The good 'Design-thinking' approach encompasses several tools that enable us to arrive at adequate solutions. The problem can be of any nature, from structural design to cultural appropriation, style segmentation to meaningful communication, corporate branding to products/services branding, or Emotional innovation to Process Innovation. What drives Dharam in his professional life is practically proving how 'Good Design thinking' translates into 'Good Business' to entrepreneurs, business owners, and startups. He has acquired his master's in Branding degree from the University of the Arts London and is also an alumnus of the prestigious London College of Communication.

1. 1
Course name:
Visual Language & Grammer - Color
Course code:
VLG 02
Learning hours:
2 hours
Mentor to the course:
Mr. Dharam

2. 2
Definition & Understanding
of Colour, Structure &
meaning

3. 3
Introduction
Understanding the properties of
colour both in print and on-screen
is essential when ascribing colour
values to elements of a design.

4. 4
Colour can be perceived both in
terms of its physiological effect and
its cultural or social significance.
Colour’s
physiological
effect
Colour’s
cultural/ social
significance.
The
meaning
of
colors

5. 5
Colour’s
physiological
effect
Colour’s
cultural/ social
significance.
The
meaning
of
colors
Two of the six coloured drinks shown to the
participants from the UK and Taiwan in a study
by Shankar. The results of this cross-cultural
study demonstrated that exactly the physically
same food colour can evoke qualitatively
sensory different expectations as far as the
likely flavour of a drink might be in consumers
from different countries.
https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/ar-
ticles/10.1186/s13411-015-0031-3

6. 6
Colour is associated with various
emotional states: green with envy;
yellow with ecstasy; and blue with
grief.
Envy Ecstasy Grief

7. 7

8. 8

9. 9
Uses of Colour...
Colour is a means
of gaining attention
and adding visual
dynamism.
Colour can enhance
visual communication
imbuing it with
emotional value.
Colour can be used to
aid navigation through
city,data, media etc.
Colour can help unite
nations as in the
Olympic symbol and
what it represents.
It can organise and
categorise elements
through the use of a
colour coding system.

10. 10
Uses of Colour...
Colour is a means
of gaining attention
and adding visual
dynamism.
Colour can enhance
visual communication
imbuing it with
emotional value.
Colour can be used to
aid navigation through
city,data, media etc.
Colour can help unite
nations as in the
Olympic symbol and
what it represents.
It can organise and
categorise elements
through the use of a
colour coding system.

11. 11
Uses of Colour...
Colour is a means
of gaining attention
and adding visual
dynamism.
Colour can enhance
visual communication
imbuing it with
emotional value.
Colour can be used to
aid navigation through
city, data, media etc.
Colour can help unite
nations as in the
Olympic symbol and
what it represents.
Colour can organise
and categorise
elements through the
use of a colour coding

12. 12
Uses of Colour...
Colour is a means
of gaining attention
and adding visual
dynamism.
Colour can enhance
visual communication
imbuing it with
emotional value.
Colour can be used to
aid navigation through
city,data, media etc.
Colour can help unite
nations as in the
Olympic symbol and
what it represents.
It can organise and
categorise elements
through the use of a
colour coding system.

13. 13
Uses of Colour...
Colour is a means
of gaining attention
and adding visual
dynamism.
Colour can enhance
visual communication
imbuing it with
emotional value.
Colour can be used to
aid navigation through
city,data, media etc.
Colour can help unite
nations as in the
Olympic symbol and
what it represents.
It can organise and
categorise elements
through the use of a
colour coding system.

14. 14
Uses of Colour...
Colour is a means
of gaining attention
and adding visual
dynamism.
Colour can enhance
visual communication
imbuing it with
emotional value.
Colour can be used to
aid navigation through
city,data, media etc.
Colour can help unite
nations as in the
Olympic symbol and
what it represents.
It can organise and
categorise elements
through the use of a
colour coding system.
The Olympic flag has a white
background, with five interlaced rings
in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green
and red. This design is symbolic; it
represents the five continents of the
world, united by Olympism, while the
six colours are those that appear on all
the national flags of the world at the
present time.

