September 30, 2008
Thunder's colors are working already
From Linda Miller
Fashion Editor for The Oklahoman
Style probably isn't a word that's tossed around too much when discussing NBA uniforms.
Strip away all the details and most uniforms would look the same. Knee-length shorts.
Sleeveless jerseys, tucked in of course. Loose but not sloppy. Roomy enough for players to
run, jump, dive and dunk.
So, what sets one NBA uniform apart from another?
The colors. For the Thunder's new uniforms, it's white for home and sky blue for the road.
White is a high visibility color, said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone
Color Institute. White will make the players and uniforms stand out on the court against
their opponents.
"White is an attention-getter,” she said.
The road color, sky blue or Thunder blue as it will be called, is the most universally
understood, Eiseman said. "Most people associate it with dependability, loyalty, the
trueness of a sky that never falls. ... People just associate blue with an optimistic viewpoint.”
There's a positive feeling attached to it, she said. "More people have positive feelings to blue
than any other color.”
Accent colors red-orange and yellow offer a good balance to the coolness of blue and the
starkness of white. Energy is associated with red-orange, and yellow conjures images of
sunlight and evokes cheer and friendliness. Those colors are very approachable, Eiseman said.
The Thunder's Nick Collison, who modeled the white home uniform for the media, said at
first he wasn't sure he would like so many colors. But he does, he said.
Looks like the power of blue and attention-getting white are already working.
A tidbit on Color Trends
Excerpted from an article in the
Atlanta Constitution
written by Nedra Rhone
BLACK HISTORY
In Western culture, the color black has commonly been associated with power and death, but
it has also been linked to various cultural movements over the years.
“Every decade since the 1920s, there has been some blip where black has gotten attention
primarily … because of its austerity,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone Color
Institute.
In recent decades, she says, the color has moved beyond those cultural associations to become
ultimately aligned with high tech and high style.
Here’s a black timeline, according to Eiseman:
1920s-1940s: Black colors the bohemian culture in America.
Late 1950s-1960s: Black is co-opted by the Beat Generation.
1960s-1970s: Black is Beautiful movement attempts to take back black.
1980s: Black and Goth become common bedfellows.
1980s-present: Black enters new era of sophistication, elegance, and association with all things
high tech.
A bit more from Color News and Views
Excerpt from Business Week
Scott Kirsner is the author of the new book Inventing the Movies, and a
journalist who has written about innovation for Variety, the Boston Globe,
Wired, and BusinessWeek. He also edits the blog CinemaTech, which covers the
intersection of new technologies and the entertainment industry.
Persistence is a virtue
Even the smartest people tend to underestimate the amount of time it will
take to hone a new idea and persuade the world to give it a try. Without the
tenacity—and the resources—to keep plugging away over years (or decades),
innovators inevitably fail. Herb Kalmus, founder of Technicolor, realized in
1915 that it would require a series of "progressive steps" to develop the
technology for capturing color on film and playing it back in a theater.
Over the years, he had to continually hunt for new investors and cajole his
board to bankroll more experiments. In 1939, two pivotal Technicolor movies
came out: The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind. Their success helped
persuade Hollywood—after almost 25 years—to move toward all-color
movie-making. (And Technicolor is still a key part of the movie industry
today.)
Psych 101
A fixation on product development, design, funding, and business plans often
causes innovators to overlook something that's crucial: developing a nuanced
understanding of the psychology of the people they hope will use their
product or service. How do they work today, and what tools do they use? What
are their business models, and their worries? In Hollywood, the adoption of
digital cameras has been slow not because of flawed technology, but because
the manufacturers didn't spend enough time understanding the psychology of
the artists who would use those cameras.
September 22, 2008
Current Health 1 magazine
by Betsy Tecco
1. Considering that teenagers are probably not consciously aware that colors can affect
how they feel, please explain in simple terms why colors influence us so much. I realize you
could write forever on this topic, but I'm just looking for a basic explanation that young readers
can understand.
