The Subjective Effects of Colors
Lecture followed by a book signing
Colors do not “work” like the laws of nature—they have an effect on people. And that is precisely where the challenge of design lies: Two people can see the same shade of color and experience it in completely different ways —depending on their life stories, context, expectations, role models, cultural background, and current mood.
In this talk, I’ll explain for the first time— in a clear and practical way—how this subjective effect of color arises—and how you, whether as professional designers or laypeople, can consciously use it in everyday life as a tool for self-care, without falling into simplistic color schemes or myths. The focus is on color as a psychological means of communication: not as decoration, but as a signal that conveys identity, attitude, and atmosphere—and whose meaning is always co-constructed by the observer.
What You’ll Take Away from the Presentation
- A clear, practical model of how subjective color perception arises
- Why “the effect” of a color is an illusion without context—and how to deliberately design context
- How Color Choices Convey a Sense of Identity, Belonging, and Distinction in a Space
- How to Better Understand Your Customers’ Color Preferences—and Translate Them into a Viable Design Concept
- How to avoid common misconceptions in color psychology and instead present a nuanced argument
Afterwards: Book signing for the new book
“The Big Book of Color Psychology” – with an opportunity for personal exchange.
For anyone who no longer wants to choose colors based on personal taste—but rather on their effect, understood as subjectively experienced communication that can be shaped through design.
Registration, organizer, and location: Cokon Düsseldorf
Time: Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