15. 15
Uses of Colour...
Colour is a means
of gaining attention
and adding visual
dynamism.
Colour can enhance
visual communication
imbuing it with
emotional value.
Colour can be used to
aid navigation through
city,data, media etc.
Colour can help unite
nations as in the
Olympic symbol and
what it represents.
It can organise and
categorise elements
through the use of a
colour coding system.

16. 16
Blue Violent
Red Yellow Orange Green

17. 17
Blue Violent
Red Yellow Orange Green

18. 18
Blue Violent
Red Yellow Orange Green

19. 19
Blue Violent
Red Yellow Orange Green

20. 20
Blue Violent
Red Yellow Orange Green

21. 21
Blue Violent
Red Yellow Orange Green
Resourced: studiobinder.com

22. 22
The colour wheel
The colour wheel demonstrates the
organisation and inter-relationships of colours.
It consists primarily of 12 colours with black
representing the mixture of all colours.
Farbkreis by Johannes Itten (1961)
Farbkreis: a color wheel or color circle is an abstract illus-
trative organization of color hues around a circle, which
shows the relationships between primary colors, secondary
colors, tertiary colors etc

23. 23
Hue is another name for colour.
Colours can be grouped in three distinct types:
primary, secondary and tertiary.
Primary hues are red, yellow and blue.
Secondary hues are the equal mixtures between
pairs of primaries for example: red and yellow
gives orange; yellow and blue produces green;
and blue and red yields violet.
There are six tertiary hues are formed when
a primary colour is mixed with an adjacent
secondary colour.
There are six tertiary colours: red-orange,
orange-yellow, yellow-green, blue-green,
blue-violet, and red-violet.

24. 24
Red, yellow and blue are the staple colours used
by artists they appear in the pigments of inks
and paints. All other colours can be mixed from
these three.
Red, green & blue are the additive primaries
forming light & responsible for all the colours
we see on screens. When all three are added
together in white light is formed.
Magenta, yellow and cyan are known as
subtractive primaries. These colours
(along with black) are used in four colour
lithographic printing.
Hue/ Color
Blue Red
Yellow

25. 25
Red, yellow and blue are the staple colours used
by artists they appear in the pigments of inks
and paints. All other colours can be mixed from
these three.
Red, green & blue are the additive primaries
forming light & responsible for all the colours
we see on screens. When all three are added
together in white light is formed.
Magenta, yellow and cyan are known as
subtractive primaries. These colours
(along with black) are used in four colour
lithographic printing.
Hue/ Color
Blue Red
Yellow

26. 26
Red, yellow and blue are the staple colours used
by artists they appear in the pigments of inks
and paints. All other colours can be mixed from
these three.
Red, green & blue are the additive primaries
forming light & responsible for all the colours
we see on screens. When all three are added
together in white light is formed.
Magenta, yellow and cyan are known as
subtractive primaries. These colours
(along with black) are used in four colour
lithographic printing.
Hue/ Color
Blue Red
Yellow

27. 27
Red, yellow and blue are the staple colours used
by artists they appear in the pigments of inks
and paints. All other colours can be mixed from
these three.
Red, green & blue are the additive primaries
forming light & responsible for all the colours
we see on screens. When all three are added
together in white light is formed.
Magenta, yellow and cyan are known as
subtractive primaries. These colours
(along with black) are used in four colour
lithographic printing.
Hue/ Color
Blue Red
Yellow

28. 28
Red, yellow and blue are the staple colours used
by artists they appear in the pigments of inks
and paints. All other colours can be mixed from
these three.
Red, green & blue are the additive primaries
forming light & responsible for all the colours
we see on screens. When all three are added
together in white light is formed.
Magenta, yellow and cyan are known as
subtractive primaries. These colours
(along with black) are used in four colour
lithographic printing.
Hue/ Color
Blue Red
Yellow

