Orangemen and green hats: Sending the right colour signals
70
ORANGEMEN & HATS: HOW TO SEND THE RIGHT COLOR SIGNALS
-
Upload
tapestryworks -
Category
Design
-
view
250 -
download
0
description
This is a presentation on the meaning of colour and the principles of semiotics, with the original title, "Orangemen and green hats". You can find a written version of the talk at http://www.inspectorinsight.com/semiotics/orangemen-and-green-hats-how-to-send-the-right-colour-signals/
Transcript of Orangemen and green hats: Sending the right colour signals
ORANGEMEN & HATS: HOW TO SEND THE RIGHT
COLOR SIGNALS
Sending the right color signals
• Signs and meanings
• Color is #1
• Color and business
Three questions
Have carrots always been this color?
Is darker chocolate more bitter?
What color hat should you never offer a Chinese man?
The world is full of signs
Signs with meaning
• Colour • Shape • Smell • Icon • Image • Words / names • Language • Facial expressions
• Graphic devices • Fonts • Materials • Formats • Size • Sounds • Weight & substance • Body language
Signs with social meaning
4 Key Principles of Semiotics
1. Signs have meaning
2. Meaning depends on context
3. Meaning is about what is NOT
4. Meanings change over time
The meaning of ORANGE
Orange
• Energy
• Vitality
• Excitement
• Warmth
ORANGE has MEANING
Thailand
UK
The meaning of ORANGE
depends on CONTEXT
Wednesday or Thursday?
Catholic or Protestant?
Lime, Lemon or Orange?
Meaning comes from what
ORANGE is NOT
Dutch royalty
Where did the orange go?
William of Orange
Without William of Orange, what colour would carrots be?
Meaning of ORANGE
changes through TIME
Naranja
Colour words always enter the language in a predictable order
Liquid
Brown liquid
Canned brown liquid
Iced brown liquid
Red or blue?
Was Santa always red?
7UP is not ….
Rules of thumb
• Biggest brand
• I bought last time
• Red/Blue can
Multiple senses
Are all sense created equal?
The eyes have it
Evolutionary advantage?
Can you see the food?
Where are the eyes sensitive?
Skin in the game
Can you taste without colour?
Even the experts are fooled by colour
agreeable woody complex well balanced rounded
weak short light flat with a sting
More signs?
More cocoa or more bitter?
Darker and stronger?
Remind you of anyone?
Hidden meaning?
The household royalty
Sexy and feminine
Sexy and powerful
The meaning of green
Green
• Nature
• Growth
• Fresh
戴绿帽子
Never give a China man a green hat!
Sending the right color signals
• Color is one of many signs
• Color has powerful meanings
• Use the right color signals!
www.tapestryworks.asia
