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Visual Communication
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Perceiving hierarchy through intrinsic color structure

Dennis M. Puhalla

University of Cincinnati, USA, dennis.puhalla{at}uc.edu

Color is an intrinsic visual attribute of form that functions as language and message. The purpose of this study was to investigate objectively structured color combinations as a means to communicate visual order for the purpose of reinforcing information hierarchy. Controlling the visual relationships of hue, value and chroma contrast can significantly assist a person's cognitive ability to assign importance and dominance to a controlled color structure. This research study provided significant findings supporting the hypothesis that intrinsic color structures can be formulated objectively; represent a visual hierarchy; and be perceived in an understandable order.

Chi-square analysis for 99 participants was calculated for task effectiveness. To analyze task efficiency, three distinct ANOVA calculations were made for time variations. The documented findings of this study presented explicit evidence that addresses specific mechanisms for objective color ordering. The natural inferences of the study support the proposition that there is a natural relationship between objective color ordering principles and human perception.

Key Words: color attributes • color codes • color hierarchy • color language • color mechanism • color order • color perception • color structure • intrinsic color

Visual Communication, Vol. 7, No. 2, 199-228 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1470357208088759
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