Paul Mijksenaar believes that “colour is the richest, most emotional, and most powerful means of visual communication and stretches beyond cultural boundaries; so use it accordingly and don’t spoil it…” This talk provided a fascinating overview of the use of colour in wayfinding systems for transport hubs, healthcare facilities, museums and other built environments. Paul presented ideas on the emotional, cognitive and perceptual criteria for using colour, based on applied science studies and his professional expertise from almost 50 years of wayfinding design practice. Paul explored the strengths and weaknesses of using colour and showed some of the pitfalls caused by common misunderstandings of how to use colour effectively.
[Note: This presentation is based on Paul Mijksenaar’s 2012 SEGD talk in Phoenix, USA.]
About our speaker
Paul Mijksenaar founded Mijksenaar in 1986. He started his 30 years of airport wayfinding expertise in 1990 with a total review of the signage system at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. His company has consulted on wayfinding at many other airports including JFK New York, Geneva Airport and Denver International Airport. They have advised on wayfinding for: hospitals; public transport including Moynihan Train Hall; museums such as the Hermitage St Petersburg; and bicycle parkings. As Professor at Delft University of Technology, Paul was instrumental in the introduction of human factors and psychology to the discipline of information design. Paul is the author of numerous scientific publications and books including: Visual Function, an introduction to information design. Paul was awarded the Association of Dutch Designers (BNO) Piet Zwart Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
Recording
This content is limited for members only
Within our member-only pages we provide a wide range of useful information resources including:- Recordings of our talks
- Presentations
- Academic research papers
- Case studies
- Guidance on standards and good practice
- Project opportunities