Teenagers can remember how, from very early ages on they were given their first box of Crayolas,
how they have been fascinated by color. And as they grown older that fascination translates into the
color of their toys, bikes, clothing or nail polish! The human mind (and eye) is adapted to “reading’ and
interpreting color. Red for danger as in stop signs, yellow for the approaching school bus and so on. So
color is not just a question of most or least favorite, but also about color as signals color and associations
to nature as well as color and emotions. (See below)
2. How is it that each color has become associated with different emotions? I would think it's partly due
to their appearance in nature. For example, fire and blood are red, therefore red means burning love or
anger or passion. Are there other reasons for these associations?
You are correct. Much of color feeling comes from color in context of nature. Humans are very attuned
to the most general reactions as from the time they are babies, the presence of color in nature is very apparent in our everyday lives. For example: from the first time they were taken outside for a walk in their strollers, they were aware of the green that is so all-present in nature. Then as they grow older, they go to the park, play in the backyard, take a walk in the woods and do all of the other things that invariably attach the color green to nature. Green is the #1 association that people have to nature. So it continues to evoke that feeling as time goes on—into adulthood.
3. In your book you list adjectives and personality traits under specific shades of colors. Does that mean
those colors make us feel that way? For example, sky blue is calming. Why is that?
The example you chose is good one. Blue is considered calming and dependable primarily because of its
connection to sky. The sky is a ‘constant’ in our lives. It never goes away or falls to the ground. Even on
those gray or cloudy days, we know that the blue sky is still there and when the clouds disperse, there is
the beautiful blue sky again!! So there is also a hopeful quality to it. Likewise, yellow is so connected to
sunlight that it is invariably thought of as cheering and warm. We are drawn by yellow, just as the sun
draws us. It is also the most visible color in the spectrum.- reaching out and grabbing our attention.
4. What if I prefer a certain color? Does my favorite color say anything about my personality or does it just
make me feel a certain way when I see that color? For example, your book describes deep blue as reliable,
traditional, and introspective. I love that color and would describe myself in those terms. Is that coincidence
or not?
Of course, there are always personal associations to color. Perhaps pink is a favorite because every
time you wear it, someone gives you a complement. Or perhaps, it was the color of the cotton candy
that you ate too much at a carnival that made you very sick on the way home. More than likely, pink
is not going to be a pleasant association after that! As to your describing yourself in the same terms as
the color, there is often a strong connection between your personality traits and the colors you choose.
Many people are innately drawn to the colors that reflect their personality. But remember, thy can also
express who you would like to be or have others think of you that way. Barack Obama wears a lot of blue.
Is that because it is a favorite color or that he want people to believe he is reliable and dependable? I can’t
speak to that, as I don’t know him personally, but politicians have often used the power of persuasion in
their clothing.
5. Along the same lines as #4, the Luscher Color Test is well known but also controversial in its ability
to provide insight about people. What do you think of color quizzes like this?
I think there is a great deal of truth in Luscher’s findings. I think it can get a bit confusing with the
color in first place, second place and so on, but there is definitely credibility. We can speak in general
terms, but every person is an individual and can fit many of the general descriptions, but personal
experience can “color’ their feelings.
6. If you were advising a school on what color(s) to paint the classrooms to help the students perform
better on tests, what would you recommend?
That is a ‘magic bullet” question that I cannot answer. There is no one magic color. The amount of light
that comes into the room, the direction it faces and so on. And I suspect, in the long run, there is no color
that can substitute for good study habits!!
September 18, 2008
Excerpt from
Palettes for High-Traffic Homes
Stylish color combinations
and finishes to withstand even the wildest kids, parties, and pets.
by Jill Connors
An Animated Approach
The colors in this tile mosaic represent the “Anime” a 2009 palette color expert Leatrice Eiseman
developed for Pantone which was inspired by the neon tones of Japanese anime, the cartoon style
familiar to many youngsters. “These colors give everyone the option of bringing vibrant color into their
rooms,” says Eiseman.
