Colors shape architecture far beyond their aesthetic impact. They influence orientation, atmosphere, well-being, social interaction, and health—mostly subconsciously, but with measurable consequences for people’s experiences and behavior.

The lecture focuses on the question of why color design in architecture and interior design today requires a shift in scientific perspective. While many design principles are still based on formal-aesthetic theories from the early 20th century, findings from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and perceptual psychology show how colors affect humans as biological orientation systems.

Drawing on current research and international case studies, Prof. Dr. Axel Buether demonstrates how evidence-based color psychology can help ensure that architecture is consistently tailored to the needs of its users—from educational and workplace environments to healthcare facilities and public spaces.

The lecture is aimed at architects, engineers, and anyone who views design not merely as the creation of form, but as a responsibility toward the human experience.

Presentation at the summer festival of the Frankfurt am Main Association of Architects and Engineers (AIV), Thursday, August 13, 2026

Why Enjoyment Begins with the Eyes

Even before we bring a glass of rosé to our lips, our brain has already begun to savor it. Light filters through the wine, its hue shifting between delicate salmon, cool pink, and brilliant ruby—and instantly, expectations arise: of freshness and fruitiness, of mineral clarity, summery lightness, or a warmer, fuller-bodied sweetness.

In the current special issue of Falstaff Magazine, titled “Drink Pink,” I explore the fascinating question of why rosé is so much more than just a color—and why the enjoyment of a wine begins long before the first sip.

The brain gets its share first

Colors are not merely properties of objects. They function as sensory signals that link perception, memory, and physical reactions. Through our lifelong experiences, close associations have formed in our memory between certain shades of color and the corresponding smells and tastes.

The mere sight of a rosé wine can therefore already trigger the processes that prepare the body for enjoyment. Salivation, stomach activity, attention, and emotional anticipation all change, even though the wine has not yet been tasted. The eye provides the brain with an initial prediction of what the tongue and nose might experience shortly.

A pale, cool-looking rosé suggests mineral freshness, dryness, and elegance. A more robust, warmer hue tends to suggest ripe fruit, sweetness, and fullness. These expectations are not without consequence: they shape how we perceive and evaluate the actual taste.

Color, aroma, and taste come together to create a shared experience

Our senses do not operate independently of one another. What we see influences what we smell and taste. Color can enhance flavors, make certain scents seem more likely, and even alter our perception of sweetness, fruitiness, or spiciness.

It is precisely the pink hue of rosé that evokes a rich sensory memory: strawberries and raspberries, peaches, rhubarb, rose petals, or fresh citrus zest. Such associations are not retroactive linguistic attributions. They arise directly in the moment of perception—quickly, physically, and largely unconsciously.

That is why pleasure is never limited to the palate. It arises from the interplay of color, light, aroma, taste, memory, and context.

From Soft Pink to a Cultural Statement

Added to this is the cultural significance of the color. Pink has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent decades. Once a shade long associated with delicacy, femininity, or childishness, it has become a symbol of an urban lifestyle: self-assured, aesthetically sophisticated, pleasure-oriented, and lighthearted, without appearing frivolous.

Rosé is therefore more than just a wine. It creates a certain atmosphere and conveys a certain attitude. Anyone who chooses, opens, or serves rosé is simultaneously communicating ideas of hospitality, a zest for life, and refined enjoyment.

Color speaks before a word is even uttered.

When the Eye Keeps Its Promise

The rosé experience is a prime example of just how profoundly color shapes our perception. The enjoyment begins with the sight of the glass, continues through memory and anticipation within the body, and is finally fulfilled in the moment when what the color foreshadowed is confirmed by the aroma and taste.

Perhaps that is precisely what makes rosé so fascinating: its color holds the promise—and a good wine delivers on it.

You can read my full essay , “Rosé Is a Promise—Why Our Brains Start Drinking the Moment We See the Glass,” in the current special issue of Falstaff , “Drink Pink.”

How much health is there in a room?

More than we see—and far more than has been taken into account in many planning processes to date. Interior spaces are not neutral backdrops. Their colors, lighting conditions, materials, proportions, and spatial structures constantly influence how safe we feel, how well we can orient ourselves, whether we can concentrate or relax, and the extent to which our bodies are stressed or supported by the environment.

Under the theme “Aesthetics & Health – How Interior Design Influences Our Well-Being,” the 2026 Interior Design Summit will bring together leading voices from interior design, architecture, medicine, psychology, research, and planning practice in Berlin from November 13 to 15. I am very pleased to help shape this pioneering professional conference organized by the bdia—the Association of German Interior Architects—with a keynote address and a master class.

