colour in atmosphere characterisation

8/12/2019 Colour in Atmosphere Characterisation

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The Importance of Colour in Atmosphere

Characterisation

Nolle VON WYL,1Josef STTERLIN1

Faculty of Design, University of Art, Braunschweig andDept. Interior Design & Scenography, Academy of Art and Design, Basel

ABSTRACT

The perception of atmosphere is a functionof various dimensions, like colour,illumination, surface, sound, odour, temperature as well as room structure, where colour isone of the key factors. Colour is a natural phenomenon and there are various categories andsystems available describing quality and quantity of colour. In the work presented here the

perception of colour on the atmospheric quality of a landscape has been analysed in alongitudinal setting. Parameters of the colour space were correlated with psychometric

dimensions (human perception). An analytical tool has been used which was developed inan earlier design research project allowing the characterisation of atmosphere with sixindependent dimensions. Two test candidates did observe bi-weekly over a period of a yearfrom a fixed position a specific view into nature. The natural change of light and coloursthrough the seasons and different weather conditions led to a continuous change of theobserved environmental situation. The result ofthis research demonstrates an unexpectedcorrelation between colour attributes and their perception, especially relating to theopulence of the colour space. The primary attribute was the complexity of the colourvariance and not the colour saturation.

1. INTRODUCTIONAlong with technological progress the aesthetical sentiments and human ideals arechanging. Today it seems to be important that the perception of scenes is intensifying ourexistence. (Bhme 1993) This is in particular important for the perception of architecturethat is experienced with its integrated material and comprised spiritual essence. (Pallasmaa2012) Atmospheric attributes can be e.g. sound, odour, haptic, luminance and colour.

Today we would speak of an atmospheric effect. Colours communicate to space acertain mood. (Bhme 2010)

Today there is evidence that colour and light has psychological and physical effects,however many question remain still unanswered. (Gilliam 1988, van Hagen 2009)

What is of interest to us in this investigation is colour in relation to the perception ofatmosphere. This perception starts with objective elements like the excitation of thereceptors and ends individual subjective emphasis. On the other hand there is high culturalconcordance, where designer and architects can rely on. But the amount of terms for thecharacterisation of atmosphere is small. Therefore it seems to be important to furtherinvestigate the objective description of product appearances. (Blijlevens 2009) This can behelpful for the communication between designer/ architect and users. In this study anattempt is made to decipher the complexity of perception of atmosphere by investigatingthe influence of colour. As analytical tool the model according to Findeli, von Wyl andStterlin has been used. (Findeli 2012) For colour characterisation the model was already

tested in laboratory setting (von Wyl private communication). In this study the model was


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amended for use in the exterior space and the correlation between colour and the sixatmosphere dimensions has been tested.

2. METHODS AND STRATEGY

The approach is practice oriented and shall lead to answers pertinent to design relevantsolutions. Methods of social science and phenomenology as well as design instrumentshave been used. The analytical tool was used as described by Findeli but the terms (38descriptors) were adapted for the description of a landscape. 5 terms of the initial list weredeleted and 25 added resulting in a questionaire of 63 terms (Table 1). The six dimensionscosiness, liveliness,grandness, openness, dispassionand emotionalsecurityto characteriseatmosphere remained unchanged.

Table 1. Terms of questionnaire.

Kontaktfrdend (connect)

Gemtlich (confortable)

Befreiend ( librating)berraschend (surprising)

Gastfreundlich (hospitable)

Harmonisch (harmonically)

Deprimierend (depressing)

Geheimnisvoll (mystical)

Surrealistisch (surrealistic)

Transzendental(transcendental)

Beklemmend (disturbing)

Aussergewhnlich (dilly)

Bengstigend (avesome)

Warm (warm)

Behaglich (cosy)

Formell (formal)Natrlich (natural)

Anregend (brisk)

Intim (intimate)

Nchtern (sober)

Korrekt (accurate)

Verspielt (coltish)

Prchtig (glorious)

Dster (dusky)

Simpel (simplistic)

Klar (clear)

Schockierend (shocking)

Abstossend (abhorrent)

Funktional (functional)Dynamisch (dynamic)

Angenehm (pleasant)

Beschtzend (protective)

Gepflegt (cultivated)

Stimulierend (excitatory)

Bedrckend (oppressive)

Traumartig (oneiric)

Schn (beautiful)

Unheimlich (eerily)

Exotisch (exotic)

Sakral ( sacral)

Lebendig (animate)

Frhlich ((brightly)Magisch (magic)

Ruhig (quiet)

Kraftvoll (poverful)

Friedlich (peaceful

Irritierend (vexing)

Lustvoll (relishing)

Heiter (blithe)

Rein (pure)

Lauschig (snug)

Seelenlos (soulless)

Lhmend (paralyzing)

Zauberhaft (enchanting)Mchtig (abundant)

Romantisch (romantic)

Knstlich (artificial)

Bedeutsam (significant)

Festlich (feastful)

Schummrig (dimly)

Trostlos (desolate)

Wild (wild)

Kalt (cool)

In preparation of the observations place and settings has been determined. Aim was tofind a place where over the course of a year the only expected changes related to theweather and season. Finally a countryside has been selected with view towards a lake andmountains and grassland and forest in the foreground. Analogue to a eye-tracking methodten focus points within the landscape view have been selected based on the view directionsof the two test persons. The focus points were transcribed onto a photo of this view for thesubsequent colour determination.

Two test persons did observe about every two weeks over a period of a year a specificthe landscape from the predetermined place in the morning with a total of 23. A photo wastaken at the beginning of each observation. Later the photography was transferred onto aMac Book. At the predetermined ten focus points the CMYK values were taken inInDesign. Two values were calculated to characterise each photo: a) average C, M, Y andK value across the ten focus points called Saturation, b) the corresponding standarddeviations for each of the four colour values, i.e. the complexity, called Variance.