For those with kids, pets, and a penchant to party, strong colors are the perfect solution to withstanding
wear and tear without sacrificing style. Color experts agree that bold color is a hot trend. “It’s time to throw
away the rulebook and go with colors that are both whimsical and practical,” says color consultant Leatrice
Eiseman.
Using lavender in the bedroom to soothe someone before going to sleep.
Real Simple magazine: What is a soothing color for sleep?
Lee: I continually conduct color word association studies that record the most prevalent responses that
we get regarding various color families, lavender being one of the them. What we have found is that
lavender, being a cool color closely akin to blue, takes on a soothing quality that would be excellent for a
sleeping environment. Lavender is also a 'child" of the mother color purple, which is perceived as
meditative - an excellent relaxing mode conducive to sleep.
a purple tidbit from Lee's book
C O L O R : M E S S A G E S A N D M E A N I N G S
Amethyst, generally a blue purple, takes on some of the protective qualities of the blue family.
In Egypt, amethyst was thought to be a healing amulet, offering divine protection from evil. It was
believed that amethyst brought peace of mind and protection from insomnia.
September 12, 2008
Purple Passion
The Wichita Eagle
by Bonnie Bing
Call it eggplant, amethyst, grape, violet, boysenberry, aubergine, plum or wine. Whatever the name,
the colors you'll see a lot of this fall are from the purple family. Purple, a color tied to royalty, reigns this
season. For designers, many of whom had stayed with the somber colors for many seasons, included
bright, rich jewel tones in their collections for fall.
Among those who chose highly saturated purple tones for their fall lines were Tracy Reese, Zac
Posen, Peter Som, Elie Tahari, Kimora Lee Simmons for Baby Phat, the always colorful Betsy Johnson
and Douglas Hannant. Hannant says that a must-have for fall is a spiral seam dress in imperial purple.
He's so fond of purple that he told a source at the Pantone Color Institute that he thinks it's an excellent
color to paint a room.
Leatrice Eiseman, author of several books about color and the executive director of the Pantone Color
Institute, said, "I can tell you that purple is ubiquitous -- in fashion, home furnishings, and its 'dual
personality' is what makes it so interesting.
"Purple has a bit of the red undertone for excitement and sensuality while the blue side of purple makes it
more introspective and calming."
If purple isn't among the colors you usually wear, at least give it a try. Before you say, "I don't look good
in purple," remember that color analysts agree that there is a shade of most any color that will look good
with your coloring. Perhaps your skin tone is better with a purple that has a lot of blue, while someone
else should stay away from the blue-purple and go with lighter shades with pink in them, or the very dark,
rich tones.
"Blue Iris" is a rich shade of purple that the people at the Pantone Institute are calling the Color of
the Year. This particular color of purple has a lot of blue in it, but is a much more exciting color than
navy blue, for example.
Team purple with gray from soft dove to charcoal, or with a fall favorite: green. You also can wear
deep khaki and rich camel with purple hues. And of course it works with black, as well.
Solid purple isn't your only choice. Take a look at the wide variety of prints --abstract, geometric and
floral -- that have purple in them.
But if it's just a touch of the purple passion trend you want, choose from a wide assortment of
handbags, shoes, scarves and jewelry, all in shades of purple.
"There is interesting complexity that makes for an intriguing color," Eiseman said. "You either 'get' purple
or you don't. Purple lovers are those who love its complexity and drama."
Excerpts from
The Power of Paint
San Antonio Express-News
by Aissatou Sidime
When Leatrice Eiseman was looking to sell her large country-style house, she was concerned about
whether her paint colors — peach, berry, blue and teal in various rooms — would hurt offers. Eiseman
is director of the Pantone Color Institute, which studies people’s reactions to different colors, but she
still wanted guidance. Conventional wisdom cautioned to repaint in neutral colors. But her real estate agent
told her not to worry.
“He said, ‘Don’t paint it. It has a wonderful feel,’ ” Eiseman recalled. The agent said the home’s fun
feel would appeal to large families in which each child wanted his or her own distinct room, or even
to someone looking to open a bed and breakfast.
Sure enough, an investor bought the house and turned it into a B&B.
While Eiseman’s situation is rather atypical in the advice, it does reflect a common dilemma for
home buyers — even those with some color expertise: How far should an owner go in expressing
herself in paint when she expects to sell the house later?
Multiple colors are used to add visual interest and make architectual features such as the shake
shingles, shutters and doors stand out.
WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT IN THE WORLD OF PAINT
Interiors
What’s hot:
•Deep blues
•Coffee colors
•Sage and other greens
•Colorful powder rooms and entryways
What’s not:
•Pure white walls
•Colored baseboards
Exteriors
What’s hot:
•Dark red
•Dark green
•Greenish gray
•Mottled golden, sandy, camel colors
•Royal to navy blue doors
•White, brown-toned and red-toned shutters
What’s not:
•Black shutters or doors
•Outlining window seals
•Bold colors
SOURCES: Leatrice Eiseman, Kathy Fogle, Paula Stone, Michelle Uhrig
But shoppers also buy homes based on the emotion a room evokes, color experts say.
“If you do the house all in bland colors and there is nothing inspiring in any way, then the house
becomes so bland that they walk away and don’t remember anything about the house,” Eiseman said.
Secondly, paint colors, like fashion, go in and out of favor. For instance, greenish and golden
tones are popular in cement siding on new homes in the San Antonio area, but pale blues and slate
gray were the rage a decade ago, Uhrig said. Similarly, in interiors, “food colors” that remind shoppers
of chocolate and coffee are popular now, but pale pinks and sherbets once reigned.
In the newest trend, consumers are looking for colors that remind them of nature.
But because of home-design television shows, buyers increasingly are open to splashes of color in
kitchens and family gathering spots, such as game rooms, Eiseman said.
“In kitchens, it works because we already have colorful items there, with food and greater color
options in appliances,” Eiseman said. “And color is happy and whimsical, which goes with what people
are looking for in those gathering areas.”
September 5, 2008
Why does proper color matter?
Monica S. Castelhano (Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst) and
John M. Henderson (Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland)
published some interesting research demonstrating the power of proper color. They tested various
scenes to see how quickly people processed the "gist" of it and then whether that processing was
enhanced purely by the use of color or if it was the use of "proper color." They tested abnormally
colored blurry scenes, normally colored scenes and monochrome blurry scenes. The results? Proper
color matters.
Our brains register the colors in the pictures and link the colors to our expectations of how it should
be. Colors supplement and strengthen the structural information we absorb. In 42 milliseconds, our
eyes can receive an image and send it to our brains. Our brains can then manipulate this information,
and activate schemas that rely on a network of stereotypes that help us make sense of it all. Color, in
effect, allows our brains to be more efficient and allows us to function better and react faster in any
environments we may find ourselves. Hooray for color --- and for psychology.
by MELANIE SCHMIDT
Melanie Schmidt has a passion for improving organizations and people. Melanie founded Timpano Group to grow
organizations beyond business as usual with an engaging approach to strategic thinking, practical planning and
stakeholder communication.
So why not color the cold clouds blue?
WWAY NewsChannel 3
by Jerry Jackson, Wilmington, NC
A viewer recently inquired about those colorful satellite pictures of hurricanes that are commonly shown on TV this
time of year. Specifically, the viewer wanted to know what the colors represent. Like many things in meteorology, the
answer may not be exactly what you think.
"False colorized infrared satellite images" (the technical term) have been a staple of weathercasts for many years.
These images come from satellite data that measure the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation being emitted by
an object. Essentially, infrared satellite imagery measures cloud temperatures.
