Colour choices: achieving the desired effect in colour schemes and design (Berit Bergstrom, Sweden)

We're again grateful to Nick Harkness and our "Canberra Colour Club" for organizing another special event, a presentation by the well-known Swedish colour expert, educator and writer Berit Bergstrom. Registration is open now for Colour Society of Australia members and will  open for nonmembers of the CSA on April 30.

Bangju Church, Architect Itami Jun.

There are of course no fixed rules concerning what is right or wrong and what is beautiful or ugly, but some guidance from colour research can still be offered about colour schemes. Perhaps this guidance does not set out to answer all questions but instead to shed light on all research findings that can be helpful to practitioners in colour schemes and design. It provides a broad, deep understanding of the different ways we can make colour choices in the design of our surroundings and in a world rich in symbols in the form of signage, information boards, data screen readability and websites. - Berit Bergstrom

The presentation will focus on different ways of analysing, working and using colours as we experience colours, how we communicate without misunderstandings, how we combine colours in a colour composition and the importance of contrasting lightness in a patterning context. Another important issue in colour schemes is the changeability of colour impressions. The colour of an object is not constant and will change depending on, among other things, the observation situation, viewing distance, surrounding colours, viewing angle, texture and light conditions. Everyone is doubtless aware of the difference between the small colour sample and the way the colour “turned out” when the paint was applied on an entire wall. The presentation will conclude with practical examples of colour analysis and colour scales for inspiration to show the importance of the awareness and sensitivity for colours to obtain the desired effects.

Berit Bergström is an expert and educator on colour theory and the colouring design process and has been active in her own company, Berit ColourTalks, since 2016. She has previously worked for NCS Colour AB from 1990 to 2016 and was the CEO of the NCS Colour Academy. She has extensive experience of delivering courses and presentations in colour design for both professionals and university teachers and students in colour at several institutions around the world. She was the executive secretary of the Colour Science Foundation (1991-1997) which was a granting funding foundation for colour research projects. She has been the secretary of the Swedish Colour Centre Foundation (1991-2023). She has been active in the International Colour Association (AIC) with various assignments from 1998 to 2021 and was President of the AIC from 2010 to 2013. Her knowledge and experience from colour teaching for more than 30 years has been distilled into her book Colour Choices. A practitioner’s guide to designing colour schemes (2022).

Registration

Successful registrants will be notified by reply email and will be sent the Zoom link and instructions shortly before the event. To receive this email with the Zoom link, you must register by the deadline of midnight AEST on Tuesday May 13th, but please note that this event may be booked out in advance of that date. If you're unable to attend live, please do not register; a recording will be posted on the Colour Society of Australia YouTube account shortly after the webinar and will remain available to the public there for two weeks.

We ask our members and friends to please pass on news of this event to their contacts by sharing our Facebook/ Instagram/ LinkedIn posts or the following link: https://coloursociety.org.au/event-6166796