29. 29
Red, yellow and blue are the staple colours used
by artists they appear in the pigments of inks
and paints. All other colours can be mixed from
these three.
Red, green & blue are the additive primaries
forming light & responsible for all the colours
we see on screens. When all three are added
together in white light is formed.
Magenta, yellow and cyan are known as
subtractive primaries. These colours
(along with black) are used in four colour
lithographic printing.
Hue/ Color
Blue Red
Yellow

30. 30
Hue/colour Saturation
Saturation describes the intensity of colour.
Pure unmixed colours have maximum intensity.
Adding black, grey or white to alter the colour
will reduce its intensity and create tones.
Tone: colour values
Adding white or black to lighten or darken a
colour creates tints and shades and alters the
colour’s tonal value.
Hue/colour Saturation
High
Low

31. 31
Hue/colour Saturation
Saturation describes the intensity of colour.
Pure unmixed colours have maximum intensity.
Adding black, grey or white to alter the colour
will reduce its intensity and create tones.
Tone: colour values
Adding white or black to lighten or darken a
colour creates tints and shades and alters the
colour’s tonal value.
Tone: Hue/
colour values
Light
Dark

32. 32
Hue/colour Saturation
Saturation describes the intensity of colour.
Pure unmixed colours have maximum intensity.
Adding black, grey or white to alter the colour
will reduce its intensity and create tones.
Tone: colour values
Adding white or black to lighten or darken a
colour creates tints and shades and alters the
colour’s tonal value.
Tone: Hue/
colour values
Hue/colour Saturation
Light
High
Dark
Low
Wilhelm Ostwald, German chemist
He developed instruments for measuring
colours, elaborated a sophisticated
classification of colours in order to derive
mathematical laws of harmony.

33. 33
Complementary Split Complementary Analogous
Square
Tetrad — four colours
Triad-three colours

34. 34
Complementary combination
Complementary (also known as supplementa-
ry or contrasting) colours are colours that sit
opposite of each other on the Itten colour circle.
The combination of such colours creates a vivid
and energising effect, especially at maximum
saturation.
1
1C 7C
2
12
12C 6C
3
11
11C 5C
4
10 E
C D
B
A
10C 4C
5
9
8C 2C
6
8
7
9C 3C

35. 35
The triad — a combination of three colors
A Triad is a combination of 3 colours
that are equidistant from each other on
the colour circle.
It produces a high contrast effect while
preserving ’harmony.’ Such a composition
looks vibrant even when you use pale and
unsaturated colours.
1
7C
2
12
3
11
4
10 E
C D
B
A
5
9
6
8
7
2C
2C
7C
7C
12C
12C
1C
1C
6C
8C
3C
3C
2C
2C
9C
9C
4C
4C
3C
3C
10C
10C
5C
5C
4C
4C
11C
11C
6C
6C
5C
5C
12C
12C
7C
7C

36. 36
An analogous combination
This is a combination of 2 to 5 (ideally 2 to 3)
colors that are ajacent to each other on the
color circle.
It creates a calming, likeable impression.
Here’s an example of combining analogous
muted colors: yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-
green, green, blue-green.
1
2
12
3
11
4
10 E
C D
B
A
5
9
6
8
7
1C 10C
3C 12C
2C 11C
4C 1C
12C 9C
7C 4C
6C 3C
8C 5C

37. 37
The triad — a combination of three colors
A Triad is a combination of 3 colors that are
equidistant from each other on the color circle.
It produces a high contrast effect while
preserving ’harmony.’ Such a composition
looks vibrant even when you use pale &
unsaturated colours.
1
2
12
3
11
4
10 E
C D
B
A
5
9
6
8
7
3C 7C
11C 5C 9C
1C 2C 6C
10C 4C 8C
12C

38. 38
The tetrad — a combination of four colors
This is a scheme that includes one primary and
two complementary colors, plus an additional
color that highlights the accents. An example:
blue-green, blue-violet, orange-red, orange-
yellow.
1
2
12
3
11
4
10 E
C D
B
A
5
9
6
8
7
4C
6C 12C 10C
accents colour: blue-violet accents colour: orange-yellow
accents colour: blue-green accents colour: orange-red

