Language and Color

LANGUAGE AND COLOR a just-for-fun Google Image test of color theory across various cultures John Nelson | uxblog.idvsolutions.com | @JohnNelsonIDV IDV Solutions | www.idvsolutions.com Sources | Google Image Search and Google Translate, July 2013 14,884,992,000 pixels 7,200 images 6 terms 5 languages 1 graphic music math Chinese 数学 Chinese 音乐 Hindi गणति Hindi science Arabic संगीत الریاضیات Chinese art 科学 वज्ञान Arabic موسيقي Russian Russian Hindi MATEMATIKA музыка English music 艺术 Hindi English math Araþic علوم Chinese Russian наука कला English science Arabic Искусство English art Russian Chinese दर्शन Hindi Arabic Russian English Google Image “quilt" Google Image "quilt" Component color semi-aggregation Absolute blending and Pixel-count by hue 80% grayscale removal A hack for looking into the association of a concept with a color. All pixels from each quilt are aggregated into a single average hue. Google Translate provided the approximate counterpart Localized versions of Google Image search provide culture-specific results. Edward Tufte A mottled blurring of the quilt provides a smoother indication of popular colors A more specific look at the proportional presence of colors from the quilt, providing insights into, and skepticism for, the fully for each term across five languages. These were used to feed each language- specific version of Google Image search. and overall contrast. termed the portrait of a Google Image search a "quilt." blended color. design Chinese 设计 Hindi रचना Arabiç philosophy Chinese تصميم Russian Дизайн 哲学 Hindi философия English design Arabic فلسفة Russian philosophy English