To What Extent Do Visual Associations Between Nature and Colour Benefit People’s Wellbeing? Intro • • • • • •
Explain colour – ‘The ground of colour psychology is based on the idea that colours can evoke emotional, mental and behavioural responses.’ Newton -> current understandings Wellbeing – spiritual, physical, emotional – environment – biophilia – biophilic design Outline structure Smaller questions Research methods – exhibitions, field trips, collecting, photographing, listening, observing things (places) around me, practical exploration
Main Body 1: Themes – colour, wellbeing, trends, society, environment, biophilia, nature (2000) Structure • The decline in people’s value for nature • Why people would benefit from reincorporating nature back into their daily lives – even if just a little • Needs • Ways to do this – bring the outside in. Unify exteriors with interiors • Biophilic illustration/interior design/furnishing – not fully founded yet – emerging trend, space for future research • Examples of people who do/did this – designers, events • Key colour theorists – impacts on emotions. Make conclusions – triangulate against wellbeing/environment-furnishings • Impacts of colour within an environment on emotions vs. impacts of nature within an environment on emotions. • ? (other senses- touch, light, smell, sound, space – other variables that effect the impact of the colours/nature. E.g. birdsong vs traffic. Artificial vs natural light. Smell of a fire vs. smell of a hospital. Observing that it’s not just colour that impart an effect.) Points • •
•
•
Biophilia (Wilson, E. O., 1984) — humans have a predilection towards the natural world. Technological and economic advances have created a big urban vs. rural divide. Different environments. When people are presented with images of a rural or urban scene, most indicated a preference for rural, which could imply an ancestral connection to our roots as hunter/gatherers (Stairs, D., 1997) Focusing on the significance of the presence of nature in humans’ lives. Counter the problems associated with urban living by reincorporating the best elements of nature: natural light, big open spaces, organised chaotic design, flora & fauna, quiet, slowpaced, change. Nature is always changing (and adapting), you couldn’t get bored landscapes, leaves, the tides — all change. ‘Is urban better than rural?’ 54% no, 46% yes — The people that said no tended to make comments about health and wellbeing, whereas the people that said yes tended to comment on economic growth and expansion through more opportunities. Urban living isn’t necessarily bad — we are social creatures that tend to thrive in a
•
•
•
community, and as Sue Thomas says, ‘what we need is more nature, not less technology’ (Thomas, S., 2017) Research linking biophilic design to human health. Lifestyle centers: gardens, plants, fountains, walkways typified by retail, dining & entertainment spots. Restoration from mental fatigue. Demonstrates consumers’ responses to natural elements depending on purpose of trip and how much they pay. Restorative potential of lifestyle centres shows importance of their transformative role in enhancing both individual and societal well-being. (Rosenbaum, M. S., Ramirez, G. C. & Camino, J. R.) Social and emotional wellbeing is dependent on both internal and external factors (Gorman, D., Jan/Feb 2010). A framework that explains this is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which specifically focuses on explaining motivation. People are motivated by different needs, hunger being one of the simplest, being at the bottom of the hierarchy (Maslow, A. H., 1943). Security, order and relationships also come into this – they are external factors, and Maslow proposes that if these needs are met, people can achieve self-actualization / motivation, which is internal. This would suggest that external factors impact people on an internal level. There is a positive correlation – as people’s needs are met, their motivation – and thus wellbeing – increase alongside. Creating a safe, comfortable space (home/shelter/protection/warmth/security) that utilise the innate healing benefits of nature could satisfy some of Maslow’s needs – thus could increase happiness and wellbeing. ‘If our needs are fully met, we achieve wellbeing’ (Roberts, L. et al., 2015)
Main Body 2 – analysis, creative works, use M1 to back up interpretations (1500) …. BIBLIOGRAPHY – Books, Journals and Academic Sources Gorman, D., (Jan/Feb 2010), ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Social and Emotional Wellbeing’, New South Wales, Australia: Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal 34(1): 27-29 Maslow, A. H., (1943), ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’, US: Psychological Review 50(4): 370-96 Roberts, L.; Brower, A.; Kerr, G.; Lambert, S.; McWilliam, W.; Moore, K.; Quinn, J.; Simmons, D.; Thrush, S.; Townsend, M.; Blaschke, P.; Costanza, R.; Cullen, R.; Hughey, K.; Wratten, S., (2015), ‘The nature of wellbeing: how nature’s ecosystem services contribute to the wellbeing of New Zealand and New Zealanders’, Wellington, NZ: Department of Conservation 2-5 Rosenbaum, M. S., Ramirez, G. C. & Camino, J. R., (Jan 2018), ‘A dose of nature and shopping: The restorative potential of biophilic lifestyle centre designs’, US: Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 40: 66-73 Stairs, D. (Sep 1997), ‘Biophilia and Technophilia: Examining the Nature/Culture Split in Design Theory’, Massachusetts, US: MIT Press 13(3): 37-44 Thomas, S. (July 2017), ‘Nature and wellbeing in the digital age: How to feel better without logging off’, 2nd ed. England: Create Space Independent Publishing Platform 2
Wilson, E. O. (1984), ‘Biophilia’, Cambridge, US: Harvard University Press