Introduction The project, Essence of Color, was to inquire about colors, to make us question it's nature and get more aware of the color choices in our surroundings. We were introduced to different methods through the task: 1. Observe
2. Talk 3. Experiment
4. Read 5. Watch
6. Discuss
Experiment
The first two tasks involved a lot of experimenting; mixing colors, trying new combinations, asking questions, making assumptions, and confirming them. The process got me familiar with the nature of the colors, like adding green to mustard can give it a muddy look.
I encountered several failures along the way to achieve the right color for my object, and it added to my observation and experiment as well. When you experiment, there is no one way. You explore multiple directions, which can help you create your own definition and discover new outcomes.
Reading For the mind map, I dived into a number of articles and studies. It furnished me with information about pre-existing notions to build evidences for my outcomes and a foundation to my discussions. Reading helped in confirming my assumptions and collecting evidences for my inquiry.
In an example from my mind-map, displays detailed evidence on how 'Yellow magazine' shaped the perception of the color yellow for the people in China . Reading provided me with critical and detailed information to support my knowledge.
A long piece of information often includes points that are not useful to a particular project. Writing keywords for the questions can give an idea about what to look for while reading for evidences and answers to avoid losing time and absorbing empty sentences.
Mind Map
I was introduced to the tool, Mind map, to categorize information. A mind map involves dividing the topic into categories and further heads to label the information which ensures quick and easy access. This can be a valuable tool to use for organizing a wide and diverse collection of information or noting down observations and new learnings.
Practicing this tool has added it to my methods of writing down my notes. It has turned out to be a beneficial method for learners like myself. And I continued to use it in the project through different tasks like discussion board, and color in specialization besides the Mind map. Writing down keywords helped me remember the summary of the points.
Conclusion
Through the entire course of the project, my muddiest point has been creating the swatches. When I started it, I couldn't understand what my destination is going to be, the purpose of the experiment. I wasn't connecting with the colors, and had a hard time coming up with a name for it.
My clearest point was reflecting on the Mind map. While working on it, collecting and assorting the information I felt really stressed. But the moment I looked back on it, reflected, I could feel the rich and diverse knowledge the process equipped me with. That's the point where I was able to connect with all the work I had done, even the swatches!
Being the first project on this new journey, EOC-1 instilled some key learnings about color:
Using the right tints, shades, and combinations is a major requirement to create a specific emotion in the viewers. The image shows dull shades of yellow that create a feeling of loneliness.
Color is subjective. Multiple aspects impact the way an individual perceives color, therefore, each individual will have a unique perception of colors. For some, blue may be a symbol of sadness, whereas, another person might relate sky with the color, and associate it with freedom.
In the beginning of the project, I didn't feel very clear with the tasks. Since, I'm used to the conventional ways of learning, it took some time for me to feel confident and engage freely with the project. Reflecting on my work helped me understand the process and outcomes of the tasks. And now, as it concludes, I feel curious about other colors as well, and might visit miro boards for different colors soon.