In response to studies such as these, the design community is partnering with lighting experts to broaden the knowledge base in this area so vital to interior design. How light affects our brain’s performance: Photic memory for executive brain responses, Science Daily 10 March 2014 An Illuminating Collaboration Thus, this study concluded that a thoughtful design of lighting systems could be used effectively to maximize productivity. Researchers at the University of Liège in Belgium studied the effects of light on cognitive tasks found that light is a “powerful stimulating signal for human alertness and cognition.”Įxposing subjects to orange light one hour before engaging in a cognitive task led to better performance than those exposed to blue light. Scientists have proven that particular colors of light can also affect human behavior.
Labroob, Volume 24, Issue 2, April 2014, Pages 207–216 Orange Is The New (way to stay on) TrackĪs designers, we may think about the color of light in terms of the Kelvin Scale and the accompanying Color Rendering Index.īut why is it important to us? More than knowing how a paint color will look under incandescent lamps or how an upholstery fabric might change under a CFL? Incandescent affect: Turning on the hot emotional system with bright light – Alison Jing Xua, Aparna A. They also thought images of women were more attractive and felt more intensely about positive and negative words than those in a dimmer environment.īut it isn’t just the intensity of light that influences the end-user it’s the color of the light as well.
What you may not know is that a light’s brightness has a direct affect on the intensity of people’s emotions.Ī recent study by the Humanities Research Council of Canada found that “the way a room is lit can affect decision making, with bright light acting as a possible catalyst for more intense emotions,” towards both people and products.įor instance, participants in the study who were under brighter light wanted spicier sauce on their chicken wings. Interior designers know that the ability to control brightness brings with it infinite creative possibilities. A romantic mood here, a bright focal point there, and voila, layered lighting creates a dynamic interior. The invention of the dimmer switch was perhaps one of the greatest advancements in versatile lighting design. Lighting affects emotion and decision making.