description board text (final correct)

Description board

This is a corridor that utilises colour lights to create a vibrant environment with the purpose of generating an emotional response amongst those occupying the space. The whole corridor is separated into two complementary colours from the colour wheel, orange and blue. Orange is associated with being a vivid colour with energy like the sun, whereas blue creates a generally cool and calm effect. Being opposite colours, it is expected that the paired colour lighting scheme will generate two different emotional effects within the participant with in the designed environment.

Why I chose colour and light to be part of my project?

Since the sun has shined its light on the earth and there have been visual observers, colour has been present. The sensation of colour comes from the human visual system, which is the biological and psychological process that all humans innately use to perceive colour and light. Numerous studies have been conducted to understand the human visual system and I have chosen to apply the concepts to my project. Furthermore, there are hundreds of ways to combine colours and lights, as found by many who have studied colour and their effects. The broad application of different colours with the purpose of generating a desired effect is particularly useful in interactive design, especially if the colour scheme is used appropriately. One of the main reasons for choosing colour and light effects is because of my own interests and my future career, which I hope will be in the interior design field. Colour and light are two important elements applied in interior design. By studying colour and modern lighting, my ability to create an interactive environment effectively can enhance room designs and user interface.

Introduction:

As I introduce my project, Iwant to explain“colour effects”.Instead of explaining purely by words, I offer a vivid example. On the left, there are several different colour papers with the same pattern. Do you feel the same about each one? Depending on your own experience and physiological effects, I am guessing you have different feelings when you see the different colour papers.In addition to emotional responses, there are also physical sensations that often occur as a reaction to colour. One typical physical response to colour is an increase or decrease in heart rate. While interacting with my corridor, please try to relax and focus on all senses.My project is based on colour psychology using colour and light to influence emotion.

description board (text)

This is a corridor utilizing lights of colour to create a vibrant colour environment with the purpose of generating an emotional response amongst those occupying the space. The whole corridor is separated into two complementary colours from the colour wheel, orange and blue. Orange is associated as being a vivid colour with energy like the sun, whereas blue forms a generally cool and calm effect. Being opposite colours, it is expected that the paired colour lighting scheme will generate two complete different emotional effects within participants that interact with this designed environment.

Why I chose colour and light to be part of my project?

Since the sun has shined its light on the earth, colour has not been able to be separated with light. For some reason, we frequently consider that colour is light, or light is colour from the human visual system, which isthe biological and psychological process that all humans innately use to perceive colour and light. Numerous studies have been conducted to understand the human visual system that I have chosen to apply as concepts to my project. Furthermore, there are hundreds of ways to match colours and lights, as found by many who have studied colour and their effects. The broad application of different colours with the purpose of generating a desired effect is particularly useful in interactive design, especially if the colour scheme is used appropriately. One of the main reasons for choosing colour and light effects is because of my own interests and my future career, which I hope will be in the interior design field. Colour and light are two important elements applied in interior design. By studying colour and modern lighting, my ability to create an interactive environment effectively can enhance room designs and user interface.

Introduction:

As I introduce my project, I want to explain “colour effects”. On the left, there are several different colour papers with the same pattern. Do you feel the same about each one? Depending on your own experience and proved physiologically effects, I am guessing you have different feelings when you see the different colour papers. In addition to emotional responses, there are also physical sensations that often occur as a reaction to colour. One typical physical response to colour is an increase or decrease in heart rate. While interacting with my corridor, please try to relax and focus on all senses. My project is based on colour psychology using colour and light to influence emotion, thereby observations of any behavioral response will be recorded.

description board second plan

After think carefully about the first colorful description board design plan, I worried if it has too much colour. Look at the real EXPO place, I was sure about the first plan is not suit for now. So, I made a change of background colour. I use white colour which is the wall colour of exhibition to be most of background colour, but at the same time, I also kept orange, blue and rainbow these colour elements in the second design plan.

description board (original plan)

