Monday 28 March 2016

In the Light of a Clear Blue Wall


Exclusively for Saturated Space, Neil Stephen Flannagan tells the story of colour in the spaces of Gallaudet University for the deaf and hard of hearing.


"A dull shade of blue is spreading on the walls of Gallaudet University. It’s not an official color, but rather a practical accommodation for its students, who are overwhelmingly Deaf and so primarily communicate in sign language. This blue provides a comfortable, clear background to read the hands and faces used to converse. The factors that make blue special connect race, digital media, and the peculiar rarity of the color in the human environment. What it implies is a clear functional role for coloration and a reminder that to be “human-centered,” design must grapple with troublesome issues of identity and history."