World of colour emotion: about this website

Biography: Li-Chen Ou

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Department of Colour & Polymer Chemistry Li-Chen Ou is a Research Fellow at the Department of Colour Science, University of Leeds, UK. He has developed quantitative models of colour emotion, colour harmony, colour preference and image emotion using psychophysical scaling and psychophysiological methods.

Education

2004 PhD (Colour & Imaging Science), Colour & Imaging Institute, University of Derby, UK. Thesis title: “Quantification of Colour Emotion and Colour Harmony”.

1997 MA (Design), Institute of Applied Arts, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. Thesis title: “Influences of Colour Interval and Area Factor on Colour Harmony”.

1995 BEng (Industrial Design), Department of Industrial Design, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.

Qualification

2007 Applied Colour Psychology, Society of Dyers and Colourists , UK.

Memberships

Since 2009, Reporter R1-48: Colour Emotion and Harmony, International Commission on Illumination (CIE)
Since 2008, Member, Design Research Society: Special Interest Group on Design for Health and Wellbeing
Since 2004, Member, Colour Group (Great Britain)
Since 2001, Member, Design Research Society

Area of Interests

Colour emotion; colour harmony; image emotion; affective design; user experience design.

See my design work.

Industrial Projects

2009-present, “Colour Distribution in Complex Arrays - Predicting and Modelling Pack Stand Out”, sponsored by Unilever, UK.

2009-present, “Affective Quality for Digital Images: Effects of Spatial Composition”, sponsored by Hewlett-Packard Company, US.

2009-present, “A Cross-cultural Database for Colour Emotion/Harmony”, sponsored by Clothworkers Innovation Fund, UK.

2009-present, “Colour Emotion and Harmony between Cultures and Age Groups”, in collaboration with the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan.

2008-2009, “Affective Quality for Digital Images”, sponsored by Hewlett-Packard Company, US.

2007-2009, “Development of Colour Design Tool”, in collaboration with Marks & Spencer, UK.

2007, “Colour and Performance in Football and Business”, sponsored by E.ON, UK.

2006-2007, “Benjamin Moore Colour Communication System”, sponsored by Benjamin Moore & Co., USA.

2004-2006, “Colour Selection Methods for Interior Painting”, sponsored by Benjamin Moore & Co., USA.

2003-2004, “A Cross-cultural Study on Colour Emotion and Colour Harmony in Association with the Ultra-colour System”, sponsored by Oki Printing Solutions (Europe), UK.

2001-2002, “Verification of the Ultra-colour System”, sponsored by Colour Affects, UK.

Research Supervision

PhD

Joohee Jun (since 2007), Quantification of colour and image emotions
Shuo-Ting Wei (since 2006), Affective effects of colour and imaging on packaging design

MSc (by research)

Wenwen Song (2007-2008), Colour semantics for logo design in the UK and Japan
Jing Wang (2007-2008), Colour semantics and personality in fashion design
Kai-Ping Chang (2006-2007), Effects of texture on colour semantics and harmony

BSc (final year projects)

Joanne Bainbridge (2008-2009), Colour emotion and harmony for webpage designs
Sarah Crownshaw (2008-2009), Effects of texture on semantic meanings for coloured fabrics
Mingyu Zhang (2007-2008), A colour-personality study based on seasonal theories
Xingmei Wang (2005-2006), Effects of spatial configuration on colour semantics and harmony

Journal Article Reviewing

Since 2008, Lighting Research and Technology
Since 2008, Psychological Report: Perceptual & Motor Skills
Since 2007, Colour: Design & Creativity
Since 2005, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
Since 2004, Color Research and Application

Publications

a) Patents

Chong, P., Minchew, C., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Color Notation System, United States Patent and Trademark Office, US 12/476,839; Canadian Intellectual Property Office, CA 2,668,087 (application, 2009).

Ou, L., Luo, M. R., Chong, P. and Minchew, C., Color Selection System, World Intellectual Property Organization, WO 2009/009672 (application, 2009).

b) Journal Articles

Ou, L., Chong, P., Luo, M. R. and Minchew, C., Additivity of colour harmony, Color Research and Application, under review.

