The Pocket Universal Principles of Color: 100 Key Concepts for Understanding, Analyzing, and Working With Color

This pocket-size version of Universal Principles of Color presents 100 core concepts and guidelines that are critical to the successful use of color.

Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, this comprehensive, cross-disciplinary overview of color is organized alphabetically so that principles can be easily and quickly referenced. The book pairs clear explanations of every topic with visual examples of it applied in theory and in practice. For those interested in addressing a specific color challenge or application problem, the principles are also indexed by pathways based on nine topics of color study: light, order, communication, object, mixture, application, observer, composition, and history. 

Explore a diverse array of color principles, including:

• Additive Mixture
• Bezold Effects
• Harmony
• Pointillism
• Newton’s Opticks
• Rayleigh Scattering
• Transparency Effect
• Warm and Cool

Each principle is presented in a two-page format: The left-hand page contains a succinct definition, a full description of the principle, and examples of and guidelines for its use. Side notes, which appear to the right of the text, provide elaborations and references. The right-hand page contains visual examples and related graphics to support a deeper understanding of the principle.

Whether in a branding campaign or a healthcare facility, a product’s packaging, or a software user interface, the color we see is the culmination of many concepts and practices brought together from a variety of disciplines to increase appeal, influence perception, and enhance usability.
 
By considering these concepts and examples, you can learn to make more informed and ultimately better color decisions. This landmark reference is the standard for designers, engineers, architects, and students who seek to broaden and improve their understanding of and expertise in color.

The titles in the Rockport Universal series offer comprehensive and authoritative information and edifying and inspiring visual examples on multidisciplinary subjects for designers, architects, engineers, students, and anyone who is interested in expanding and enriching their design knowledge.

Stephen Westland is Professor of Color Science and Technology in the School of Design at the University of Leeds (UK). He was previously Head of the School of Design at Leeds (2006–2013). His research interests are color design, color vision, and color measurement and he has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and books about these topics. He is a Fellow of the Society of Dyers and Colourists and was President of the Society in 2019. In 2008 he was awarded the Davies Medal from the Royal Photographic Society (London) for his color research. He has won numerous research grants from both government and industry and has recently worked with AkzoNobel, Colgate, and Unilever on color-related projects. He holds several visiting professorships, including at the University of Texas (USA) and Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan (China).Maggie Maggio is a designer, artist, and art educator who has studied, taught, and worked with color for over forty years. Her personal explorations into the science of light and pigments led to the creation of workshops for artists and designers who want to incorporate the latest research in color science into their creative practice. As a member of the Board of Directors of the US Inter-Society Color Council (ISCC) and co-chair of the International Color Association Study Group on Color Education, Maggie focuses on bridging between the art, science, and industry of color and advancing color literacy for the twenty-first century. She is the current chair of the Joint International Color Association/ISCC Color Literacy Project advocating for the integration of art and science in color education programs worldwide.