color and social validation
MTM1532
Tiffany Tse
tset@algonquincollege.com
color
Is the spectral composition of visual light.
Blue
nature - water, sea, sky
feeling - tranquility, calmness
temperature - cool, cold
overtone - trust, loyalty, faith, knowledge
sex - masculine
note - suppresses appetite
Red
nature - fire, blood
feeling - passion, desire, love
temperature - warm, hot
overtone - energy, war, strength
sex - feminine, masculine
note - stimulate people to make quick decisions
Green
nature - growth, trees, land
feeling - rest, heal, calm
temperature - cool, cold
overtone - money, stability, endurance, peace
sex - feminine
note - most restful color for the human eye
Orange
nature - citrus, plants, flowers, sun, fire
feeling - energy, happiness, enthusiasm
temperature - warm, hot
overtone - food, toys, attention, healthy
sex - masculine, feminine
note - increases oxygen supply to the brain
Yellow
nature - sun, light
feeling - happiness, energy, young
temperature - warm, hot
overtone - food, honor, freshness, intellect
sex - feminine
note - stimulates mental activity; when overused,
yellow may have a disturbing effect
Purple
nature - purple is a very rare color in nature
feeling - stability, energy, ambition, sad
temperature - warm, cool
overtone - wisdom, dignity, creativity, mystery, royalty
sex - feminine
note - 75% of children prefer purple to all other colours
Selecting a palette
How do you choose a colour for a layout and design?
Color Wheel
Consider your client
What does the project entail?
Does the client have a specific brand?
Choose a palette from a photograph
COLOUR CREATES A MOOD
Draws attention
We can use it to create contrast, or make specific elements stand out.
We can define page elements using color.
Light vs. dark
Hall and Hanna (2004) examined how colour combination affects readability and retention by experimenting on 186 test subjects. They found that both the readability scores (measured subjectively through a questionnaire) and the retention scores (measured through a quiz) were higher (i.e. better) when the text was displayed black on white as opposed to white on black.
Light vs. Dark
Buchner and Baumgartner (2007) performed a similar experiment on 80 test subjects, except they measured the subject’s performance on a proofreading task on a TFT display (Hall & Hanna did not mention the type of display they used). Buchner and Baumgartner arrived at a similar conclusion, with users consistently achieving higher proofreading scores when a black-on-white colour scheme was used.
Dark vs. Light
In contrast to the results in these studies, Cushman [1986] found that subjects who read continuous text from positive contrast (light character) VDTs reported less visual fatigue (as measured on a subjective rating scale) than those who read from negative contrast (dark character) VDTs.
Why Do we Click?
Social Validation
unique and independent
People
Have a need to belong to part of a group.
We look to others with similar interests, skills, life experiences.
People
Join groups.
Social networks.
• family
• friends
• class group
• professors
• group projects
• co-workers
Social networks
Make us feel safe.
They are instinctual.
Part of our survival instincts.
We have a strong drive to fit in.
Social situations
People often look to one another on how to behave.
Social Situations
This is unconscious behaviour.
Social situations
We tend to mimic the group behaviour.
Makes us feel safe.
Asch Conformity Experiment
LATANE & DARLEY, 1970S
Participants.
Room.
Questionnaire.
Condition 1
There was only one subject in the room, and that
subject was not aware of the study.
Condition 2
There were three individuals in the room, but two
were aware of the experiment. Those two were
instructed to act unconcerned and continue to fill
out their questionnaires while smoke filled the room.
Condition 3
There were three subjects in the room, all of whom
were entirely unaware of the experiment.
So what happened?
Out of 100 participants, how
many do you think left the
room and to get help?
Condition 1
There was only one subject in the room, and that
subject was not aware of the study.
75%
Condition 2
There were three individuals in the room, but two
were aware of the experiment. Those two were
instructed to act unconcerned and continue to fill
out their questionnaires while smoke filled the room.
10%
Condition 3
There were three subjects in the room, all of whom
were entirely unaware of the experiment.
38%
What does this mean?
For web development?
Where could it be used?
Color and social validation
By tset
Color and social validation
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