Visual Mapping - Behaviour & Emotion & Colour
VISUAL MAPPING · Behaviour & Emotion & Colour
BEHAVIOUR & EMOTION & COLOUR
From Digital Design Studio, School of Simulation and Visualisation, the Glasgow School of Art
"HOW DOES COLOUR IMPLY EMOTION AND BEHAVIOUR?"
WHERE TO BEGIN:
BEGIN TO EXPLORE THE MYSTERY OF HOW COLOUR INFLUENCES MOOD AND BEHAVIOUR IN THE 1970S.
“The Beginner's Guide To Colour Psychology”
ANGELA WRIGHT FRSA ——— “COLOUR AFFECTS” SYSTEM
Angela Wright began to explore seriously the mystery of how colour influences mood and behaviour in the 1970s. Until then, the effects of colour were generally considered to be completely subjective, and therefore impossible to predict.Wright’s theory has an important influence on the research of colour.
When she sees colours that work well together, she asks why their particular combination is successful, she asks why the multitudes of blues are all different from one another in their effects, and she asks why the same colour works well in one environment…but not in another.
THE COHERENCE AND CONFLICT BETWEEN COLOUR, EMOTION AND BEHAVIOUR
What is the connection between colour, emotion and behaviour?
How do colour, emotion and behaviour relate to each other?
How to express relationships between colour, emotion and behaviour by the language of graphics?
METHODS:
CONTEXT AND FORMULATING AN INTERVIEW
+
INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (IPA)
MAKE AN INTERVIEW:
SIX STUDENTS FROM GSA - A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THEIR ONE DAY IN GLASGOW
I interviewed six students from GSA and they gave me a detailed description of their one day in Glasgow.
1) Detailed descriptions of events
2) The changing of feelings and influences through these events and behaviours.
INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (IPA) - THE MOST IMPORTANT METHOD TO ANALYSE INTERVIEWS
Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) - The most important method to analyse interviews.
Jonathan A. Smith said that “IPA researchers try to understand what an experience (object or an event) is like from the participant’s perspective.”
“A practical guide to using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in qualitative research psychology”
I tried to stand on each student’s position, and thought two questions:
How their emotions are affected by events and behaviours?
Which colour do they choose to illustrate themselves in one event or behaviour?
SKETCH:
RECORD DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS BY WORDS AND IMAGES
VISUAL VARIABLES :
SIZE, COLOUR AND POSITION ARE THE VITAL ASPECTS
JACQUES BERTIN’S VISUAL VARIABLES
In his Semiology of Graphics, Jacques Bertin sets out what he terms visual ‘variables’ that can be applied to particular aspects of a ‘graphic representation’, resulting in particular effects.
It has seven aspects, including position, shape, orientation, colour, texture, value, size.
IN MY VISUAL MAPPING, SIZE, COLOUR AND POSITION ARE THE VITAL ASPECTS
SIZE - BEHAVIOUR; EMOTION
COLOUR - COLOUR
POSITION - TIMELINE
The First Visual Variable Mapping
The Second Visual Variable Mapping
In my visual mapping, size, colour and position are the vital aspects which must to be highlighted.
In the first visual variable mapping, the changing of emotions are consistent with the changing of colours. It expresses the relationship between behaviours and emotions(colours).
In the second visual variable mapping, the shape of line represents the relationship between behaviours and emotions. Adding colours on the line to express the relationship of three variables.
VISUAL REPRESENTATION:
A LANGUAGE-BASED APPROACH TO GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION
The Language of Graphics
THE LANGUAGE OF GRAPHICS
An essay called The Language of Graphics, wrote by Jörgg von Engelhardt, said that a graphic representation is a visible artifact on a more or less flat surface, that was created in order to express information (Jörgg von Engelhardt, 2002).
Thus it could be seen that using graphic languages was a vital step in visual mapping.
It could be summarised as three questions:
How to generalise contexts by graphic languages?
How to use graphics to tell stories?
How to deliver informations correctly and clearly?
DESIGN ICONS TO EXPRESS DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF BEHAVIOURS, EMOTIONS AND COLOURS
Behaviour icons
Behaviour icons were flat graphics which were used to describe events.
Emotion icons
Emotion icons were expression packages which could be used to illustrate moods, like happiness or sadness.
Colour icons
Colour icons were the reasons about choosing colours and students' opinions on colours.
In addition, I specially prepared some phrases to explain icons.
VISUAL MAPPING:
THE RELATIONSHIP OF BEHAVIOURS, EMOTIONS AND COLOURS IN ONE DAY BY RESEARCHING SIX STUDENTS IN GSA
THE FIRST DRAFT MAPPING: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BEHAVIOURS AND EMOTIONS (COLOURS)
Two variables: behaviours and emotions (colours)
In the draft, I assumed the direct relationship between colours and emotions. I assumed that bright colours meaned good moods and dark colours meaned bad moods. So we could draw some conclusions.
· Basically, all students had mood swings in one day.
· Good emotions were accompanied by warm colours, and bad moods with cold colours.
· The emotions of students were different facing the same behaviour in the different time of one day.
THE SECOND DRAFT MAPPING: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BEHAVIOURS, EMOTIONS AND COLOURS
Three variables: behaviours, emotions and colours
The relationship between the colours and emotions.
· In the most cases, emotions and colours were consistent. Good emotions were accompanied by warm colours, and bad moods with cold colours.
· Irritating colours were accompanied by emergencies, like red was connected with the alarm rang.
THE FINAL MAPPING: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BEHAVIOURS, EMOTIONS AND COLOURS
Three variables: behaviours, emotions and colours
In the final mapping, I added detailed labels and images to describe the each variable and the relationships of three variable, behaviours, emotions and colours.
DIFFERENT PERSONALITY TYPE HAD THE DIFFERENT PREFERENCE IN COLOUR
BEHAVIOUR & EMOTION & COLOUR ?? NO RULES
Actually,I had to be honest that I agree with the Wright Theory, different personality type had the different preference in colour.
However, in my research , I did not have a point about personality type, I just pointed out behaviours, emotions and colours.
CONCLUSION: THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THREE VARIABLES, BEHAVIOURS, EMOTIONS AND COLOURS
INTERESTING POINTS
WHAT'S NEXT:
HOW DO THE IRRITATING COLOURS INFLUENCE ON BEHAVIOURS?
My visual mapping was the representation and organisation of my interview research. The relationships of three variables (behaviours, emotions and colours) do not have a unitive standard to make conclusions.
Therefore, my visual mapping was just the beginning of the topic. In the next step, I will focus on researching the relationships between the one type colour and behaviours. For example, I will put forward a question like how do the irritating colours influence on behaviours.
