COL OUR FUL PEO PLE

‘You are such an idiot!’ Ever heard that before? It is a common phrase for people to use when disagreeing on a matter. But what do we actually mean by it?

by Emma Heilig

With some humans you experience an instant click, while others take a lot of work and effort to communicate with. How people behave is caused by a combination of things. Part of it is genetic, buried deep into our DNA, while another part is learned from experience. These infinite possible personalities make it hard for people to understand one another; it is almost impossible to know what another person is thinking. If we find ourselves annoyed by other people’s behaviour, chances are we are simply failing to understand the way they think.

This exact phenomenon was researched by psychologist William Moulton Marston. He created a model, named the DISA-model. The model shows that humans can be divided into four different behaviour types, with each their own specific personality traits: red, yellow, green and blue.

Reds have the dominance trait. They are extraverted and very driven, but are also likely to be hot tempered. They are hard workers and quick decision makers, yet they don’t thrive without some form of competition. Reds, while being very direct can perceived by others as judgemental and blunt.

Yellows are entertainers. They are optimistic and do not see limitations, making them really good problem solvers. Their downfall? Yellows are quick decision makers, just like Reds, but forget to be rational first. To others, a Yellow’s behaviour may be misjudged for carelessness and selfishness.

Greens are much more calm. They are introverts and great listeners, which can sometimes give the impression of them not being assertive. On the other hand, they are easy going and supportive, making them good team players. The biggest challenge Greens have to face is themselves; they tend to exaggerate their weaknesses instead of their strengths, unlike Reds and Yellows.

Blue people are analytic. They have a tendency to follow the rules very closely and think well before they speak. They work systematically and are very precise. This makes them reserved and task-oriented people, which is why they work well together with Greens and Reds. Others might perceive Blues as evasive and even boring, but it is simply their radical mind speaking.

with Blues. Where a Blue will do adequate research, a Yellow will dive right into the task, without a clear plan. Another good combination will be Blue and Green. They both like to take their time before starting a project and will feel secure because they are both introverts. Another interesting and unexpected pairing is Green and Yellow. Even though they are polar opposites, they will work well together because they will make space for each other to be themselves.

As said earlier, some colours work better together than others. A Red and a Green for example is not the best combination. Greens are passive and Reds are critical and always in a hurry. This cooperation will lead to angry Reds as they believe Greens do not work fast enough. Reds will, on the other hand, work well together with Blues, because they are both very task orientated. However, outside the work field it will be hard for them to connect. A better combination is Reds and Yellows, they radiate the same kind of energy and are both extravert and verbal. Yellows should however, never be paired

After reading this, you are probably thinking: ‘I can recognise myself in multiple colours, so where do I fit in?’ This is totally understandable, since it is rare to come across a person that fits entirely into one of the four behaviour types. Most people have a combination of traits and are therefore a mixture of the colours. This makes it harder to analyse other people’s behaviour, but if you take your time and try to understand them, it will make working together a lot easier.

So next time one of your colours tries to take the upper hand in a disagreement, take a step back and use your blue traits to analyse the behaviour, sprinkle in a little green to keep your composure and stay positive like a Yellow. Combine this with the persistence of your red side and you will be turning these ‘idiots’ into perfectly understandable people. 3

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, is an old Greek saying, but with beauty principles and standards surrounding us, is it really true? Is beauty a personal preference or is it universal?

by Sinea van der Vlies

What do you think about when you think of beauty? Do you think of beauty products or that hot Instagram model? Now think of your favourite colour, a great artwork, or the landscape from your latest holiday? While you might think these are indeed also beautiful, you should think about the feeling you got from enjoying them. Is it the same feeling you get as from thinking of beauty products or scrolling through Instagram?

A long time ago, when we, humans, were still hunters and gatherers, perceiving beauty was essential. Plants and animals that had features containing beauty principles like symmetry were healthy to eat, whereas fruits from trees that hung asymmetrically, for example, were not. Humans also tend to find harmless flora and fauna more beautiful than those which seem more dangerous. Recognizing beauty was therefore a useful surviving tool.

We are not the only species that perceive beauty. Other species also attract each other with beautiful shapes, colours and sounds. Birds sing for each other and show their extraordinary feathers to mate and bees feed from colourful flowers.

What beauty actually is, is quite hard to define. Although, we can give it a try by examining this concept of beauty psychologically. There is a part of the brain that is shown to be busy when we are seeing something we think is beautiful. In this part of the brain, stimuli of taste and odour are rewarded. Good food makes you feel good and things that smell bad discourage you to eat them. Therefore, beauty seems to be something we can enjoy and want to have more of just like we can enjoy food and smells.

In product design, aesthetics is also used for a broader enjoyment of a certain product. Beauty principles like Gestalt Laws can make a product more usable, and its attractiveness can make it sell better! Anyways, we learn this in our design courses already... We should stress this feeling of pleasure derived from beauty more often. After all, it cannot hurt to think something is beautiful. What it can do to enhance our lives is what ultimately matters. Let us focus on how it can make us happy. Let us make use of our gift to find happiness in beauty. Surround yourself with things you think are beautiful.

Remarkably, finding food tasty or odours pleasant is still relevant to our survival, but, unlike for the birds and the bees, for us, perceiving beauty is not. Nowadays humans do not have to worry about recognizing healthy plants and animals anymore, still there is this satisfying feeling we get from beauty. The feeling you get from watching a sunset or picking a bouquet of flowers. A feeling that has the sole function of evoking enjoyment.

After all, beauty principles exist, but beauty itself is perceived in the eyes and experienced in the mind of the beholder. If beauty standards do not give you this pleasing feeling of beauty, then do not mislead yourself by them. Strive for the things that you think are aesthetically pleasing. Let beauty truly be in the eye of the beholder. 3