Colourful Language MAJOR PROJECT Eleanor Maclure Colourful Language LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION MA GRAPHIC DESIGN PART TIME PERSONAL TUTOR: JOHN BATESON MAJOR PROJECT Eleanor Maclure Acknowledgments I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the survey for this research, without your participation this project would not have been possible. Your contributions have produced a fascinating body of information and data, which perfectly illustrates the diversity of how we describe and name colours. I would also like to thank my personal tutor John for his support and advice, friends and family, who tested and gave feedback on the survey and Andrew for his technical expertise and patience. Introduction Is my understanding of colour names the same as your understanding? Would we interpret terms as being the same shade or hue? Do we describe different shades with the same name or give different labels to the same colour? I have sought to explore these ideas through my MA Graphic Design Major Project, Colourful Language. This book forms the output of this and presents the results of the survey administered as part of the research, with written and visual analysis of the different aspects of the questionnaire. The survey was conducted over a period of approximately two and a half months, beginning at the start of August 2011. Prior to issuing, a pilot study was carried out on a small group of volunteers, in order to test survey functionality and the wording of the questions. Feedback from this process was invaluable for refining the presentation and content of the survey. A number of channels were used to invite responses including email, Facebook, Twitter, posts on public forums, on my own blog and the course blog. The survey was constructed and hosted by SurveyMonkey and was accessed via a weblink, which was sent out to potential respondents. The analysis of the raw data was conducted with the aid of Microsoft Excel, with the addition of some manual calculations and processing. The contributions from 194 participants have been included in the results. Although this does not represent the total number of responses, instances where the survey was not completed have been discounted from the final analysis. The results presented in this book have been arranged in sections following a similar structure to that of the survey, beginning with the demographic analysis of participants and the conditions they viewed the survey in. This is followed by the results of the questions about colour vocabulary, colour descriptions, colour naming, colour interpretation and finally, favourite colour. In addition to this, a selection of comments provided by respondents has been included at the end. It is hoped that this book will provide an interesting insight into our understanding of colour terms and our descriptions of colours. Demographics Demographics At the beginning of the survey participants were asked a series of basic questions, in order to establish the demographics of the sample. These included gender, age group, nationality, native language, visual colour deficiency and involvement in art and design. These categories were established as factors that may influence our perception and labelling of colours, and therefore needed be acknowledged. Approximately two-thirds of participants were female. The combination of these factors may have affected This is a significant gender bias in comparison to the how women responded to the questions in this survey male/female ratio of the population in the UK, which in comparison to men. As a result, the outcomes of this has only slightly more women than men. This distortion survey shouldn’t be regarded as representative of the could have occurred for a number of reasons. As population as a whole. the sample of participants was random, meaning no one specific demographic or group was deliberately Age has a significant bearing on how we perceive targeted for responses, it is possible that more women colour. Our sight tends to deteriorate as we age received the invitation to take part than men. It is also because our eyes absorb less light and our retinas possible that women were more inclined to respond to yellow, affecting the tone of the colours we see and our the survey or complete it in full. This may be because colour preferences change as we grow from children women are more willing to take part in surveys in into adults. As with the gender of participants, there is general or that they are more interested in the subject also a bias among the age groups represented in this of colour. survey. Nearly two thirds of respondents were aged between 20 and 39, with the second largest group of Consequently, the high proportion of responses from participants being those aged 40-59. Just one person women affects how the results of this survey should in the survey was over sixty, equivalent to 0.5% of be viewed. Although we all perceive colour slightly the total and just over ten percent were aged under differently it is possible that some women are better twenty. Again, these figures are at odds with the age at discriminating colours than men, particularly in the distribution of the UK, where 18% are under twenty red part of the spectrum, due to evolutionary factors and 15.7% are over 60. However, this project was and genetic selection. Women also have a far lower predominantly aimed at those who work with colour, incidence of the most common form of colour blindness particularly in the creative industries, so the ages of the (red/green), although they carry the gene for it. Some respondents are more representative of that particular women also have a tendency to be more detailed or audience. particular in their descriptions of colours than men, and research has shown that on average, women have slightly better language and communication skills. Who took part ? Gender Age FEMALE 0-19 MALE 20-39 40-59 60+ 66% of respondents were female and 62% of respondents were aged 20-39. Demographics “The philosopher Wittgenstein famously asked ‘How do I know that this color is red?—It would be an answer to say: I have learnt English’”. As the survey was, in some respects, a test of fact that different cultures may use colour terms in comprehension and language skills, participants were different ways, even if English is their official language. asked if English was their first language, and if it wasn’t, For instance American English has a different spelling to state what was. Although this project is about colour of grey and uses the word eggplant to describe dark naming in English, due to the global nature of the purple, rather than aubergine. internet and the international student body at UAL it had been anticipated that some of the respondents would Are people who work or have trained in art and design not speak English as a native tongue. This assumption better at describing and defining colours? To allow for was correct, although more than three-quarters of this possibility, respondents were asked if they work respondents did answer that English was their first in the creative industry or had studied art or design language. Of those who didn’t, twenty-six different beyond the age of 18. As a number of the invitations languages were spoken by participants. These ranged to take part in the survey were circulated through from European languages such as French, German the UAL email system and the course blog, it was no and Portuguese to Arabic, Cantonese and Japanese. surprise that 72% of respondents answered yes to the Although all of the respondents appeared to be fluent question. Although this is a significant bias in the sample enough in English to complete the survey it is possible of participants it is a reflection of the audience for this that acquiring an initial understanding of colour terms in project. another language could affect how they are understood in English. For instance, Russian has two words for Of those who took part, none of the respondents blue, similar to the English distinction between pink reported having any colour deficiency in their vision. and red. A significant amount of research has been Colour blindness can take a number of forms but the conducted into the universality of colour terms, and most common types are inherited and affect around 8% while this subject is beyond the remit of this survey it is of men. However, because a significantly higher number an important issue to acknowledge. of women completed the survey, it is possible that this bias may have reduced the likelihood of the condition As an extension of this concept participants were also occurring in this particular sample. asked to state their nationality. This was to reflect the “Designers tend to have a better eye and closer description for colours.” Comment made by survey respondent Nationality What is your Nationality? Top 10 Nationalities Represented 1. British/English 2. American 3. French 36 4 Portuguese 5. Australian Different nationalities 6. Brazilian took part in the survey. 7. Scottish 8. German 9. Greek 10. Japanese 65% ENGLISH/BRITISH of respondents OTHER identified themselves AMERICAN as British or English. Language Is English your first language? 45 respondents did not have English as a first language. Top 10 Languages Represented YES NO 1. Portuguese 2. French 3. German 4 Greek 5. Spanish 6. Welsh 26 7. Arabic Different languages were 8. Chinese/Cantonese represented in the survey. 9. Japanese 10. Polish Arts & Design Experience Do you work in the creative industry or have you studied in the arts or design beyond the age of 18? YES NO of respondents have studied art or design or work in the creative 72% industries.