Color
Coded
How color-temperature
tuning affects shoppers'
- and sales associates' -
behavior.
W
hat could humans possibly have
in common with cyanobacteria,
fungi and other animal species?
The answer: We share circadian rhythms - the mental, physical and behavioral
changes that usually follow a 24-hour cycle and partly
drive our sleep patterns, wakefulness and bodily functions like temperature and blood pressure. These
patterns and functions are largely affected by cycles of
light and darkness; color has an effect, as well.
That's why avoiding certain colors of light at night
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- like the blue illumination produced by your smartphone or computer - isn't just an old wives' tale. The
hue actually suppresses the body's production of
melatonin (the hormone that cues tiredness) and can
disrupt your sleep cycle.
The healthcare industry has been privy to this phenomenon for a while, utilizing the information to design
lighting that can enhance nurses' nightshifts, when
a mistake caused by an out-of-whack sleep schedule
could mean the difference between life and death.
While shopping isn't normally a life-or-death situ-
M ARK KN IGH T PHO TOG R APHY, A USTI N, TE XAS
By Carly Hagedon, Associate Editor
http://www.VMSD.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of VMSD - April 2015