Alan Hughes discusses Tinie Tempah, colour psychology and how an interior designer can manipulate space with colour.
The concept that music can stimulate certain areas of the brain has prompted research by a team at Reading University to explore this theory. English rapper and songwriter Tinie Tempah volunteered to undergo brain scans whilst listening to music and conclusions indicate that we are all fired by the impact of sound. Certain areas of the brain ‘light up’, as we listen and the investigation is set to determine why these specific areas respond. This could be a clue as to which areas house our emotional responses and may begin to explain if particular areas of the brain are tuned to specific reactions?
The study attempts to quantify and measure personal reaction in a scientific manner, even though the effect may be no more dramatic than a ‘goose bump’.
Tempah himself relates the analysis to his own compositions more immediately, stating that he needs the music to capture a feeling. The scientists at Reading University however, aim to identify the level of activity in stem, cortex and cerebellum and the results of this exercise will impact on our perceptions across a wider field.
It comes as no surprise to the designer that sensory stimulus has an emotional consequence. In spatial design a similar reaction can be provoked by colour and as the composition of the musician can be further inspired by music, so the Interior designer reacts to the stimulus of colour and can learn to manipulate space with visual impact. The designer’s ability to assign colour for a purpose beyond cosmetic should be a major element in his or her perceived style and skill.
We are bombarded by stimuli on a number of levels and on a constant basis. Initial impact is strong but this is reduced by repetition and, if you wish, familiarity. Thus we experience a difference in brain activity between first impact and subsequent experience. Nevertheless the impression penetrates more deeply into the brain than mere pleasurable response may suggest.
This information is not really new. Many studies have shown that colour affects the heart rate, the recovery rate of patients, the behaviour of prison inmates and indeed the overall mood of the viewer. Given this subjective reaction, the possibilities are interesting. Once the student grasps the principles of colour and the differentials between aspects of warm and cold, advancing and recessive shades, so It becomes possible to change perceptions of form and scale with informed colour disposition. Could anything be more empowering?
Fashions will come and go but the study of colour and its relationship to light, is one of the most important subjects in the lexicon of design education.