39. 39
The square
A combination of 4 colors that are equidistant
from each other on the color circle.
In this case, the colors differ from each other in
tone, but are also complementary.
This creates a dynamic, vivid, and playful effect.
An example: violet, orange-red, yellow,
blue-green.
1
2
12
3
11
4
10 E
C D
B
A
5
9
6
8

40. 40
Colour temperature
Colours can be described as warm and cool.
Red, orange and yellow are warm colours
whereas blue and green are cool. Greys can
also be described in terms of warm and cool
depending on the tint of red or blue they
contain.
1
2
12
3
11
4
10 E
C D
B
A
5
9
6
7
8
Warm colours Cool colours

41. 41
Investigating five graphic
designer’s work...

42. 42
Artists & designers attracted
by the visual language...
Saac Newton
- Mathematician
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer
Josef Albers
-US & German artist
Many artists and designers such as Johannes
Itten and Josef Albers have experimented
with the use of colour. Colours are conditional
and depend on the surrounding environment
in which they are set. Particular pairings
dramatically alter the visual perception of both
the colour and the shape it defines. Colours
appear to change vibrancy depending on the
colour surrounding it.
Colours can also appear to advance and recede.
Red on yellow will appear to advance whereas
blue on green will recede.

43. 43
Samples of the typographic hierarchy work by
From 1670 to 1672, Newton lectured on optics.
During this period he investigated the refraction
of light, demonstrating that the multicoloured
spectrum produced by a prism could be
recomposed into white light by a lens and a
second prism. He showed that colored light does
not change its properties. Newton noted that
regardless of whether it was reflected, scattered,
or transmitted, it remained the same colour.
Saac Newton

44. 44
(a) A circular sunbeam refracted through a prism
casts an oblong image. From this and other
experiments, Newton concluded that color was
an inherent quality of light, that each spectral
color had its own degree of refrangibility, and
that colors could be simple or compound.
(b) Newton’s colour circle. The sizes of the seven
sections are proportional to the intervals of the
diatonic musical scale. The areas of the circles
p, q, r, s, t, v, and x are proportional to the “
number of rays “ of each colour in the mixture.
Saac Newton

45. 45
Listen to this harmony,
this is called cords
(D,F,A notes)
Harmony between
the colours
cords
(D,F,A notes)
See the colour
contrast

46. 46
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) was
a multi-talented individual. He explored diverse
creative paths. In addition to novels and plays, he
wrote poems, authored scientific papers on wide
ranging subjects, and painting.
It was his experiences with the painting that led
to his ideas regarding color, which appeared in
print in Theory of Colors, published in 1810.
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

47. 47
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer
Goethe’s Color Theory
Goethe disagreed with Newton. He refuted
the idea that colour was determined solely by
light and the color spectrum, instead arguing
that color was shaped by perception as well as
elements of light and darkness.
In these arguments, Goethe became one of
the first people to systematically explore color
and color theory, the study of how colors are
perceived and how they interact with other
colors.
Scientifically, Newton was right. But Goethe’s
theories were more art and philosophy than pure
science.

48. 48
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

49. 49
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

50. 50
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

51. 51
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

52. 52
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

53. 53
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

54. 54
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

55. 55
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

56. 56
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

57. 57
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

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Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

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Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

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Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

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Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

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Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

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Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

64. 64
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

65. 65
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

66. 66
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

67. 67
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer
There are differences between how color is
created via the visible light spectrum (where
white is the combination of all colors) versus
with pigments (where the more colors you mix
together, the darker a color you get).
In a way, it was pigments, or colors in paint,
that led to Goethe’s color experiments, so
it’s not surprising his ideas differed from
those of Newton.
light spectrum colour mix pigments colour mix

68. 68
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer
Goethe’s Color Wheel & Views on Colors
Colour wheel as created by Goethe, 1809.
Written in the wheel are the properties Goethe
associated with certain colours.
Goethe created his version of a colour wheel
and arranged the colors according to what he
called their natural order. He also explored the
impact of colors on emotions and attributed
different qualities to certain colors.
Red - Beautiful
Orange - Noble
Yellow - Good
Green - Useful
Blue - Common
Violet - Unnecessary

69. 69
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer
Yellow - nearest to
the light- bright &
exciting. It stood for
good.
Red - gravity, dignity
& attractiveness/
beauty.
Blue - powerful
but in a negative
way- creating a cold
impression.