Hutchings, J., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Measurement of design impact, Color Research and Application, under review.

Iwase, M., Nishida, Y., Kitaguchi, S., Sato, T., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Visual impression about colour of football shirts: investigation using moving and static images of football games, Colour: Design & Creativity, accepted (2010).

Lee, W., Luo, M. R. and Ou, L., Assessing the affective feelings of two- and three-dimensional objects, Color Research and Application 34, 75-83 (2009).

Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., A colour harmony model for two-colour combinations, Color Research and Application 31, 191-204 (2006).

Rhodes, P. A. and Ou, L., 3-D representation of colour space, Surface Coatings International Part A, 172-174 (2006).

Ou, L., Luo, M. R., Woodcock, A. and Wright, A., A study of colour emotion and colour preference, Part I: colour emotions for single colours, Color Research and Application 29, 232-240 (2004).

Ou, L., Luo, M. R., Woodcock, A. and Wright, A., A study of colour emotion and colour preference, Part II: colour emotions for two-colour combinations, Color Research and Application 29, 292-298 (2004).

Ou, L., Luo, M. R., Woodcock, A. and Wright, A., A study of colour emotion and colour preference, Part III: colour preference modelling, Color Research and Application 29, 381-389 (2004).

Chuang, M. and Ou, L., Influence of a holistic colour interval on colour harmony, Color Research and Application 26, 29-39 (2001).

c) Refereed Conference Papers

Ou, L., Song, W., Cui, G., Luo, M. R., Tetsushi, M., Kitaguchi, S. and Sato, T., Logo colour and commercial sector: a cross-cultural study, Proceedings of the 11th Congress of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Sydney, Australia, on CD (2009).

Wei, S., Ou, L., Luo, M. R. and Hutchings, J. B., Quantification of the relations between juice colour and consumer expectations, Proceedings of the 11th Congress of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Sydney, Australia, on CD (2009).

Ou, L., Song, W., Yuan, Y., Luo, M. R., Ide, F. and Sato, T., Logo colours for leading companies in the UK and Japan, Proceedings of Design & Emotion Conference, Hong Kong, China, on CD (2008).

Ou, L., Luo, M. R. and Cui, G., A colour design tool based on empirical studies, Proceedings of Design Research Society (DRS) International Conference, Sheffield, UK, on CD (2008).

Wei, S., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Colour design for carton-packed fruit juice packages, Proceedings of Design Research Society (DRS) International Conference, Sheffield, UK, on CD (2008).

Wei, S., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Impacts of package colours on consumers’ preferences in image colour, contrast and sharpness: taking orange juice packaging design as an example, Proceedings of IS&T's Fourth European Conference on Colour in Graphics, Imaging and Vision (CGIV), Barcelona, Spain, on CD (2008).

Wei, S., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., The associations between package colour and consumer expectations: taking orange juice package design as an example, Proceedings of Interim Meeting of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Stockholm, Swedem, on CD (2008).

Chang, K., Ou, L., Luo, M. R. and Best, J., Impacts of texture on colour emotion and harmony for combinations of textile samples, Proceedings of Interim Meeting of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Stockholm, Swedem, on CD (2008).

Ou, L., Yuan, Y. and Luo, M. R., Logo colours for leading British companies, Proceedings of Interim Meeting of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Stockholm, Swedem, on CD (2008).

Wei, S., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Package colour and consumer expectations, Proceedings of the International Conference on Kansei Engineering and Emotion Research, Sapporo, Japan, I-10 (2007).

Chang, K., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., The impact of texture on colour emotion, Proceedings of the International Conference on Kansei Engineering and Emotion Research, Sapporo, Japan, F-14 (2007).

Wang, X., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Colour emotion and area proportion, Proceedings of Mid-term Meeting of the AIC, Hangzhou, China, 33-36 (2007).

Wang, X., Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Influence of area proportion on colour harmony, Proceedings of International Conference on Colour Harmony, Budapest, Hungary, on CD (2007).

Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Psychophysical models for colour planning, Proceedings of International Design Congress – IASDR 2005, Yunlin, Taiwan, on CD (2005).