From an Aesthetic Choice to a Health-Related Goal

Interior design is still primarily judged on the basis of formal aesthetic criteria. The discussion centers on whether colors, materials, and shapes complement one another, conform to a particular style, or convey a contemporary impression. These criteria remain important—but they are not enough.

The crucial question is not merely what a space looks like, but above all: What effect does it have on the people who spend time there?

Does it promote a sense of direction and emotional security? Does it support concentration, communication, or recovery? Does it reduce stress and sensory overload? Does it convey a sense of protection and safety? Does it stimulate without being overwhelming? And does it take into account the diverse physical, psychological, and social needs of its users?

Health-promoting interior design begins when such objectives are not merely asserted after the design is complete, but are systematically incorporated into the planning process from the very beginning.

Keynote: Color as a Factor in Health

In my keynote address , “Color as a Health Factor,” I explain why the colors of light and surfaces should not be viewed merely as decorative choices. Colors are a fundamental component of our perceptual environment. They structure spaces, direct attention, facilitate orientation, alter the perception of proximity and distance, and shape the emotional atmosphere of a place.

Their effect is by no means created solely by individual shades of color. What is crucial is the complex interplay of color, brightness, contrast, materiality, light, the function of the space, and the context of use. The same color can have completely different effects in different spatial and social contexts.

Based on my many years of research and the latest work from the Institute for Evidence-Based Color Psychology, I will explain how color design can help to,

To reduce stress,
promote a sense of direction and security,
support concentration and performance,
facilitate recovery and rest,
strengthen communication and social participation,
and create health-promoting environments.

This makes color a key design factor in virtually all areas of interior design: for healthcare and long-term care facilities as well as for workplaces, educational spaces, residential buildings, public facilities, and the renovation of existing buildings.

Master Class: Designing Spaces for People – Translating Impact Goals

The masterclass “Designing Spaces for People—Translating Impact Goals” focuses on the practical application of scientific findings in planning practice.

Terms such as well-being, safety, engagement, comfort, and regeneration are frequently used in design processes. However, it is only once it has been clarified what these goals actually mean for a specific user group, activity, and spatial context that sound design decisions can be made.

Together, we explore how abstract requirements can be translated into clear spatial objectives. Building on this, we develop strategies for tailoring color, light, materials, contrast, spatial organization, and atmosphere specifically to the needs of future users.

Participants will gain insights into current research findings and explore a methodological approach that goes beyond personal preferences, conventional color symbolism, and general impact tables. The focus is on evidence-based, user-centered design, in which decisions are grounded in expertise, communicated within the project, and evaluated in terms of their intended impact.

A Necessary Shift in Perspective in Interior Design

The 2026 Interior Design Summit takes place at a crucial turning point for the discipline. In light of growing mental health challenges, an aging society, new ways of working and learning, and increasing demands on care, prevention, and inclusion, the health impact of interior spaces can no longer be treated as a secondary consideration.

Interior design bears responsibility for people’s living conditions. It can exacerbate stress—or counteract it. It can make it harder to find one’s way—or instill a sense of security. It can exclude people—or enable their participation. It can create institutional coldness—or create spaces where dignity, self-determination, and human connection can be experienced.

This is one of the key challenges facing our profession in the future: not to pit aesthetic quality against health benefits, but to view them as inseparable components of good design.

I look forward to professional exchanges with interior designers, planners, researchers, and everyone who not only designs spaces but also seeks to understand their impact on people and use them responsibly.

Interior Design Summit 2026
Aesthetics & Health – How Interior Design Influences Our Well-Being

November 13–15, 2026
AXICA Congress and Conference Center
in the DZ BANK building
Pariser Platz 3, Berlin

Friday, November 13, 2026

Masterclass:
Designing Spaces for People – Translating Impact Goals

Keynote: “
: Color as a Factor in Health“

Link to register with the organizer bdia

Workshop

Color is not merely a visual phenomenon. It has weight, temperature, and texture—it is tactile, even though we can only see it. Its effect arises from the interplay of material, surface, and light.

This seminar combines evidence-based color psychology with the practice of architecture and interior design—in collaboration with the JAB Anstoetz Group, one of the world’s leading textile companies.

With over 1,000 real material samples, a space for experience opens up that goes far beyond color charts and digital representations: Color can be experienced as a living phenomenon that manifests itself differently in each material and reveals its psychological qualities.