First think of design the description board, I related to the two colours that I used in my corridor which are orange and blue. For consider about the dark environment of the corridor, I think of widespread pure colour may attract attentions of participants. Because of the two reasons above, I have a original plan:

And for the name of my project I think of a better name called “Emotion Evoking Corridor”. Also use the rainbow colour implies my goal of this project is colour effects.

exhibition plan (final)

After a discussion with supervisor, we made a change to first EXPO exhibition plan. This time, we use a real corridor, and move my project to the corridor. The purpose of this change is makes people have a vivid experience of my corridor, Instead of the video glasses and game controller.

From this picture, it is easy to see we still keep the TV screen and 3D model. The 3D model will played on TV screen. Description board is cross the TV, it only shows the introduction of my project, and the process of I did it.

exhibition plan for EXPO

For EXPO, I should have a plan for how to show my project. Concern about limited space for everyone, I can’t move the whole corridor into EXPO. And also, I need think about a way let people experience the corridor as they are in it. For the solutions, I have seen other artist use virtual reality (VR) to show their ideas and though VR explain their project. From research, I found VR is a very popular technique to show a project now a day. Artists use VR for their artwork, industrial companies use VR show projects to clients… So, I think if I use VR to show my project is not a bad idea during limited space.

Based on the VR exhibition plan, I drew a sketch to show how I decide what to use and how I use.

The middle part is the main part of setup, it is include pc, video glasses and a game control joystick. A 3D model will be play on pc. Behind the main setup is a description board and a TV screen. Description board will tell why I decided make this, why it is valuable, and some sketches of the process. Then move on to the TV screen. In my opinion TV screen is necessary, because it will show some video about the corridor experiment. 

Corridor practice

After light practice, I like to do a pre-exhibition or a corridor practice. Because, I had plans, designs, also test lights, but I still not sure about if it real suit for the corridor of exhibition. So I am thinking doing a corridor practice.

Firstly, I tend to use film lights, but consider about safety, I can not put the film lights in the corridor. Because the light is very hot can burn skin, and the hot may cause fire. These lights need to put a place can not be touch.

Secondly, my supervisor recommend me use the facilities that school offers. Because it won’t have a “safe test” if I use school facilities.

Then, from Jonathan’s help, I find a natural dark corridor in bonington. It is dark, narrow and with several spotlights on the ceiling. That is almost perfect for my corridor plan except the lights are too high to make lights environment.

Jonathan and I first cover the lights with colour gel, then figure out how to put them.

This is the final set up:

We can see that the blue lights are not strong as orange lights. In the light practice, because I used film light, they can adjust dark and bright, this problem was ignored. So from this practice, we have to make blue side stronger. After the whole corridor looks better by adding more blue lights, we decided use one of 4 be orange, and 3 of 4 be blue.

Light practice

I borrowed a set of film lights to have a practice with them. The goal is find out use what kinds of light can create the environment that I need. I used colour gel to cover the lights to make the environment to see how it is work. In a dark place, the result is better than I expect.

This is the practice first in a dark place

But I concerned it may exhibit in a brighter place. So the second practice is contra pose the place is not dark.

And another problem is these film lights can adjust dark and bright. This is the reason make orange and blue even.

Estimation of time

According to Frank (1993), the colour effects lie on perception of time. It mentioned that in environments with warm colours, time id overestimated. With cool colours, on the other hand, the opposite appears to be true: time is underestimated.

An experiment (Goldstein, in Clark1975) of two groups of salesman in red and green rooms attended a meeting. During this meeting, they have removed their watches. The “red” group guessed that it had more time than the “green” group.

In addition, Goldstein noted that under the influence of red light, time is overestimated. Under green and blue light, the result is in the opposite.

However, in this book another study conducted by American psychologist Porter and Mikellides (1976) produce an opposite results. Two identical twenty-minute lectures were presented to two separate audiences; the one seated in blue theater felted bored feel the lecture lasted longer than it did. The one in red theater found that time had passed quickly and the lecture had been interesting.

