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Color: The Secret Influence, Second Edition
/ Kenneth R. Fehrman ; Cherie Fehrman ; Kenneth Fehrman ; Dr Kenneth R. Fehrman
(2003)
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| Book Details |
| Subject |
Physics |
| Publication Date |
2/20/2003 |
| Nr of Pages |
384 |
| Format (size) |
Paperback (27.7cm x 20.9cm) |
| Publisher |
Prentice Hall |
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| Plot |
| Color: The Secret Influence what does that title mean? In a nutshell, it means that color's effects on each of us are vast, but most of us don't have a clue that they are even happening. Color affects your health, your spending habits, your personal and professional image. Color and light are inextricably linked; you cannot have color without light. Yet, in our minds, we constantly separate the two and give little regard to the color/light that surrounds us, and even passes through us. In a very real sense, color/light affects every single aspect of our lives every day, and yet most of us go about our days without giving it a second thought or ever really understanding how we are being affected. Even artists and designers who have spent years working directly with color/light rarely know just how much it affects us physiologically, psychologically, and sociologically. But what if people did know? What if they better understood the possibilities and potential? What if they could recognize the many myths that circulate about color and focus on the facts? These were the questions that intrigued us enough to consider writing this book. During our research, we often marveled at the information that we encountered people who could "see" color with their skin, people who reported healing after exposure to color/light, people whose physiological readings were dramatically affected by being in rooms colored a certain way. We were equally mystified by the many myths we encountered that were accepted by the general population as truth without a shred of evidence to back them up. So often we heard people say "red excites you" or "blue is calming" without having any idea why they thought that. They had just heard it somewhere. They had no facts to support a statement, but they "knew" it was true and they were often vehement about it. Our musings gradually took shape, and we realized that we wanted to write a book that would sort out the myths from the facts, that would show how color/light truly affects us, and that would help us improve our lives by gaining more knowledge about color. At least, those were our initial thoughts when we considered writing this book. Later, other influences came into play. We knew there were already many color books on the market, so we asked ourselves how ours would be different. One thing we decided right off the bat was that we were not going to repeat the same old myths about color without having our facts in order. Searching through thousands and thousands of research documents for more than ten years, plus doing our own research, turned up some surprising information sometimes just the opposite of what we expected. Next, we wanted to write a book that could have multiple uses: for the lay person, for the design professional, and for the student of color or design. Some of the books we encountered were so technical they were really physics manuals. Many were filled with pretty pictures and little information; others had a lot of information but little, if any, documentation supporting the "truths" that were set down. Frankly, what we found were the same myths repeated over and over again in book after book, and it seemed that no one had stopped to seek out the proof that should have accompanied the claims. We decided to take a different route and present the reader with facts based on scientific research rather than on hearsay or myth. To meet our goal of a book that could serve the needs of different groups, we realized that a different kind of book on color/light was needed. We wanted to write an accessible book that presented color/light in an integrated way that not only incorporated the basics of color harmony and usage but also provided information about the vast and often hidden ways in which color affects our lives every day. Color: The Secret Influence is based on well-controlled scientific studies that dispel the misinformation about color that has become commonplace. It shows how color/light affects us, from our health to our spending habits, our perceived image, our communication, and even our weight, our sex lives, and why we choose one brand of laundry detergent over another. We wanted to reach a large population and present scientific facts without boring people into a coma, so we have tried to keep the writing lively and to personalize it from our own experience when appropriate. For serious students of design, we have included a workbook section at the end of the book that is filled with assignments, exercises, tests, and quizzes for classroom use. This book has been field-tested in university classrooms for several years, and a teacher's manual is available from the publisher to further aid in instruction of the subject. Virtually everyone can benefit from a better knowledge of color/light, but it is essential for designers and design students. Designers affect people every day by the colors they choose in their work. Whether their work is interior design, fashion design, product design, graphic design, architecture, or any other related field, those color selections are having a marked influence on the population. It is therefore essential that designers should have a thorough understanding of the effects they produce. In today's competitive marketplace, a designer must have more than just the basic tools to survive. Savvy consumers want to get the most for their money, and designers must be armed with accurate information. Forward-thinking health care givers are beginning to realize the important effect that the color/light environment has on health. Similarly, consumers should be armed with knowledge that can help them make informed choices about purchasing, health and well-being, communication, and personal image. It is for these reasons that we wrote Color: The Secret Influence. We believe that color/light-related technologies will be a driving force in this new century and beyond. With this book, we hope to encourage others to seriously study and investigate this fascinating phenomenon. By the time you finish reading Color: The Secret Influence, you will find there's much more to color than meets the eye. |
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