Colour and visual perception: exploiting visual perception of colour, in traditional ‘laksha’ products in Sri Lanka.

Abstract

Design decisions behind colour compositions of a product, play a major role in communicating an identity, purpose and functionality of a product. Also, how this particular product would fit in with what’s around it. When considering a multicoloured object; change in colour choice and compositions has a great potential to impact the visual perception an object. The Visual perception of a product is the main factor considered in this research; functionality, usability and socio-cultural factors are omitted. The exploration limits only to five case studies of Kandyan era ‘Laksha’ products found at Colombo and Kandy National museums. The methodology of research is based on qualitative methods. In order to evaluate “how multi-coloured objects are visually perceived with regard to ‘Laksha’ products”, a common ground was established on how humans visually perceive. For this purpose, secondary sources of biological, psychological and physical aspects of visual perception and theories related were used to build up the theoretical background for the research. With this background, images of ‘Laksha’ products were made in to primary graphics and then dissected into different graphics (Secondary graphics); which are analysed to understand how they are perceived visually. The dissected graphics are used as tools in the study. These graphics of the visual perception of multi coloured ‘Laksha’ products will be used as a stepping stone to discover the fossilized contextual creative knowledge regarding the use of colour in design. Moreover, the methodology of the study implies many future studies and possibilities.