Are color preferences determined by the environment in which you grew up?

We conducted a workshop during a university lecture on the theme of whether the environment in which you grew up has a significant impact on your color preferences.

It is thought that the natural environment, family atmosphere, family structure, and personal experiences shape sensitivity and preferences toward color.

The environment in which you grew up becomes a factor influencing your color preferences.

Urban areas, nature-rich mountainous regions, and coastal areas
It is said that people who grew up in cities tend to prefer monotone colors like gray, black, and white due to the influence of buildings and infrastructure, while those who grew up in nature-rich environments often prefer colors that remind them of nature, such as green and brown, but the opposite can also be true. If the family environment was not a happy one, people may seek out things that are the opposite of that environment.

2. Natural scenery

The influence of Japan's four seasons
In Japan, because people are accustomed to the seasons of plum blossoms and cherry blossoms, pale pink and green are often preferred. Also, in regions where autumn foliage is beautiful, red and orange can trigger nostalgia, making people feel as if they have returned to childhood or bringing back memories of school field trips.

3. Family atmosphere

Living in apartments, detached houses with gardens, collective housing, interior decor, and the family atmosphere also have an influence.
The colors of wallpaper, curtains, and furniture that one was accustomed to seeing in childhood influence the colors that one unconsciously feels comfortable with. Whether one feels an affinity for cool colors like blue and green, or prefers warm colors like yellow and orange due to parents' preferences for interior colors, the reverse is also true.

Family structure may also have an influence.
Personality is formed by the number of brothers and sisters, birth order, and whether or not one wore so-called "hand-me-down" clothes.
Furthermore, even among parents and family members of the same generation, the scenery they have seen may differ depending on their occupation.

4. Personal experience

Emotional connections are also involved.
Colors linked to positive events or memories become special to that person.
• Example: If the winning flag at a sports day was red, one is more likely to feel vitality or confidence in the color red.
• The colors of characters or toys liked in childhood also have an influence.

5. Climate

In cold regions, there is a tendency to prefer red and orange, which evoke warmth, while in hot regions, cool blue and white are popular.

6. The current state of color marketing

Including psychological and physiological perspectives, target segments, and further narrowed-down personas.
In an age where diversity is emphasized, simply categorizing people as Gen Z, the Bubble generation, or the Lost Generation is being questioned for its lack of depth.
This is essential for future color marketing.

7. Workshop practical examples

A workshop exploring the environment you grew up in and your color preferences
1. Have participants recall the colors of the scenery and home interiors of the place where they grew up.
A parent's occupation and family structure can also be factors.

2. Discuss colors that were calming in that environment versus colors that were disliked.

3. Compare color trends by environment and share how color preferences were formed.