Additionally, an experiment performed by a British university was similar. Participants felt time spending faster in brightly coloured surroundings than subtly coloured rooms.

And also, Frank mentioned at the beginning of this book: “every impulse, whether originated externally or internally, result in a short temporary arousal reaction (phasic). Repeated effect will alter the tonic arousal level either upward or downward. At that point, there are changes in the individual’s emotional state.

So, it can be concluded from these experiments and states that colour apparently influence the judgment of time.

Reference:

Mahnke, F. H., and Mahnke, R. H., 1993. Color And Light In Man-made Environments. Canada: John Wiley & Sons.

Result of test 2 (2)

Group 2: blue-orange-whole corridor

Orange:

	people	statement
Q1	1/4	colour
	3/4	picture
Q2	3/4	Warm, energetic
	1/4	cool
Q3	3/4	Warm, vibrant
	1/4	cool

Contrast test of blue

	People	Statement
Q1	2/4	Realize colour changed
	2/4	People and picture
Q2	4/4	Calm, cool, peace
Q3	4/4	Cool, calm

From the group, the result of contrast test is much clearer than group 1. None of people feel warm in blue corridor after they experience the orange corridor, although 1 people feel cool in orange room. And from the answers of whole corridor of this participant, he clarified he feel peaceful and quiet in blue room and noisy in orange room. And he also said he feel cool and calm in blue and hot in orange.

Result of test 2

From these questionnaire, 4 people in group 1 ( blue-orange-whole corridor). The other 4 in group 2 (orange-blue-whole corridor).

Group 1: blue

	people	statement
Q1	2/4	colour
	3/4	people
Q2	3/4	Cool, peace, calm
	1/4	Rising sun
Q3	4/4	Cool, calm
	1/4	Vibrant

Orange contrast

	People	Statement
Q1	3/4	Realize colour changed
	1/4	people
Q2	4/4	Warm, energetic, heat, vibrant
Q3	3/4	Warm, vibrant
	1/4	Cool but vibrant and uneasy

After contrast, the result is more clear and targeted.  In the first blue corridor some people may confuse. But after the experience the contrast orange corridor they have direction and strong colour effects of both corridors.

Then, from the whole corridor I asked more specific questions about compare blue and orange corridor. All of them give the expect answers, such as they feel calm in the blue room and feel hot and energetic in orange room. 

make changes to test 1

From the first test, the second test has been created as well.

The difference between first test and second test is the second one makes participants see both orange corridor and blue corridor. But still separate into two group. One group experience orange corridor then see blue corridor as a comparing. The other one is opposite, experience blue corridor then orange. The reason of add contrast model is the results will be more valid then first test. Because of comparing make results more objective, for example, the participants may not understand or have strong feeling of the questions without compare groups. In this situation, the results are not objective, valid. So, the second test results have more value. Otherwise, the second question of the this test is the most important.

After the two comparing group, participants were asked experience a long corridor with 6 single corridors link together by a narrow door, and they are different room colours with different number of people.

From all the comparing, the second test will be better and more objective than first test.

 After all the changes, I also made a “start room” to teach participants how to use keyboard walking in the test models. This is make sure participants will focus on questions not how to play models.

question analysis 2

Third question: choose left or right side words to match what you feel by looking at the picture.

