Ellen Divers presents "The 'Blind Spot' in Architectural Color"

Tue, Mar 17, 2020 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

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This webinar is part of the ISCC contribution to the celebration of International Colour Day, March 21.

Abstract: People are often surprised when they learn what interior designers do, and how their curriculum prepares students when it comes to the use of color. The reality is that many designers (and architects) enter their new professions with a ‘blind spot’ when it comes to using color in the built environment. This has paved the way for the growing profession of architectural color consultants with solid color instincts, yet still an absence of evidence to support their practices. This webinar sheds light on the factors that contribute to these circumstances:

• What does the work of interior designers entail? Where does discussion of color appear in the design process?

• Public discussion on the human response to color inevitably takes the same path: a description of the associations that people have with each of the hues (blue is calming, red symbolizes passion, etc.). Why is this “Hue Paradigm” of limited use in architectural color?

• The Hue Paradigm has also shaped research questions/methodology and has, inadvertently, reinforced the ‘blind spot’ in architectural color. How has this way of conceiving color interfered with understanding color in a way that is meaningful to designers? Ellen will present studies that inspired her own research and introduce the “Value-Chroma Paradigm” as a new framework for investigating the human response to color.

Speaker bio: Ellen is an independent researcher studying human response to color. Curious about the application of color in built environments, she completed seminars led by Frank Mahnke of the IACC-NA. A desire to participate in the field of design led her to pursue a B.S. in Interior Design with a Minor in Studio Art at Meredith College (Raleigh, NC) where she conducted her first study on color. She has a B.A. in Psychology (U Richmond, VA) and an M.Ed. in Adult Ed (Virginia Commonwealth University, VA).

www.ellendiversdesign.com