Responses to Color

Color. Color has many functions in this world. To me, one of color's main functions is to evoke a response from the viewer. I don't mean a feeling, but rather a different kind of response. For example, in American culture light blue evokes a calm feeling, but a light blue label on a bottle of disinfectant spray with bright blue letters that read "Warning" evokes a response to be cautious of the product. Sometimes we learn from the words rather than the color however, the response to the bright blue warning portion on that bottle of disinfectant spray may be providing the reader with such an intriguing package that they are impressed with its overall "look". Moreover, the bright blue hue color causes the reader to not over expose themselves to the spray, but the bottle's inviting aesthetic inspires the reader to enjoy the product's uses. All in all, the reader has an ultimate response to the label, which is an array of feelings and actions.

According to Mary Stuart in her textbook, Launching the Imagination, she explains the difference in value and intensity (p.44-47). This imaginary bottle that I am basing this entire post on, has to have a hue that catches the consumer's eye on the shelf, but is still light enough to draw the reader's attention to the bright blue warning on the label. In other words, the hue of the bottle would be tinted with white, while the important lettering would be the regular hue of blue (Stuart p. 45). This way, the warning stands out while not over powering the aesthetic of the bottle's label.