Blue vs Red… vs Yellow

Not that it ever went away but, always vague and subjective, the study of color is in that gray area between art and science. So many cultural, emotional and individual factors come into play.

According to a new study in the journal Science, the color red can make people’s work more accurate, and blue can make people more creative.

Blue or Red? Exploring the Effect of Color on Cognitive Task Performance
A study of 600 people who performed tasks on computer screens with red, blue or neutral backgrounds found that the red group did better on tests of attention to detail, while the blue group did better at creative tasks.

As stated in this New York Times article, red groups did better on tests of recall and attention to detail, like remembering words or checking spelling and punctuation. Blue groups did better on tests requiring imagination, like inventing creative uses for a brick or creating toys from shapes.

Red enhances human performance in contests
A 2005 study published in the International journal Nature found that across a range of sports, wearing red is consistently associated with a higher probability of winning.

“Red coloration is a sexually selected, testosterone-dependent signal of male quality in a variety of animals and in some non-human species a male’s dominance can be experimentally increased by attaching artificial red stimuli,” says Russell A. Hill & Robert A. Barton.

Rendezvous’ bar interior (above).

Spacial Color
A study published in Contract Magazine by Shashi Caan examines popular preconceptions attributed to red, blue and yellow. While somewhat apparent, the study found –

Red and yellow create dynamic environments of movement and social interaction, while blue creates a space of calm and stillness with little social interaction.

and

Color affects physical activity. People will gesture, fidget, and circulate around a yellow or red room, while in a blue room they remain still and sedate.

– However, taken into consideration when designing public spaces or retail environments this is extremely helpful (see the examples above and below).

Pantone’s 2009 color of the year, Mimosa (above).