Iwase, M., Luo, M. R., Hong, G., Ou, L. and Han B., The relationship between emotions and coloured sport shirts under different background conditions, Proceedings of the 10th Congress of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Granada, Spain, 1359-1362 (2005).

Ou, L., Luo, M. R., Cui, G., Woodcock, A., Billger, M., Stahre, B., Huertas, R., Tremeau, A., Dinet, E., Richter, K. and Guan, S., The effect of culture on colour emotion and preference, Proceedings of the 10th Congress of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Granada, Spain, 259-262 (2005).

Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., A new approach to colour psychology, Proceedings of the 10th Congress of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Granada, Spain, 1347-1350 (2005).

Ou, L., Luo, M. R., Wright, A., Cui, G., Woodcock, A., Billger, M., Huertas, R. and Tremeau, A., A cross-cultural study on colour emotion and colour harmony, Proceedings of Design Research Society (DRS) International Conference, Melbourne, Australia, on CD (2004).

Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Colour emotions for real objects, Proceedings of Design Research Society (DRS) International Conference, Melbourne, Australia, on CD (2004).

Ou, L., Luo, M. R., Cui, G., Woodcock, A., Guan, S. and Tung, D., Influence of different cultures and display media on colour emotions. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Design and Emotion, Ankara, Turkey, on CD (2004).

Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., A study of colour harmony for two-colour combinations, Proceedings of the 6th Asian Design International Conference, Tsukuba, Japan, on CD (2003).

Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Factors affecting colour harmony for two-colour combinations, Proceedings of Mid-term Meeting of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Bangkok, Thailand, 379-382 (2003).

Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Colour emotion and colour preference for single colours, Proceedings of International Conference on Colour Emotion Research and Application, Bangkok, Thailand, 45-49 (2002).

Ou, L. and Luo, M. R., Colour preference and colour emotion, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Design and Emotion, Loughborough, UK, 185-189 (2002).

Ou, L. and Chuang, M., A study on the influences of colour interval and area factor on colour harmony, Proceedings of the 8th Congress of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Kyoto, Japan, 691-694 (1997).

Chuang, M. and Ou, L., A study on the influence of colour to area perception on a CRT display, Proceedings of the 8th Congress of the Association Internationale de la Coleur (AIC), Kyoto, Japan, 147-150 (1997).

Invited Lectures

2009, Ewha Womans University - Cluster for Advanced Information Display with Enhanced Human Sensibility Ergonomics, Seoul, South Korea. Lecture title: Colour, Image and Emotion.

2009, Kyoto Institute of Technology - International Conference of Colour Emotion Research and Application, Kyoto, Japan. Lecture title: Logo Colour Usage and Expectations.

2009, Science and Technology Division of Taipei Representative Office in the UK - Taiwan Scientific Symposium, Lancaster, UK. Lecture title: A Colour Design Tool Based on Empirical Studies.

2008, Unilever Research and Development, Port Sunlight, UK. Lecture title: Kansei Engineering in Colour Design.

2007, The Colour Group (Great Britain) General Meeting, London, UK. Lecture title: Colour Emotion and Harmony based on Psychophysical Experiment.

2007, Imaging Science Group of the Royal Photographic Society - Digital Futures 2007 Conference, London, UK. Lecture title: Colour Emotion and Harmony.

2007, Faraday Packaging Partnership – Colour Workshop, Leeds, UK. Lecture title: Colour Emotion for Packaging Design.

2006, Kyoto Institute of Technology - International Conference of Colour Emotion Research and Application, Kyoto, Japan. Lecture title: A New Approach to Colour Psychology.

2005, Oil and Colour Chemists Association - SURCON Conference, Durham, UK. Lecture title: Three-Dimensional Representation of Colour Space.

2004, National Physical Laboratory - Optical Radiation Measurement Club Annual Meeting, London, UK. Lecture title: Developing a Colour Harmony Model.

2004, The Colour Group (Great Britain) General Meeting, London, UK. Lecture title: Factors Affecting Colour Harmony.

Book Contribution

Labudovic, A. and Rose, S. (Ed.), Color in Graphics. Barcelona: Maomao Publications, 2008.

Former Colour & Imaging Institute

View a QTVR of the former CII lawn: