DO COLOR DRIFT DESIGN TO DISASTER?

Color, which is in our perception and plays an important role in our happy and healthy lives, is an outstanding design element. Establishing the purpose of the design and appreciating the supportive qualities of color gain importance in color decision. The aim of this paper is to emphasize that the designs are drifted to disaster by the effects of the color rather than to establish the psychological and qualitative properties of color.

Colors seem to us with some means as a way of expression. These means affect us psychologically even if they can not always gain verbal clarity. Therefore, designs considering psychological interactions created by colors used in an interior give positive impressions. On the contrary colors which were not chosen truly may cause negative impressions and turn a successful design into a disaster.

Each of the design has conceptual meaning. Every design explains something. Design is expressed by color which is the first element to perceive. For this reason, color gains importance in the success of a design. Using an uncommon color is one of the effective ways of attracting the consumer’s attention. Even a designed object which doesn’t fulfill its main function, may acquire a symbolic meaning by its color. A design which is not successful in terms of function and aesthetics may give some positive impressions to us. Furthermore, no matter how an object is designed successfully in terms of both function and aesthetics, if the color is not chosen truly, it causes disaster.

One of the factors directing the color decisions is the mood. For example, the visual impression of exposed concrete in an interior and unsuitable coloring of that concrete does not give the same marvelous mood. Moreover, in an interior, where prestige and power are emphasized, coloring of the concrete may cause a design disaster. Therefore, the characteristics of colorfulness affect the result of the design.

Another factor determining the color decisions is the function. A chosen color may cause different effects in various design areas. For instance, the desired effect can be provided with the use of red in graphic design. However, red is the color of chaos when it is not used in appropriate values and proportions; it may cause a real chaos in an interior.

The subject examined in this paper is evaluated in relation with the results of thesis of Sufficiency in Art “Color Concept and Effects to Interior Design”.