70. 70
He is best known for his contributions in
Color Science and his Color Theory, which
led to one of the first Color Order Systems,
the Munsell color system. It is an early attempt
at creating an accurate system for numerically
describing colours.
He wrote three books about it: A Color
Notation (1905), Atlas of the Munsell Color
System (1915) and A Grammar of Color(1921).
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

71. 71
Colour
Notation
5 Primary Hue
5R-Red
5P-Purple
5B-Blue
5G-Green
5Y-Yellow
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
This wheel shows the principal hues of Munsell
Hue. Inside the wheel, the notation for Munsell
Hue can also be seen.

72. 72
Colour
Notation
5 Primary Hue
5R-Red
5P-Purple
5B-Blue
5G-Green
5Y-Yellow
5 Secondary Hue
5RP-Red+Purple
5PB-Purple+Blue
5BG-Blue+Green
5GY-Green+Yellow
5YR-Yellow+Red
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
This wheel shows the principal hues of Munsell
Hue. Inside the wheel, the notation for Munsell
Hue can also be seen.

73. 73
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
This wheel shows the principal hues of Munsell
Hue. Inside the wheel, the notation for Munsell
Hue can also be seen.
10 Tertiary Hue-Pure Hue
10R-Red
10P-Purple
10B-Blue
10G-Green
10Y-Yellow
Colour
Notation
5 Primary Hue
5R-Red
5P-Purple
5B-Blue
5G-Green
5Y-Yellow
5 Secondary Hue
5RP-Red+Purple
5PB-Purple+Blue
5BG-Blue+Green
5GY-Green+Yellow
5YR-Yellow+Red

74. 74
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
This wheel shows the principal hues of Munsell
Hue. Inside the wheel, the notation for Munsell
Hue can also be seen.
10 Tertiary Hue-Mix Hue
10RP-Red+Purple
10PB-Purple+Blue
10BG-Blue+Green
10GY-Green+Yellow
10YR-Yellow+Red
Colour
Notation
5 Primary Hue
5R-Red
5P-Purple
5B-Blue
5G-Green
5Y-Yellow
5 Secondary Hue
5RP-Red+Purple
5PB-Purple+Blue
5BG-Blue+Green
5GY-Green+Yellow
5YR-Yellow+Red
10 Tertiary Hue-Pure Hue
10R-Red
10P-Purple
10B-Blue
10G-Green
10Y-Yellow

75. 75
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
This wheel shows the principal hues of Munsell
Hue. Inside the wheel, the notation for Munsell
Hue can also be seen.
10 Tertiary Hue-Mix Hue
10RP-Red+Purple
10PB-Purple+Blue
10BG-Blue+Green
10GY-Green+Yellow
10YR-Yellow+Red
Colour
Notation
5 Primary Hue
5R-Red
5P-Purple
5B-Blue
5G-Green
5Y-Yellow
5 Secondary Hue
5RP-Red+Purple
5PB-Purple+Blue
5BG-Blue+Green
5GY-Green+Yellow
5YR-Yellow+Red
10 Tertiary Hue-Pure Hue
10R-Red
10P-Purple
10B-Blue
10G-Green
10Y-Yellow

76. 76
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
Munsell color theory
Munsell realised in his study of colours that the
need for an organised way of defining colours.
He wanted to create a system that had a
meaningful symbol (code) of colour, rather than
just colour names. He noticed colour names
were’misleading’.
Therefore, he used a unique invention
the photometer for measurements to organise
the colour system. This device measured
the luminance of an object and used to make
measurements of different colours and to help
define how the colour changes.

77. 77
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

78. 78
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

96. 96
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

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Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter

106. 106
Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
Johannes Itten was a Swiss expressionist painter,
designer, teacher, writer and theorist associated
with the Bauhaus (Staatliche Bauhaus) school.
He also published a book, The Art of Color,
which describes these ideas as a furthering of
Adolf Hölzel’s color wheel.

