grady J. and K. (2008) The Information Design, Switzerland : Rotovision SA(p.98) “The clean uniformility of data as blocks imposes simplicity on complex topics”- Bourquin N. Tissot T. Klanten, R. Ehmann S. Van F. (2008) Data Flow 1: Visualising Information in Graphic Design. Frankfurt: Gestalen “Users are more likely to engage with something they like or have already experienced.”Visocky O’Grady J. and K. (2008) The Information Design, Switzerland : Rotovision SA(p.90) “We often ascribe personality, meaning or emotion to different shapes as we do with colours.” - Visocky O’Grady J. and K. (2008) The Information Design, Switzerland : Rotovision SA(p.90) “True method of knowledge is experimentation”- Blake W. (1977) The Complete Poems. England: Penguin Group
Fabe’s C. Poetry supermarkets, (2006) Bourquin N. Tissot T. Klanten R. Ehmann S. Van F. (2008) Data Flow: Visualising Information in Graphic Design. Frankfurt:Gestalen.
Des Bendfordsche GesetzRandom Walk - Bourquin N. Tissot T. Klanten R. Ehmann S. Van F. (2008) Data Flow 2: Visualising Information in Graphic Design. Germany: Gestalen.
58 Visualising Colour Emotions