Promoting well-being through textiles design research

The Oxford English Dictionary states the definition of well-being is, "the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy". This concept can include more than this, thinking about how happy people are with their lives and their purpose, how in control they feel, how they function and how they see their lives overall. Also, it states, "how external conditions (such as income, housing and social networks) and a person’s internal resources (such as optimism, resilience and self-esteem) can affect their wellbeing." There are so many different aspects to well-being within just one person's life, this will change from person to person as everyone's life experience and situation differ, this could be due to the certain area they live in, the certain relationship they're in, their confidence etc, all of these aspects make up a person's well-being.

When looking further into my idea of 'colour' and how this can effect someone's mood within transport or public places, I have researched 'Colour psychology'.

“Color psychology is the study of hues as a determinant of human behavior. Color influences perceptions that are not obvious, such as the taste of food. Colours can also enhance the effectiveness of placebos. For example, red or orange pills are generally used as stimulants.”

Looking at colours individually and their meanings, I have found the positives and negatives of each colour:

Red:

'the colour of blood and fire’ – associated with love, passion, seduction, anger, romance, courage, danger, determination, power, heat.

Positives - Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, stimulation, masculinity, excitement.

Negatives - Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain.

Blue:

‘the colour of sky and sea’ – associated with loyalty, peacefulness, calming, trust, faith, heaven, wisdom, intelligence, freedom, tranquillity, strength, wisdom.

Positive: Communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness,

reflection, calm. Negative: Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness.

Yellow:

colour of happiness, sunshine, positivity, energy, remeberance, freshness, joy, however also can mean, deceit, betrayal, madness, cowardice.

Positive: Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength, friendliness, creativity. Negative: Irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety, suicide.

Green:

Colour of life, renewal, nature, energy, growth, freshness, spring, rebirth, money, safety.

Positive: Harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace. Negative: Boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation.

Violet/Purple:

the colour purple: royalty, nobility, creativity, pride, wealth, mystery, magic, power, ambition, imagination, dreams.

Positive: Spiritual awareness, containment, vision, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality. Negative: Introversion, decadence, suppression, inferiority.

Orange:

Meaning of the colour orange: colour of the fall and harvest, ‘combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow’, joy, sunshine, tropical, creativity, determination, associates with autumn/Halloween, energetic.

Positive: Physical comfort, food, warmth, security, sensuality, passion, abundance, fun. Negative: Deprivation, frustration, frivolity, immaturity.

Pink:

the colour pink: delicate colour, sweet, innocent, pretty, romantic, playful, cute, associates with flower, sweets, babies, ‘the colour pink is the colour of universal love for one’s self and of others.

Positive: Physical tranquillity, nurture, warmth, femininity, love, sexuality, survival of the species. Negative: Inhibition, emotional claustrophobia, emasculation, physical weakness.

Grey:

the colour grey: can be associated with loss, depression, dirtiness, dull, dingy, boring, drab, however can be seen as sophisticated, classy, elegant and formal.

Positive: Psychological neutrality. Negative: Lack of confidence, dampness, depression, hibernation, lack of energy.

Black:

the colour black: power, fear, darkness, death, evil, formality, mourning, sophistication, depressing, scary, professional – (has two different sides to it)

Positive: Sophistication, glamour, security, emotional safety, efficiency, substance. Negative: Oppression, coldness, menace, heaviness.

White:

the colour white: purity, peacefulness, light, goodness, innocence, virginity, faith, heaven, safety, protection, softness, possibility, positivity, freshness.

Positive: Hygiene, sterility, clarity, purity, cleanness, simplicity, sophistication, efficiency. Negative: Sterility, coldness, barriers, unfriendliness, elitism.

Brown:

the colour brown: stability, appetite, friendliness, health, protection, earth, nature, security

Positive: Seriousness, warmth, Nature, earthiness, reliability, support. Negative: Lack of humour, heaviness, lack of sophistication.