Life come into this world wearing white, but it begins to acquire color in the instant that assumes concrete form and touches the earth, like a yellow chick emerging from a white egg.1
Project work by students in the CoCreate programme
University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
School of Art and Design HGK
Institute Arts and Design Education IADE
CoCreate, Seminar 08
Colour in design and well-being. Information carrier and energy storage as pigment and pixel
Seminar content
Seminar content
Colour is energy and one of the most important stores of energy and information. Colours of berries, fruits and vegetables say something about ripeness and edibility. Earth colours indicate which minerals are contained in the soil and the colours of plants and animals are related to seasons and climate as well as to biological origin and geographical habitat. The colours in nature contain all the information about the relationship of internal and external energy states and map exactly where, what and how much energy is present. Colour in design is used to create atmosphere, identity and well-being. If designers want to actively control the effect of colours on people and apply it in design, they have to deal with their energetic effect on a scientific basis. The comparison of natural colour pigments and digital colour information provides essential insights into the different quality and effect of natural, artificial and digital colour perception. Colour is strategy and sets trends. In new leadership, innovation and design developments, colour will play a stronger role than ever before as an information carrier, energy store and link between artificial intelligence and natural well-being.
Learning content
In this seminar we will look at the connection between colour, energy and well-being and the role of craftsmanship and technology. Every colour conveys very specific values, messages and sensations. The way it is applied is decisive for the effect to be achieved. Design processes and the control of conscious and unconscious patterns of action and decision-making are influenced by colour. It is examined why surfaces are anything but superficial. Special attention is paid to the connection between people and their environment. Space is scrutinised and its quality characteristics analysed, especially the role of colour as an energy resource and carrier of information. The focus is on comparing the perception and effect of natural, designed and digital surfaces. The consideration of sensory information processing is a central element.
Task
The book content is presented as a Book Box to represent the respective content.
We present the pictures of the Book Box “White” in Colour Talks Quarterly – 02, which is about the La Dolce Vita Tricolore Red-Green-White.
Seeing papers and the theme of “white” through the eyes of Japanese culture makes one aware of how much potential emptiness, not-yet-being holds. The book reflects such a deep devotion to the creative questions that every page that every page, every “white” wall viewed, and even the word itself, triggers a whole new way of looking at it. Kenya Hara not only invites us to read his lines – he invites us to consider a different view of the origin of creation.
origin of creation.
Viviane Herzog:
Kenya Hara actually manages to convey a sense of the myriad nuances that white can have in “White”. It awakens curiosity and a spirit of discovery for the power that white holds. Thanks to Hara’s accessible images and strong language, his statements are easy to grasp and I am sure that “Weiss” will continue to have a strong influence on my design.
Elisa De Carvalho:
Kenya Hara has addressed so many more issues in his book “Weiss” than I suspected at the beginning. The deeper insight into Japanese culture and his interesting inputs on design made the book a very exciting experience.
exciting experience.
Lisa Erb:
The book “White” by Kenya Hara not only gave me a completely different perspective on white and white space, but also on its meaning. The deep insight into Japanese culture was very interesting and made me see connections in everyday life that I had not noticed before. The simplicity with which this profound topic was described captivated me very much to the book.
