Exploring Color-Universal Design Considering Kansei Differences: Color-Vision Types and Impressions of Color Images

Abstract

In this study, the relationship between color-vision types and impressions of color images was examined. Protan, deutan, and trichromatic color-vision participants evaluated the impressions of color images by employing the semantic differentials method, which comprised 13 adjective pairs. In the visual experiment, 20 color images were presented to 31 Japanese male participants, more specifically, 10 trichromatic, 10 protan, and 11 deutan color-vision participants. The experiment revealed that differences of color-vision resulted in different impressions for identical color images. Three factors, named activity, harmony, and potency were extracted from factor analysis. The factor scores were scattered in a three dimensional space on activity, harmony, and potency axes. Furthermore, the protan participants’ factor scores did not vary widely along the harmony axis; however, the impression differences sensed in the specific color images by protan and deutan participants were hard to distinguish by using protan and deutan color-vision simulating algorithms. The knowledge of the relationship between color-vision types and color impressions may enable us to develop a concept of a universal design that considers kansei differences.