Strong hurricanes are usually represented by colors such as red or orange. However, the actual colors that appear
on an infrared satellite picture are completely arbitrary. After all, a hurricane doesn't not appear as a mass of red clouds
in real life- clouds are actually white or grey in appearance. But hurricanes are often assigned red or orange colors on
television. These red and orange colors indicated clouds that are cold, not hot.
Remember, strong hurricanes contain clouds that reach great height. The higher you go, the cooler the clouds. So
why not color the cold clouds blue instead of red on a satellite image? The answer is simple- red looks "meaner" than
blue. Even in meteorology, there is a touch of psychology...
September 3, 2008
Tidbits from
Fall fashion preview
by LaMont Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
There's something about men's and women's fashions for this fall and winter that flies in the face of the
nation's fiscal freefall.
Styles are more subtle, pared down and less flamboyant than last year. But there's still a feel of
luxury, and it's derived from beautiful fabrics, touches of fur, embellishments and shine, observed eBay
style director Constance White.
"For the most part, it's a very polished, luxurious season, along with a glamorous, conservative
season," she said. "Conservatism is the overarching mood of the season. You can't help but draw an
inference from the difficult economic climate and the rise of conservative fashion that we're seeing.
There's no question that women and men are reacting to the high gas prices, to higher food prices, and
the fallout from the real estate market."
The color palette for men and women tends to darken as weather transitions from hot to warm to cool
to cold, and silhouettes this season definitely veer toward lean and clean.
Consider color, which pops against canvases of black, chocolate and an array of grays.
Blue hues continue strong from spring and summer in shades such as Caribbean Sea, Blue Iris and
Twilight Blue, while purple reigns as the most ubiquitous color for fall-winter.
Some loud retro colors are still in the mix, a la chartreuse and fuchsia, but the palette goes more
traditional and natural with a little extra pigment giving a jolt to berry shades and gem tones.
"Fall is traditionally a time for subdued, quiet colors, but this season we are seeing a shift toward
cool hues with bright, exciting undertones," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone
Color Institute. "Conventional tones such as warm autumn hues, chocolate browns and steel grays are
also among the fall color choices."
A plum tidbit that is still juicy
Plum, the Color, Is Having Its Star Turn
by Stuart Elliott, New York Times, Media & Advertising
Plum is the hue of choice among several marketers.
Examples of how plum may become the new black for advertisers and media companies include a new
Plum Card from American Express, coupon inserts in Sunday newspapers under the RedPlum name and
plum-colored labels for products like Penta water.
There is also Plum TV, a channel available in resort communities; PlumChoice Online, a PC services
company; and even books by Janet Evanovich featuring a character called Stephanie Plum. The titles
include “Plum Lovin’ ” and “Plum Lucky” and, coming in January, according to Dori Weintraub of St.
Martin’s Press, which publishes Ms. Evanovich, “Plum Spooky.”
Trend watchers suggest several reasons so many marketers seem to be going plum loco. One
recurring thought is that the success of technology brands like Apple and BlackBerry is giving fruit
a good name, hence the proliferation of plums as well as brands like Pinkberry and Red Mango, which
are both frozen yogurts.
Plum TV was introduced a year earlier, in Nantucket, Mass., by Chris Glowacki and Tom Scott, and has
since been expanded to upscale communities including Aspen, Colo., and the Hamptons.
In fact, Mr. Scotti of American Express said, the introduction of the Plum Card was successful: an initial
release of 10,000 cards was all gone, he said, “and we’re already in our second release.”
excerpt from Lee's book Messages & Meanings
But purple does have its very own distinctive personality. It's an excellent substitue for blue or red
when either seems to be the obvious coice. For example, a corporate logo for a business that wants to
be thought of as dependable and forthright, yet at the same time capable of creative innovation, might
well consider a blue purple in a business arena where so many logos are blue. Tweaking the purple to the
blue side (yet still maintaining the undertone of red that is inherent in purple) would give the company
image the added boost it is seeking.
