| Abstract: | This study investigates the knowledge of architectural students about perceptual and psycho-physiological aspects of color, color nomenclature, existing myths and beliefs, and how color is used in their everyday work in the studios. Data were collected mainly by means of questionnaires, to first- and final-year students in five schools of architecture: three in Sweden and two in the United Kingdom. The results were analyzed for each country and educational level, and comparisons made between them. The findings show there is a severe lack of knowledge about color research in both countries. Reading color literature and attending lectures or conferences was rare. However, most participants reported positive attitudes toward color research, especially studies of color perception and color preferences. Knowledge of the Natural Color System (NCS) and British Standard (BSI) was poor, and only a handful of the respondents knew the theoretical basis of the systems. Most of the students complained about the lack of coverage of the subject area in lectures, seminars, or studio work, with very little theory and only few practical exercises. Because students perceive color design as their own future responsibility and basic design education seems to be the main source of color information, the problem of this deficient knowledge should be seriously addressed by researchers and educators. The results suggest ways of improvement and list the most appropriate and preferred methods of communicating research on color. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 23, 328–334, 1998 |
