For Research : Brightness Color Effectiveness

Color is defined as the visual sensation produced when the cones of the retina absorb light of different wavelengths and relayed, in the form of nerve impulses, to the brain. Much of the world of life is made real through the symbolic application of color, shade, huge and other features of visual meaning to the physical matter around us (Matthews, 2002). For a physiological level, first color affects the mechanisms of the human eye. Muscles either relax or tense up. Pupils expand or contract and second, color delivers powerful subliminal communication (Morton, 2001, p. 39).

Color has been employed as an effective communication tool in advertising and applying color principles fosters the audience response. Brighter colors attract eyes first, and if overused, can cause visual confusion. The color has very clever and persuasive influence as color exerts its effects on a subconscious level, the colors can transfer the feeling onto the contents of a package or a product or an advertising message (Lee, 2002). The attention gaining and holding power of a stimulus may be increased sharply through use of color (Finn, 1988). One color advertisement produced 41 % more sales then black-White Color (Percy, 1984).

However, Buxton (2004) describe as the following. Each individual and each group has different meanings and preferences to certain colors given real brand as a model, for instance, tangerine colored iMac is more sold in the Far East while Indigo blue and graphite are globally most popular. Therefore, it is quite difficult to define the symbolic meaning of color as many parameters exits such as gender, age, income, culture. (p. 24) The colors mentioned red, blue, yellow etc are not only the colors but these are emotions, feelings, memories, reflections and associations. Colors are all around and yet most people take the impact of their significance for granted. Color can alert people to danger, express emotion and is a way of identifying and organizing the environment.

Therefore, people attach particular meanings to colors (Holtzchue, 1992). Nowadays, street gangs use colors as a means of identification. Color per se does not have any particular set of meanings, but when interpreted within a cultural domain, based on previous contexts (Fine, 1992) and grounded in expectation and socialization. Over the years, the use of color as a means of social identity has taken on many interpretations. Even within the diversity of cultures there are striking similarities. Wearing flashy or inappropriate colors of attire can still place a person outside social boundaries like black still signifies dignified and respectable dress in many societies

(Byrne, 2003).

There are many color research especially in psychology of preference. Some show color preference influenced by gender, some proved that color preferences influenced by different race. Table 2-2 indicates that some of the researchers inquiry about the preference of color; their research design for their study and their findings.