107. 107
Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
Itten’s Vorkurs or foundations course at
the Bauhaus pioneered techniques that
remain central to art school teaching
today, including the encouragement of
self-expression and experimentation with
materials and techniques.

108. 108
Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
Twelve Step Colour Wheel
Itten organized his colour wheel using primary,
secondary and tertiary arrangements.
The primary colours are yellow, red and blue. At
a radius outside the first circle is another circle,
divided into twelve equal sectors.
Once the user can visualize all of the 12 hues,
tones can be easily found. Itten believed it was a
waste of time for colourists to practice making
24 or 100-hue color circles.
He questioned for example if anyone could
visualise colour No. 82 of a 100-Hue circle?
He emphasized, “unless our color name
corresponds to precises ideas no useful
discussion of colour is possible”. To discover
all possible harmonies, one must catalogue all
possible instances of order in the colour solid.

109. 109
Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
Colour contrast
Johannes Itten was one of the first people to
define and identify strategies for successful
color combinations. Through his research he
devised seven methodologies for coordinating
colors utilizing the hue’s contrasting properties.
These contrasts add other variations with
respect to the intensity of the respective hues;
i.e. contrasts may be obtained due to light,
moderate, or dark value.
1. The contrast of saturation
2. The contrast of light and dark
3. The contrast of extension
4. The contrast of complements
5. Simultaneous contrast
6. The contrast of hue
7. The contrast of warm and cool
1. The contrast
of saturation
6. The contrast
of hue
3. The contrast
of extension
2. The contrast
of light and dark
4. The contrast
of complement
5. Simultaneous
contrast
7. The contrast
of warm and cool

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Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
1. The contrast
of saturation
2. The contrast
of light and dark

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Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
3. The contrast
of extension
4. The contrast
of complement

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Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
6. The contrast
of hue
5. Simultaneous
contrast

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Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
7. The contrast
of warm and cool

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Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
Colours seasons experiments with his students
Itten continued to carry out interesting
experiments with his students. He asked them
to depict the four seasons using whatever
colors they wanted.
To his surprise all the students used completely
different sets of colors from each other but
everyone could easily depict which seasons
their peers were expressing. “I have never yet
found anyone who failed to identify each or any
season correctly… this convinces me that above
individual taste, there is a high judgment in
man… one which… overrules mere sentimental
prejudice.

115. 115
Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
Spring as youthful, light and radiant, expressed
with luminous colors, particularly yellow,
yellow green, pink and lilac.
Summer colors are, “warm, saturated and
active”, with clear primary colors, such as
red, royal blue, emerald green, and violet
and magenta, all of which have subtle blue
undertones.
Autumn typical autumn colors are rust, teal,
salmon, avocado green, mustard, brick red and
beige. Autumn leaves, campfires, pumpkins, and
all of nature reflect perfectly the colors of the
autumn palette
Winter pairs with the grey-toned muted
cool colors, such as slate blue, winter white,
charcoal, mauve, burgundy, and an endless
variety of pastels and icy colors. Winter’s colors
are like a snow-scape: ice, muted, subtly greyed,
and very subdued.
Yellow Based
Warm colour
- Springs
& Autumns
Blue Based
Cool colour
- Summers
& Winters

116. 116
Josef Albers was instrumental in bringing the
systems of European modernism, particularly
those associated with the Bauhaus, to America.
His legacy as a teacher of artists, as well as his
extensive theoretical work proposing that colour,
rather than form, is the primary medium of
pictorial language, profoundly influenced the
development of modern art in the United States
during the 1950s and 1960s.
Josef Albers
-US & German artist

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Josef Albers
-US & German artist
Interaction of Color
Albers’s 1963 book Interaction of Color
provided the most comprehensive analysis
of the function and perception of colour to
date and profoundly influenced art education
& artistic practice, especially Color Field
Painting & Minimalism.