1. May 21, 2026 JAB ANSTOETZ Group | Munich Showroom
2. September 22, 2026 JAB ANSTOETZ Group | Hamburg Showroom
3. September 24, 2026 JAB ANSTOETZ Group | Berlin Showroom

Register with the organizer via this link: JAB Anstoetz Group

What to Expect

Presentation (90 minutes)
Current Insights into Color Psychology—From Perception to Impact:

• The Influence of Color on Well-Being, Motivation, and Cognitive Processes
• The Importance of Material, Light, and Context
• scientific principles from the fields of perceptual psychology, environmental psychology, and neuroaesthetics

Workshop (90 minutes) “
: Thinking About and Experiencing Color in Materials”:

• Experimental work with a wide range of textile surfaces
• Analysis of the Interactions Between Color, Texture, and Light
• Development of targeted material-color combinations for different intended effects (e.g., calming, energizing, focusing)

For whom

Architects, interior designers, planners, and anyone who not only wants to design spaces but also wants to precisely understand their impact on people and develop that impact in a targeted way.

Your added value

• A scientifically grounded understanding of the effect of color in a room
• Enhanced design precision in the use of materials and surfaces
• Concrete ideas for spaces that promote well-being, orientation, and performance

A seminar at the intersection of research, sensor technology, and design

With the newly published open-source study “Color atmospheres as non-verbal access to preferences and behavioral states in forensic psychiatry”, Leila Rudzki and Prof. Dr. Axel Buether present empirical evidence for the first time that color atmospheres can be understood as an independent variable of human perception.

👉 To the study (open access) on Research Gate

Key finding

The study shows:

• Patients with severe communication impairments respond clearly, consistently and reproducibly to visual color atmospheres
• These reactions occur both in representational images of nature and in their abstract color compositions
• The match of the reaction patterns is up to 90 %

This calls into question a central assumption:
It is not primarily the representational quality, but the atmospheric color and lighting mood that seems to be decisive for emotional experience and behavior.

Why this study is relevant

The study was not conducted in a laboratory, but under real-life conditions in a forensic psychiatric ward – with patients who were previously hardly accessible via speech.

The results show for the first time:

• Colors can function as a non-verbal communication medium
• Preferences can be inferred from observable behavior
• Atmospheric design can be used in a targeted manner to:
  • Reduce stress
  • Reduce aggression
  • to promote therapeutic openness

Implications for practice and research

The findings open up new perspectives for:

• Evidence-based architecture and interior design
• Clinical and forensic settings
• Design processes with non-linguistic user groups
• Basic theories of perception and color effects

At the same time, it is an exploratory study with a small sample, which should be seen as a starting point for further research.

A new look at color

The study provides a crucial clue: color atmospheres are a fundamental level of human perception and experience.

It is particularly remarkable that even highly reduced, abstract depictions of color atmospheres – comparable to color field painting – trigger almost the same emotional and physical reactions as representational landscape paintings, provided that the underlying color and light mood is preserved.

This puts the representational nature of visual representations into a new perspective: it is not “what” we see, but “how it works” – the atmosphere – that could be the decisive factor.

Abstract

My article shows how color-psychologically designed learning environments as a form of non-verbal pedagogy increase learning motivation, concentration and learning performance by promoting well-being, emotional security and appreciation in everyday school life. Based on biological and cultural-psychological mechanisms, it explains how precisely coordinated color atmospheres support stimulus regulation, orientation, self-regulation and social interaction. A completed school building project demonstrates that evidence-based color design brings about measurable improvements in learning behavior, the social climate and the health stability of students and teachers.

Table of contents

1. Introduction: Color as a non-verbal pedagogy and underestimated health factor in school construction
2. The biological and cultural foundations of color perception
3. Schools are high-performance color psychology rooms
4. Applied color psychology in educational construction: principles instead of primary colors
5. Case study: The Mosaic School Grevesmühlen
6. How color spaces support learning, behavior and social climate
7. How the health of teachers and therapists benefits
8. Practical recommendations for evidence-based color design in school buildings
9. Conclusion: Color as an underestimated resource for school development

Link to the Bavarian School Advisory Service (free test access)

Link to the fee-based online platform School Counseling Handbook

How color tones make the structure of a fragrance visible – and guide our perception

Introduction

In the world of perfume, fragrance is invisible – and yet it has a visual echo: color. Colors translate fragrance structures into moods long before we take our first breath. They make top, heart and base notes intuitively tangible, organize fragrance families, carry brand identities and arouse desire. What we see leads us to what we smell – and often the color alone decides whether we give a fragrance composition a chance at all.

