M6 COLOR + HEALTH

Color + Physical Health

In Chapter 3, we covered how age, gender, personality, etc. can effect an individual’s perception of color. Chapter 4, dives deeper into correlations between colors and physical human reactions: red raises blood pressure, pink soothes an upset stomach, blue slows down heartbeats, orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, yellow speeds human metabolism, etc.

When designing a space, especially if tailored to a client, it is essential to understand the client’s physical conditions and needs. For example, aging individuals experience yellowing of the lense between their pupil and iris. This causes cataracts, which reduces their ability to distinguish colors. When designing for an aging eye, it is best to incorporate plenty of light sources and high contrast colors in order to increase sensitivity to levels of contrast. Another example is individuals with color blindness. Deuteranopia makes red and greens appear yellow; protanopia makes reds, greens, and some blues indistinguishable; and tritanopia makes blues and greens, and yellow and violet hard to identify. When designing for individuals with color blindness, it is best to incorporate high contrast, saturation, and even supporting labels which can help identify colors from each other.

Color + Mental Health

Color can also be used as a tool to assist people with mental disorders such as attention deficit disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), anxiety, and depression. Limited variety of color and pattern, accent colors to focus, and use of value to create intimate spaces is beneficial to decrease overstimulus for individuals with ADHD. For people with ASD, warm, unsaturated colors with gradual contrast, and options to control light settings produce a positive response. In hospitals, treating people with anxiety and depression, use of subtle colors and patterns, matte finished, natural lighting and materials, is encouraged to produce a soothing and comforting environment.