118. 118
Josef Albers
-US & German artist
Homage to the Square
Josef Albers series Homage to the Square,
produced from 1949 until his death, used a
single geometric shape to systematically
explore the vast range of visual effects that
could be achieved through colour and spatial
relationships alone.

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Josef Albers
-US & German artist
Monochromatic and linear
As in his earlier monochromatic and linear
studies, this series explores the potential
of static two-dimensional media to invoke
dynamic three-dimensional space.

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Josef Albers
-US & German artist
“Hearing music depends on the recognition
of the in-between of the tones, of their placing
and of their spacing” and notes that “colors present
themselves in continuous flux, constantly
related to changing neighbors and
changing conditions.”
In his first 1963 art text,
“Interaction of Color”, Albers
associated the relationship of
colors in a work of art to that
of music,

121. 121
Josef Albers
-US & German artist
The exhibition “Sonic
Albers” examines Josef
Albers’s relationship to
music, musical imagery, and
sonic phenomena.

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Josef Albers
-US & German artist
Sonic Albers
While he is recognized for his experimental
investigations of color, spatial form, and visual
experience, Albers often found analogies to and
inspiration for his work in the compositional and
structural qualities of music.

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Josef Albers
-US & German artist

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Josef Albers
-US & German artist

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Saac Newton
- Mathematician

126. 126
Saac Newton
- Mathematician
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

127. 127
Saac Newton
- Mathematician
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

128. 128
Saac Newton
- Mathematician
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer

129. 129
Saac Newton
- Mathematician
Albert Henry Munsell
- Painter
Johannes Itten
- painter & teacher
at the Bauhaus.
Johann Wolfgang
Von Goethe
- Writer
Josef Albers
-US & German artist

130. 130
Colour theory...

131. 131
Colour harmony
In colour theory, colour harmony refers to the
property that certain aesthetically pleasing
colour combinations have. These combinations
create pleasing contrasts and unison that are
said to be harmonious.
- Colours with similar properties appear to form
harmonious relationships.

132. 132
Colour harmony
In colour theory, colour harmony refers to the
property that certain aesthetically pleasing
colour combinations have. These combinations
create pleasing contrasts and unison that are
said to be harmonious.
- Colours with similar properties appear to form
harmonious relationships.

133. 133
- Mixing two colours to form a third provides
a bridge between the two colours. Rob Carter,
author of many books on fundamental design
principles describes this as ‘the offspring hue
resembling both parents’.
Colour harmony
In colour theory, colour harmony refers to the
property that certain aesthetically pleasing
colour combinations have. These combinations
create pleasing contrasts and unison that are
said to be harmonious.
It creates the illusion of
transparency, as if one
colour is overlapping the
other.

134. 134
Colour emotions
Colour has many qualities that are open to
emotive interpretation. Some colours are
perceived as masculine or feminine, soft or
hard, trendy or traditional. Colour portrays the
richness of culture and evoke
- Colours are perceived as soft or hard

135. 135
Colour emotions
Colour has many qualities that are open to
emotive interpretation. Some colours are
perceived as masculine or feminine, soft or
hard, trendy or traditional. Colour portrays the
richness of culture and evoke
- Colours are perceived as masculine or
feminine

136. 136
Colour emotions
Colour has many qualities that are open to
emotive interpretation. Some colours are
perceived as masculine or feminine, soft or
hard, trendy or traditional. Colour portrays the
richness of culture and evoke
- Colours are perceived as trendy or traditional
Japanese Traditional
Color Scheme
Trendy
Color Scheme
Trendy
Color Scheme
Indian Traditional
Color Scheme

137. 137

138. 138
Colour and type readability
Type readability is dependent upon sufficient
contrast between the foreground and
background. If the type and its background are
too close on the colour wheel there won’t be
sufficient contrast. Yellow on black provides
a high degree of contrast whereas yellow on
white is very subtle. Blue on black provides very
little contrast but conversely blue on white
does.
The image below demonstrates the limits of the
physiology of the eye in perceiving colour. The
eye has increasing difficulty in distinguishing
between foreground and background colours
when the contrast between the two becomes
very slight.
High degree of
contrast
Low degree of
contrast