This interaction begins early in life. A newborn baby recognizes its mother not by her face or voice, but by her scent – an olfactory signature that conveys security, belonging and orientation long before other senses are fully developed. In these first days, the foundation is laid for a lifelong connection between smell, feeling and meaning. Colors act as visual structuring devices: they direct our attention, provide order, emphasize moods and facilitate the interpretation of complex impressions.

In perfumery, fragrance creators talk about the structure of a composition – the precise interplay of volatile, radiant top notes, full-bodied heart notes and deep, long-lasting base notes. Colors reflect this olfactory dramaturgy: light tones pulsate like the top note, medium colors breathe the warmth of the heart, dark nuances carry the depth and sensuality of the base.

In today’s fragrance and cosmetics industry, colors are part of the DNA of a fragrance experience. They define commercials, campaign images, websites and social media; orchestrate the atmosphere at the point of sale; shape packaging designs, labels and bottles – and even the colored shimmer of a perfume in the glass already tells us something about the nature of its composition. Color is not a decorative detail here, but a strategic multi-sensory tool that makes the invisible visible and allows fragrance worlds to become immediately understandable.

1) Red – Pink

Red stands for intensity, passion and immediate presence – the vibrant energy that many top notes also radiate. It is reminiscent of pepper, berries, pomegranate or spices and is ideal for characterizing fragrance compositions that start out dynamic, self-confident and full of temperament. Brands use red to visualize fragrances that are meant to be energetic, radiant and charismatic. Red is always a statement.

Pink, on the other hand, lies between the top and heart notes – soft, floral, emotionally open. It evokes rose, peony, heliotrope, gentle musk or fine powdery accords. Pink stands for closeness, intimacy and tenderness and is used to emphasize the sensitivity and warmth of a fragrance. In the brand world, pink communicates emotional accessibility, closeness to the skin and poetic lightness. If red stands for fire, pink shows the subtle soul of a fragrance.

2) Yellow – Orange

Yellow carries the brightness of fresh top notes: lemon, bergamot, grapefruit or lemongrass. This shade signals vitality, lightness and immediate refreshment – qualities that are essential in modern eau fraîche creations. Yellow creates associations of light, cheerfulness and clarity and often serves as a visual marker for freshness, activity and positive energy in fragrance lines.

Orange, on the other hand, leads into the warm, juicy richness of the heart note: mandarin, neroli, honey, ginger, warm blossoms or sunny fruit flesh accords. Orange is the color of creativity, well-being and emotional openness. It stands for warmth without heaviness – an ideal middle ground between refreshing and sensual. Brands use orange to characterize compositions that are radiant, inviting and resonate in the heart for a long time. Yellow and orange together form the luminous spectrum of joie de vivre.

3) Shades of blue from sky blue to violet

Blue is the color of calm, clarity and inner focus – qualities that are often found in aromatic heart notes: eucalyptus, sea breeze, sage, juniper or aquatic facets. Sky blue and azure convey expansiveness, purity and spiritual freshness and are suitable for compositions that are transparent, meditative or cool in structure.

The darker the blue, the deeper and more mysterious the fragrance association – all the way to violet, the shade of sensuality, mysticism and contemplative depth. Base notes such as iris, vetiver, incense, dark berries, woods and musk find their ideal visual stage here. Violet communicates character, elegance and emotional gravity. This color is preferred in avant-garde or artistic fragrance lines that emphasize independence rather than complacency.

Blue and violet tones together create the quiet tension that gives fragrances depth, suppleness and sensuality – a color space that makes the complexity of a composition visible.

4) Shades of green to turquoise

Green symbolizes nature, lightness and regeneration – the olfactory qualities of many green heart notes. Basil, tea, vetiver, galbanum, fig leaf or fresh herbs unfold their full meaning in the green colour spectrum: grounding, vitalizing, pure. Green tones stand for authenticity, naturalness and balance. They are ideal for fragrance lines that are intended to communicate clarity, sustainability or botanical freshness.

Turquoise complements this color space with the airy freshness of the aquatic top note: sea accords, mint, cucumber or ozonic facets. Turquoise has a clarifying, refreshing and liberating effect – a color that symbolizes purity and mental breathing. Brands use turquoise to characterize compositions that possess lightness, modernity and a transparent, “clean” perceptible fragrance effect.

Together, green and turquoise form the palette of relaxation: they translate the fragrant promises of relaxation, vibrancy and natural vitality into precise visual signals – colors that breathe.

