Sometimes the most simple things can be fascinating if you look hard enough, in fact if you just scratch underneath the surface a little. That’s one of the arts of planning for me, there’s no excuse for a dull creative brief, whatever the category. Or the obvious, first stuff thought stuff either. There’s always another layer to peel if you ask the right questions.
I’ve been doing some work on colour and quickly found out how little I know.
I began by asking why color affects us, inspired by a film on BBC where Colin Jackson found out how much his athletic ability was nature v nurture, I wanted to look at why color has such an effect on us. And some is physiological, some bred by culture.
The physiological stuff is down to wavelengths of light. Take red, it’s got he broadest wavelength and physically takes the most energy for the brain to process it, that’s why it jumps out at you, actually raises your pulse, makes you feel hot. So if you want t get a raise, wear red, if you want to lose all your money, gamble in a red room. Researchers actually found that people have more arguments in red rooms – culturally, it’s passion, strength and danger, but that all comes from the way it affects you physically. A cup of tea will actually appear hotter in a red mug.
Blue on the other hand is positive relaxing color, thanks to having the smallest wavelength. It physically lowers the pulse, so it calming, makes you feel cooler. But then culture has made navy blue seem authoritative and conservative.
But on the other hand, while yellow is a happy colour, it’s symbolism with the sun means it subconsciously stands for renewal, reinvention, constant motion.
Green has a nature/nurture contradiction. While we talk of being ‘green with envy’, people who like green tend to be friendly and generous. One is intrinsic, one is a tradition we absorb by osmosis.
And on it goes. I won’t get into shades and colour combinations, we’ll be here forever. Don’t know why I’m telling you, I just found it interesting.
NORTHERN PLANNER 
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