Basically, number 1 and number 2 are important in this question, the most important is number 1, choose warm and cool. And the remaining questions are helping me to understand how they answer number 1. For example: a female participant’s answer are cool, calm, N, pleasing, harmonious in group blue. She first choose “cool” rather than “warm”, and she choose “calm” after, which is blue caused. Number 3-5 are not important answer as number 1-2. They are testing do participants feel comfortable. (so, it is not calculated in the result.) Another example: a male participant’s answer is warm, calm, uneasy, pleasing, and harmonious also in group blue. Well, he choose warm in blue, if without seeing number 2 answer, the blue colour’s influence is not significantly. But if look at the answer for number 2 is “calm” that means he has the right feeling that I was expected. It is interesting to see, the answer of number 2 and 3 are not consistent, but after a short interview, it is reasonable to the answer. He mentioned, his favorite colour is blue, even addicted to it. He feels comfortable in blue, and blue give him energy and excitement. Depends on his experience, his subconscious make him choose the answer.(有关潜意识和条件反射的资料) Two similar examples but in orange group: one male and a female participant both choose cool, and the same female choose calm. In the short interview they declined that it is related to personal experiences. When they see the picture they associate the ocean and water give them cool feelings even the background colour is a warm colour, the image effects is stronger than colour effects to them. They also mentioned the question is to far away from the picture, they answered question by image, so the picture already give they a first image, they answer the question without feels environment. After showed blue test to these two participants, they admitted that blue test obvious much cooler than orange test.

that blue test obvious much cooler than orange test.

From the test:   total: 6  blue: 3   orange:3

	cool	calm	warm	vibrant
blue	2	3	1	0
orange	2	1	1	2

 Because of after interviews, all the participants who do not have expect answers declined with good reasons, the result can be count as a positive result. Meanwhile, the problems have appeared.

question analysis 1

Wednesday evening, 12/06/2013   six people take the test together.

Generally, the test was successful, most of the answers are positive, the others are having reasons. I will analyze the answer from group orange. Answers from blue group is better.

So, from group orange two female and one male join the test. 

The first question is "What do you first notice in this room". This is a start question, let people warm their bodies and notices the environment. So the answers of this question are not that important. But if the answer has single people, a picture or room colour, the question has been successful answered. Or, it is great related right feelings (cool in blue, warm in orange).

From test: there are two male realize single people and two male, two female realize the room colour. So, it is 1 positive to the results.

Second question: match the feeling.  Total: 6  blue: 3   orange:3

There are many words (heat, energetic, cool, vibrant, sad, happiness, warm, peace, water, rising sun, sorrow, calm, the ocean) on the wall, match what do you think by looking at the picture.

Some words are describing picture, such as the ocean, rising sun, water. Although from the two kinds of words give people warm in rising sun cool in the ocean and water, but they are just objectively describe what they saw in the picture, so these two answers are not influence the result, these answers are neutral. The reason of put these “non-related” words on the wall is to avoid lead participants thinking by certain way, to avoid give them hints. There is another word “happiness” also has less influence to the results. Happiness includes personal experience, gender, culture and so on. The same as energetic. But if participants choose happiness that we know they feel comfortable. There are also some words such as warm and hot, sorrowful and sad. If participants choose any one of them to match the room, which is cool, sorrowful in blue, warm in orange. That is positive to the results. From test: 

	Number of people
Warm in orange	1
Cool in orange	0
Cool in blue	3
Warm in blue	0
neutral	3

question result

these are the result of blue and orange 3D model corridor tests.

questionnaire

Base on pervious questionnaire design research, I choose 3 types of questions for my questionnaire. They are open question, close question, and question based on level of measurement. It is only 3 questions in my questionnaire. I keep it short, because one of the purpose is have a quick response of participants. By following the principles, my questionnaire designed as follow:

1.    

               

2.    

3.    

They have short necessary introductions follow each of questions (Jean, Converse & Stanley, 1986).

From an article of Loughborough University, the first question should not be a open question. The reason of the beginning needs avoid open question is afraid participants get too tired from the beginning. But I use a open question to start. Because the open question is not a main question, And also, this question itself is only a describe question, it cannot make participants get too tired to think. The second question is a “multiply choice”. From this question, it is start leading participant to answer particular questions. The last one is based on level of measurement. this question can help me to analyze the particular feelings and details.

From all the questions that I designed, thinking backwards is the most useful way to design a questionnaire. By revolve around think the expect answers than design the question that may get the expect answers.