The customer magazine is only available for download from Douglas for registered customers (issue 1/26)

Colors have a profound impact on the world of sighted people: they define spaces, convey emotions, direct attention, and carry deep cultural and psychological significance. For blind and visually impaired people, however, these effects usually remain implicit—they have an impact without being immediately perceptible to the eye.

This lecture is primarily aimed at blind people—both those who have been blind since birth and those who have lost their sight but retain visual memories—as well as sighted people who are interested in a nuanced, thoughtful exploration of color psychology.

The focus is on the psychological effects of colors, understood as emotional, semantic, and cultural phenomena. Color is not shown directly, but is explored linguistically, metaphorically, and through multiple senses: through descriptions, contextual meanings, everyday examples, and connections to other sensory modalities.

The lecture sheds light on how approaches to color can differ depending on one’s perceptual background, and reflects on the unique perspectives of blindness, low vision, and visual memory. The goal is not to replace visual sight, but to make knowledge about the world of sighted people accessible—in an evidence-based, respectful, and non-simplistic way.

The approach is based on findings from color psychology, perceptual and cognitive psychology, and multisensory research, and deliberately avoids the use of visual presentations.

Organizer: PRO RETINA Wuppertal Regional Group
Date and Time: Saturday, May 9, 2026, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
FÄRBEREI e.V. Center for Integration and Inclusion
42275 Wuppertal Peter-Hansen-Platz 1

Lecture & Book Signing – The Big Book of Color Psychology

Colors have a greater impact than words.
Why do we trust some people immediately—and others not?
Why are we magically drawn to certain colors, while others subconsciously create distance?

In this presentation, you’ll gain a thorough yet surprisingly practical insight into evidence-based color psychology. Drawing on the latest research, I’ll show how colors influence our perception, our decisions, and the impression we make—often in a fraction of a second and usually without us even realizing it.

Among other things, you’ll learn:

• what your color preferences actually reveal about your personality,
• how colors signal friendliness, competence, or dominance,
• how to use colors strategically to create an authentic impression—in everyday life, at work, and in communication.

Following the lecture, there will be a book signing for the new book.
“The Big Book of Color Psychology” will take place – with an opportunity for personal exchange.

An evening for everyone who no longer wants to leave color choices to chance.

January 15, 2026, starting at 4:00 p.m. Book signing – 3Burgen Bookstore, Lüdinghausen

January 15, 2026, starting at 6:00 p.m. Lecture at Hotel Restaurant Mutter Althoff in Olfen – Vinnum (by invitation only from the Rotary Club of Selm)

By Jennifer Evans / It is wasted potential not to pay attention to the color effect when furnishing a pharmacy. In an interview with PZ, color psychologist Professor Dr. Axel Buether explains how nuances can be used for targeted communication.

PZ: Which colors are suitable for pharmacy furnishings?

Buether: I always start with an analysis of the people and their needs – never with a nice shade of color. So I take a close look at the location, the customers, the employees and the work processes – almost like an anamnesis. Only when it is clear which atmosphere and which behavior the room should support do I create an impact matrix: Which color nuances promote orientation? Which ones reduce stress? Which ones facilitate consultations or strengthen trust?
An effect is never created by a single color tone, but by the combination, dosage and quality of light.

PZ: What requirements must on-site pharmacies fulfill?

Buether: You have special psychological tasks. Pharmacies must radiate health, trust and freedom from fear and at the same time offer clarity, professionalism and orientation. Added to this is the challenge that their product world itself is extremely colorful and visually loud. To prevent this variety from becoming overwhelming, pharmacies need a calm, neutralizing colour foundation. In this way, they can become a place that not only sells medicines, but also provides security, closeness and trust.

Ideal choice of colors for a modern pharmacy
If you know the needs and requirements of your business, you can act accordingly.
Reduce anxiety, build trust: Customers come with uncertainties, complaints or time pressure. Soft, highly desaturated natural colors are well suited.
Conveying health competence: This is achieved with cool, structuring nuances in combination with warm accents.
Let products have an effect, don’t drown them out: calm, harmonious background colors are ideal for shelves and presentations.
Reflecting brand and identity: A pharmacy is always also a business card for an understanding of health. To communicate this, the corporate design, website and real space should match. People expect the brand’s visual message to be confirmed in real space.
Make orientation easier: Discreetly color-coded functional zones help you find your way.

You can find the entire interview on the Pharmazeutische Zeitung (PZ) website