139. 139
Cultural significance of colour
In Western cultures white is a symbol of purity
and associated with weddings. Black is linked
to funerals and mourning but is also the colour
many of us choose to be formal or stylish.
Red represents good fortune in China and is the
colour used at weddings. In Western cultures
red is associated with danger but also with
passion. In India red is a colour of purity.
Orange is the colour for Halloween in the US and
also the colour associated with Irish Protestant
faith.
Yellow is a sacred and imperial colour in many
Asian cultures.
Green is the colour of Islam but a lack of fidelity
in China.
Blue is a holy colour in the Jewish faith; a
sacred colour to Hindus for whom it represents
Krishna; a colour of protection in the Middle
East; and immortality in China.
Purple is a symbol of royalty in European
cultures.
Western cultures Other cultures
a symbol of purity and
associated with weddings
a symbol of purity and
associated with weddings
Black is linked to funerals
and mourning
Western cultures red is
associated with danger but
also with passion.
Orange is the colour for
Halloween in the US.
Purple is a symbol of royalty
in European cultures.
Red represents good
fortune in China and is the
colour used at weddings.
Yellow is a sacred and
imperial colour in many
Asian cultures.
Green is the colour of Islam
but a lack of fidelity in
China.
Blue is a holy colour in the
Jewish faith

140. 140
Political significance
Political parties adopt colour as part of their
identity. In many countries red is associated
with left wing politics and blue with right wing
politics. In 2004 orange took on a more chilling
significance. Terrorists in Iraq have dressed
their victims in orange as a political statement
against the Iraqis being held in Guantanamo
Bay who are also dressed in orange. A red cross
is both the Swiss and English flag. It is the
symbol of the International Red Cross. In Islamic
countries it still might provoke associations
with the Crusader Invasions.

141. 141
Political significance
Political parties adopt colour as part of their
identity. In many countries red is associated
with left wing politics and blue with right wing
politics. In 2004 orange took on a more chilling
significance. Terrorists in Iraq have dressed
their victims in orange as a political statement
against the Iraqis being held in Guantanamo
Bay who are also dressed in orange. A red cross
is both the Swiss and English flag. It is the
symbol of the International Red Cross. In Islamic
countries it still might provoke associations
with the Crusader Invasions.

142. 142
Political significance
Political parties adopt colour as part of their
identity. In many countries red is associated
with left wing politics and blue with right wing
politics. In 2004 orange took on a more chilling
significance. Terrorists in Iraq have dressed
their victims in orange as a political statement
against the Iraqis being held in Guantanamo
Bay who are also dressed in orange. A red cross
is both the Swiss and English flag. It is the
symbol of the International Red Cross. In Islamic
countries it still might provoke associations
with the Crusader Invasions.

143. 143
Political significance
Political parties adopt colour as part of their
identity. In many countries red is associated
with left wing politics and blue with right wing
politics. In 2004 orange took on a more chilling
significance. Terrorists in Iraq have dressed
their victims in orange as a political statement
against the Iraqis being held in Guantanamo
Bay who are also dressed in orange. A red cross
is both the Swiss and English flag. It is the
symbol of the International Red Cross. In Islamic
countries it still might provoke associations
with the Crusader Invasions.

144. 144
Environmental factors effecting colour
Taxis and trains often use a combination of
black and orange for lettering and background
colours. This is a combination that works
well both during the day and at night. Colour
will appear to change under natural daylight
conditions and as daylight fades colours become
more muted. Colour again changes when
subjected to electric light conditions.

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Design for visual communication
Unit 1 Research & Development Part 1 Letterforms
Visual Research
(document, experiment, contextualise and evaluate)
learning session...
3iLAB.SOLUTIONS All material is protected by Copyright
Sketch book...

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Design for visual communication
Unit 1 Research & Development Part 1 Letterforms
Visual Research
(document, experiment, contextualise and evaluate)
learning session...
3iLAB.SOLUTIONS All material is protected by Copyright
Outcome...

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Suggested reading and
resources

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Thank you...