Understanding Color to Better Use It in Design

Entered By: Tatum Russo

December 2023

Color is arguably one of the most important aspects of visual design. Interior Design is a great opportunity to showcase an understanding of color. By understanding color psychology, how color is perceived by the human eye, and color theory, you are able to use color to your advantage in any design based on what nonverbal messages you want to communicate.

A lot of what we know and feel about color starts at a young age largely based on societal connotations and stereotypes. However, color can mean something more than its societal association. For example, pink is said to be the most calming color. However, typical Western society associates it with being feminine, and girly which can steer people away from using it. Color can communicate nonverbal messages based on societal and psychological connotations. In interior design, a waiting room that is all white, and colorless may feel sterile and uninviting. By using warm hues and playing with brightness and saturation, you can send a different more inviting message in your waiting room helping patients feel at ease in what already might be a stressful circumstance.

It is important to understand how color is seen by the human eye because not every eye is alike and when you throw color vision deficiencies into the mix, you may have to get even more creative with color that you use in design. Color is a part of the visible light spectrum that was discovered by Sir Isaac Newton by refracting light through a prism in 1665. When you “see” color, it is not the color that is in the object, but more like that is the color reflecting off of the object. For example, when we see the color white, it is absorbing no color and reflects back all color which is why it appears white. When we “see” black, it absorbs no color and reflects back all color appearing black. When color is processed through the eye, it passes through the retina and on to the rods and cones which process light nerve impulses and passes them on to the cortex through the optic nerve. Given that no human eye is alike, color can be physically perceived differently because of this as well.

Now knowing how the eye perceives color and that there are connotations associated with color, how do you go about choosing the right combinations for a space? Well, that is where color theory comes into play! Like music theory, it takes out the guess work on what will be harmonious together. Color theory starts with the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue. Together these colors can make additional colors that are described as secondary colors which can then create more combinations described as tertiary colors that all make up the color wheel. Every color is a hue, and in regards to a hue there is value that speaks to the lightness or darkness of a color. Saturation speaks to the vividness of a color, is it very bright and saturated or greyer and more subdued? Knowing all of this helps creating color combinations much easier. Sometimes the value and saturation of a color can play an important role in creating a harmonious look.

From the color wheel, there are several different color schemes that will work for any color you want to start with. There is monochromatic which is one color with varying levels of saturation and value within the color. Analogous uses 3 colors right next to each other on the color wheel. Complementary color schemes are colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Split complementary starts with one color on the color wheel and uses the two colors next to the direct complementary color. Triadic are 3 equally distant colors on the color wheel creating a triangle. Tetradic is two sets of complementary colors on the color wheel, and square is 4 equally distant colors on the color wheel. By having the knowledge of these color schemes pairing down selections to send the message you want to communicate in design can be a lot less daunting. Yet still, the possibilities are endless, have fun creating your next color palette!

Text Sources:

What is Color:

https://www.pantone.com/articles/color-fundamentals/what-is-color/

https://www.pantone.com/articles/color-fundamentals/what-are-the-properties-of-color

How we see and perceive color:

https://www.pantone.com/articles/color-fundamentals/how-do-we-see-color

Color Psychology:

https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824

Color Theory:

https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/color-theory

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/beginning-graphic-design/color/1/#

https://amadine.com/useful-articles/rules-of-color-combination