Abstract (Color Science Association of Japan) by Kiwamu Maki

Kiwamu Maki, Sari Yamamoto, Shoji Iijima, Hiroshi Muto

In recent times, as importance of color control in a streetscape is increasingly recognized, the color harmony should be studied in order to apply to color planning .
In this study , the validity of the theory of color harmony by P. Moon and D.E.Spencer and the four principles of color harmony by Judd,D.B. is examined through a series of experiments that evaluate color harmony feeling .
First experiment focussing on the theory by P. Moon and D.E.Spencer was carried out using images of a streetscape that are varied in wall color by color simulation. The semantic differential rating method was applied to evaluate the color harmony. As a result, the zones of " identity and similarity" are explained and that of "contrast" is not explained.
In second experiment focussing on principles by Judd,D.B. ,using scale models that have color variations on wall colors, the color impressions were evaluated. As a result of this experiment, "order" and "similarity" show high correlation with the color harmony feeling ,but " familiarity" and "clearness(unambiguity)" have slight correlation with that.
These results lead us that the color harmony feeling is based on "similarity".
Furthermore, it is clear that "preference" and "beauty" relate with not only color harmony feeling but also the factor "cheerfulness" in factor analysis.

Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, volume 21, No.2, pp.62-73,1997

Kiwamu Maki,Sari Yamamoto

The authors carried out the two experiments, in which the impressions of persons with varying color clothes on their chest were measured by six subjects to confirm the validity of "Personal Color System," the theory of suitable color. The conclusions are the follows.
(1) The variation of suitability is small from person to person.
(2) Soberer colors are suitable in high saturation color and bright color.
(3) Dark colors aren't favorite itself, but the suitability judgement is better.
(4) The variety of suitability among persons relate with the color of hair mainly.
(5) Persons couldn't be divided to "The Yellow Base Group" and " The Blue Base Group".

Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, volume 22, No.3, pp.127-139,1998

Kiwamu Maki, Tomoko Masuda

The authors carried out an experiment to make the remembered color change in process of time obvious. The remembered color of ten objects was recalled by the subjects 3 times, just after remembering the color of the objects, 30 minutes later, 1 week later, in the experiment. The results are concluded as the follows.
(1) The hue values of the remembered colors change from the object colors in case of the effect of the memory color is strong. The saturation values change to the direction to the middle.
(2) The memory of the hue is distributed widely from person to person, if the remembered object has a low lightness.
(3) Remembered color is recalled within a small range until one week later.
(4) The background of the object influences only for the remembered color, not for the change process of the color.
(5) The difference between the subject color and the memory color of the subject derives from the remembering process.

Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, volume 24, No.4, pp.232-243,2000

Kiwamu Maki, Tomoe Sawa, Miho Kobayashi

The authors carried out an experiment in which the subjects judge the impression of interior model with various wall color, floor color, and partition color. The color combinations of the model divided to three types.
Type1: Wall color and floor color are same (without partition).
Type2: Wall color and floor color are different (without partition).
Type3: Color partitions added to the type2.
The consequent of the analysis of the impression judgement data are as follows.
(1) The relationship of the majored impressions is different among type1 and type2,3.
(2) The impression of the type1 color combination is expressed by the attribute of color.
(3) The impression of the type2 color combination is expressed by the influence of each consisted color.
(4) The interaction among partition color and the color of wall and floor is found in the impression of the type3 color combination.

Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, volume 25, No.4, pp.262-273,2001

Kiwamu Maki

Abstract
The authors carried out an experiment in which the subjects judge the impression of interior model with various wall color, floor color, and partition color. The color combinations of the model divided to three types.
Type1: Wall color and floor color are same (without partition).
Type2: Wall color and floor color are different (without partition).
Type3: Color partitions added to the type2.
The consequent of the analysis of the impression judgement data are as follows.
(1) The relationship of the majored impressions is different among type1 and type2,3.
(2) The impression of the type1 color combination is expressed by the attribute of color.
(3) The impression of the type2 color combination is expressed by the influence of each consisted color.
(4) The interaction among partition color and the color of wall and floor is found in the impression of the type3 color combination.

Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, volume 26, No.4, pp.224-235,2002

Kiwamu Maki, Nanae Tanaka, Mayuka Todome

Abstract
The combination of similar colors have been rated goodly in former experiments the author have conducted. However, such color combination means the lack of legibility.
The color combinations of character and background on LCD were rated by subjects in the first experiment to confirm which color combination is legible and good. The consequence shows that both of the legibility rating and the goodliness rating of color combination are highly correlated with the brightness difference between character color and background color.
In the second experiment, in which the goodliness of the color combination of the symbol and background was rated, was planed to determine whether the goodliness correlates brightness deference in case the figure don't have to be read. The consequence is similar to the first experiment that the brightness difference is the most influential factor of the goodliness judgement.

Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, volume 29, No.1, pp.2-13, 2005

－Focusing on the effect of the background color and individual differences－

Kiwamu Maki,Yuko Watanabe,Shoji Iijima

Abstract
The three experiments in which the subjects rated their impressions of color chips were conducted to clarify (1) the correlations among their impressions, (2) the individual difference dimension of color preference, and (3) the effect of the background color on the impression of the target color.
(1) The results of the factor analysis, conducted using the values of seven semantic differential scales, on the basis of which the rated impressions of 130 color chips on an N7 gray background were obtained, revealed a different factor from that obtained in past studies dealing with the same theme. The factor pertained to softness and warmth.
(2) The principal component analysis of the preference ratings of the individuals showed a two-dimensional plane related to brilliance and hue of color. This could explain the results of the past studies.
(3) The background color effect on the subjects' impressions was large on clearness and serenity.

keywords: Color Preference, Color Impression, Background Color, Individual Difference

Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, volume 31, No.1, pp.2-13, 2007

Kiwamu Maki, Akiho Namba

Abstract
The two color harmony theories based on color undertone, the one was advocated by F. Birren, and the another was advocated by R. Door which was named the Color Key Program, were examined using the data of subject's ratings of two color combinations, three color combinations and the room photographs that were color-simulated at the door, floor and wall.
The ratings didn't shift along the theories predicted. Instead of it, three similar rating tendency groups consisted of the individuals who preferred pale color combinations, or bright color combinations, or dynamic color combinations were obtained. Furthermore, the data indicate the change of influence of hue on different tone combinations.
These points lead to the conclusion that the color harmony theory should express the individual differences of preferences and the modification of the influences of three attributes of colors.

keywords: Preference, Impression, Color combination, Color harmony, Individual difference

Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, volume 31, No.4, pp. 244-256, 2007

Kiwamu Maki, Maya Akamatsu

Abstract
Color preference on products have been majored in the way that words indicating product category were shown to subjects to select their most favorite several colors from among dozens of color chips.
The authors conducted three experiments whose methods of presenting objects were different from each other, to examine the validity of the method that had been used. The product name and color chip were presented in experiment 1, the line figure of the product was added in experiment 2, and the color-simulated image was presented in experiment 3.
The mean ratings of two or three major subject groups were derived from the cluster analysis used to conduct a factor analysis. The factor coefficients of the products were similar not only among the subject groups but also among the experiments. On the other hand, the factor scores among colors varied among experiments 1, 2, to 3. The color preference differences among the subject groups were also varied from the former two to the third.
These consequents suggest that the survey that contains matching image of a color and a product generating process would be different from the survey using real products or image of products in some cases.
Keywords: Preference, Impression, Product, Stimulus presenting method

Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, volume 33, No.3, pp.239-250, 2009