How Color Affects You: What Science Reveals

Class Preview

Color is more than something you see — it’s something you feel. Harness the science of color to enhance your art, your decor and more.

The Meanings of Color

Start exploring the power of hues as Professor William Lidwell explains foundations of color science and the groundbreaking color experiments devised by Sir Isaac Newton. Move on to learning about color’s impact on human behavior and how it can shape our perception of what food tastes like. You’ll even uncover the three concepts that explain how people perceive, interpret and respond to color.

The Black & White Lecture

From your brain’s perspective, black and white are colors just like any other. In this lesson, you’ll examine the meanings that black and white have come to hold. Find out how black signals aggression and white represents submission in a competitive context. Then, discover why these two colors each have a powerful moral association.

The Red Lecture

Red holds a unique role in the animal and human worlds. In this lesson, Prof. Lidwell will explain red’s primal significance as a symbol for fear, strength, beauty, status and passion. Take your understanding of this color even further as you explore how red represents dominance in competitive situations; status and fertility in mating and courtship roles; and danger in general situations.

The Yellow Lecture

Why do we perceive yellow as the most vibrant color in the spectrum? When does yellow signal health or weakness, and when does it express happiness or danger? Can the color yellow really improve cognitive performance? Discover the answers to these questions and more in this highly detailed and fascinating lesson on a color that stands out unlike any other.

The Green Lecture

You’ve heard the phrase “green with envy.” Find out why green is associated with this emotion as well as with the concepts of life, fertility and success. Prof. Lidwell will guide you through these associations as well as a variety of interesting lesser-known ones. Along the way, you’ll see how green can help foster creativity, decrease anxiety and reduce mental fatigue.

The Blue Lecture

In Prof. Lidwell’s last lesson, you’ll focus on a color that people across the globe commonly choose as their favorite: blue. Explore the unique properties that endow this color with such universal appeal. Find out how blue acts as a buffer for openness and creativity; promotes friendliness and peacefulness; and encourages alertness and well-being. You’ll also explore how it this color can also represent sadness and melancholy.