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September 26, 2006
Do red and yellow make orange or hurried hunger?
The other day I was looking around at the walls in my office thinking about how color affects mood-I don’t think I would have given it too much thought, but I was baffled when a coworker asked me why I have littered my desk with every color post-it-note Office Depot offers. It was a subconscious venture, and when she pointed it out, I spent the rest of my break exploring my obsession with multi-colored Post-It-Notes. Verdict: I had not “littered” I had strategically placed blank, multi-colored Post-It-Notes around my office to combat the fact that the teaupeish/purple walls make me feel blahzay. See, my favorite color is green, and wouldn’t you know, most other rooms in the office have at least one green wall! No Worries-Perhaps it’s for the best. Green walls may have given me the illusion that I were a wildcat crouching in tall grass FAR too much incentive to pounce and kill and unsuspecting coworker (I assure you, additional incentive is unnecessary). Kidding, but I do have one coworker that posts quotes like I post Post-Its, and that makes me crouch and growl.
I was once told that marketers found that bright red increases hunger and bright yellow the instinct to rush, which is why McDonald’s chose red and yellow for their franchise. Not sure if it’s true—surly don’t doubt it. But, would such tactics work? I mean, do people respond to colors similarly? Maybe to some degree. I guess there are cultural color connotations to factor in, and shade/hue issues to consider. BUT, do certain colors like bright read REALLY raise blood pressure, as some suggest? Who Knows? Sight may be like our sense of smell; certain smells calm some while nauseating others. Other smells, like road kill, are universally repulsive. I think it’s interesting that American associate black with death whereas, globally, white’s the most predominate color for it. Hummmm? Black is associated with death in America, but I don’t think a sleek, black sushi bar would dissuade any death-fearing American-I mean, IF they like raw fish. Must be context, or the fact that each color here has a gazillion associations attached to it. Maybe, some cultures are more sensitive to color associations or have narrower color associations? My brother, Worku, told me that people avoid wearing purple in Ethiopia cause purple represents sadness. It took him some getting used to see people traipsing around in it. On a more intense level, I was shocked to learn that one of my friends teaching in Korea was addressed by her superior for using a red marker on the classroom’s dry-erase board. She was told that red writing on white background had a negative stigma attached to it.
All this got me thinking if there are any color combinations that bother me? I couldn’t think of any. Actually, I would love to have my cones saturated with as much color as possible. Aaah (the “I take that back” aah NOT the epiphany aah) Sometimes, like when I’m reading, I want to see the world in Sepia, you know, so that the pages of even new books look like archaic manuscripts. And who doesn’t desire a good black and white day when it’s raining so they can wear a long detective trench coat stalking leads on a the latest case?
Note to self: Ugly walls are perhaps necessary to maintain office serenity.
Post-It-Note to self: I don’t like office serenity.
This website is technically for website design, but has a minimalist chart on different cultural associations with color. I thought it was neat.
http://psychology.wichita.edu/optimalweb/international.htm
MAN I NEED TO ADD SOME COLOR TO THIS BLOG...
AND TRY THIS!!!! AMAZING http://www.jacksonpollock.org/
| By Heidi V. | 10:54 AM
Comments
Heidi, welcome to st. louis blogs!! i love your new banner. i need to add some color to my blog as well. i also need color on my walls at home.
my classmates and i spend too much time thinking about the color of our highlighters and pens while we're in class. i couldn't take notes today because the only pen i had with me writes in purple ink! oh man, i think i'm going crazy : )
Posted by: Claire at September 26, 2006 03:59 PM
Oh Claire, your cute. It's a crying shame about the color purple! Big frown! I would like to have a bit of jackson pollock splats on my blog, but not sure how to do that yet. Neil did the banner and I LOVE it!!!!
Posted by: Heidi Vincent at September 26, 2006 04:29 PM
Welcome, Heidi V! (Not that I'm really a legitimate STLBLOGGER- I'm just sort of a parasite.)
Ahhh, The psychology of color--I had an art teacher with a book that supposedly could tell your personality based on your color preferences. Not sure how fact-based it was, but it had alot of negative things to say about people who preferred the color lavender, I recall. (spoiled, pretentious, etc.) Every other color preference was linked to positive traits except lavender! It was written in the 50s, before the heyday of purple.
So Claire, maybe your refusal to write in purple shows your "genuine, down-to-earth, and unspoiled" personality!
Posted by: heidih at September 26, 2006 11:02 PM
Thanks Heidi H. FOR REAL POLLACK FUN TRY THIS...It takes not even two seconds! REMARKABLE! Neil pointed it out and now I'm obsessed! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! Why did Jackson feel he needed liquor? Making his kind of art’s SO cathartic!
http://www.jacksonpollock.org/
Posted by: Heidi Vincent at September 27, 2006 10:41 AM
I don't like teel or pastel for that matter. Red and yellow combos make me feel gross cause' I associate it with ketchup, mustard, and grease.
Hmmm...we still need to go on that B-day date!
LOVES
Posted by: Laura at September 27, 2006 11:03 AM
No condiment colors for you? I understand. Did you try the Pollock link? To change colors just click you mouse.
Yipppee to paint-a-pouring all the day!
Speaking of condiments...I'm going to a Cardinals game tonight, and I'm going to be pouring your least favorite colors on my hotdog! GLEEEE to that!
Posted by: Heidi Vincent at September 27, 2006 11:37 AM
Welcome to STL blogs!
I'm all about color! My bedroom is decorated with many shades of red. My classroom is full of posters and eye catching things. I hope my students aren't overwhelmed by it. I just like the energy I get from color. Now too much color can get overwhelming but I think my level is a bit higher than most. I love how God has decorated the world with so many colors! birds, flowers, even different types of soil. I hope you find a good balance in your office. I know blue is calming and I thought red meant passion but I guess you can be passionate about eating.
I had a lovely time at the retreat with you! Thanks for being my friend.
Posted by: Tanya at October 1, 2006 11:13 PM
It was so good spending time with you too! I have a great picture of you with your pants hiked up for a water wading..."Wade in the water. Wade in the water Tanya!" Here is a big hug.
Posted by: Heidi Vincent at October 2, 2006 09:27 AM