Following a 3-minute observation period the questionnaire had been completed. Foreach observation the perception of the atmosphere of the test persons was calculatedresulting in one value for each of the six dimensions.

The correlation coefficient between Saturation (each CMYK value) or Variance (eachCMYK value) respectively and each of the six dimension values was calculated accordingBravais-Pearson. (Bortz 1993)


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3. RESULTS

Table 2 shows the correlation coefficient between Saturation or Variance and each of thedimensions describing the perception of the atmosphere. Saturation was significantlycorrelated between Cyan and the dimension grandness. Variance of Yellow wassignifcantly correlated with five of the 6 dimensions, Magenta with 4, Cyan with two andBlack with one.

Table 2. Correlation coefficient, significant values in bold (!= 0.05, two side testing)

Dimensionen der atmosphrischen Wirkung (Variance)

1 Behaglichkeit(cosiness)

2 Lebendigkeit(livelivness)

3 Erhabenheit(grandness)

4 Offenheit(openess)

5 Sachlichkeit(dispassion)

6Geborgenheit(em. security)

Saturation Cyan C 0.15 0.14 0.36 0.00 -0.01 0.15

Magenta M -0.11 -0.01 0.14 -0.17 0.05 -0.08

Yellow Y 0.07 0.16 0.23 0.05 0.05 0.07

Black K 0.06 0.13 0.23 0.07 0.15 0.06

Variance

Cyan C 0.24 0.22 0.35 0.17 0.05 0.31

Magenta M 0.33 0.45 0.42 0.23 -0.12 0.39

Yellow Y 0.41 0.44 0.42 0.30 -0.04 0.36Black K 0.17 0.26 0.37 0.13 0.08 0.17

Each of the six dimensions correlates differently with Variance or Saturation.Grandness correlates positively with the Variance of all four CMYK values, EmotionalSecurity correlates positively with the Variance of CMY, whereas cosiness and livelinesscorrelate with M and Y. Openness does correlate only with the Variance of Y. Dispassionhas no significant correlation.

Figure 1 shows four representative observations. The line diagram below the pictureshows the ten focus points on the x-axes (starting at the top left) and their respective

variance on the y-axes. The net diagram shows the value of each of the six atmosphericperception dimensions (1 = cosiness at the top, 2 6 following clockwise) at the respectiveobservation. The positions for colour extraction are shown in the first picture.

Figure 1: Variance and perception diagram for four representative observations.

4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Overall the data demonstrate a positive correlation between Colour Variance, i.e. thecomplexity, and the perception of space atmosphere whereas the ColourSaturation seemsto be of limited importance. Of the six dimensions grandness was most determined through

the complexity of light and also through the saturation of Cyan. In contrary the dimension


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dispassion did not at all correlate with the quality of light but it might well be determinedby other attributes (e.g. structure). The variance of the colour yellow, positively correlatingwith five dimensions, was clearly the most important. It is interesting to mention thatGoethe did characterise yellow as a colour has a warming effect. (van Biema 1997)

The study has its limitations. Firstly the small number of test persons, secondly thecolour analysis within the CMYK colour space opposed to the larger LAB colour space.But the results are interesting for hypothesis generation and warrant further investigation.

Not only will it be interesting to see whether the positive correlation of colour complexitywith perception of atmosphere can be confirmed. Also the influence of other sensations onthe perception of atmosphere shall be tested with the analytical model. The intuition ofdesigners and architects could be enriched through substantiated understanding of how thecharacter of atmosphere is determined.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A. Findely contributed to the concept of this study and M. Urmi to the observations. Themanuscript was reviewed by W. Beck.

REFERENCES

Blijlevens, J., M. E. H. Creusen, and J. P. L. Schoormans. 2009. How Consumers PerceiveProduct Appearance: The Identification of Three Product Appearance Attributes.

Internationals Journal of Design3 (3): 27-35.Bortz, J., and N. Dring. 1993. Statistik fr Sozialwissenschaftler. Zrich: Springer.Bhme, G. 1993. Atmosphere as the Fundamental Concept of a New Aesthetics. Thesis

Eleven36: 113-126.

Bhme, G. 2010. On Beauty. The Nordic Journal of Aesthetics. 39: 22-33.Findeli, A., N. von Wyl, and J. Stterlin. (2012) Une method de characterisation des

ambiances lumineuses en architecture dintrieur. In Ambiance in action, 2ndInternational congress on Ambiances, Proceedings, ed. by J.P. Thibaud and D. Siret.Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 203-208.

Gilliam, J.E., and D. Unruh. 1988. The Effect of Baker-Miller Pink on Biological, Physicaland Cognitive Behaviour. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine3 (4): 202-206.

Pallasmaa, J. 2012. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. West Sussex: Wiley& Sons.

van Biema, C. 1997.Farben und Formen als Lebendige Krfte. Ravensburg: RavensburgerBuchverlag.

Van Hagen, M., M. Galetzka, A. Pruyn, and J. Peters. 2009. Effects of colour and light oncustomer experience and time perception at a virtual railway station. InExperiencing

Light 2009. International conference on the Effects of Light on Wellbeing,Proceedings, ed. by Y. A. W. de Kort, W. A. Ijsselsteijn, I. M. L. C. Vogels, M. P. J.Aarts, A. D. Tenner, & K. C. H. J. Smolders. Eindhoven: University of Technology,137-145.

Address: Nolle von Wyl, Department of Interior Design & ScenographyAcademy of Art and Design, Spitalstrasse 8, CH 4056 Basel

E-mails: [email protected], [email protected]

colour in atmosphere characterisation

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