The older I get the more i become repelled by color. The flashier the design the less I want to interact with it. It’s a bit inconvenient considering design is my profession but I’m finding it to be the case for digital and physical products - especially physical.
Discussion
I did change the action button on my iPhone to go monochrome when you explain how to do it a few month ago… I barely use it.
I like the colour, the sparks, the shiny side of life.
I’m not a total hater of color - it’s very useful. I guess I’m talking more broadly about over-designed and excessively colorful things. Somehow I get tired and stressed out when I’m looking at something bright. It’s not immediate, but over longer timeframe it bothers me a bit. It’s like things are screaming for my attention, and I’m aware of this and my mind actively fights it for me.
Maybe this is why I prefer white and black so much. Most of my clothes are black and most of my designs are more on the plain side.
This reminds me of MacOS going from Aqua 3D colorful in 2000 to flattened subtle now. Adding by removing type deal?
The latter part of Aldous Huxley's "The doors of perception/heaven and hell" touches neatly on how the availability of colour (inks, neon lights, screens) has muted our sensitivity to it. What once entranced and hypnotised us is now mundane.
You probably feel more sensitive/averted due to being overwhelmed by today's pallette.
It’s not the effect of japan on you?
I find things to be very bland here. But slowly I’m starting to prefer bland. But then when I see some colorful accents, I remember how nice color is.
I guess that's what it's supposed to be.
With deteriorating eyesight, I find that I need good contrast more than anything. Simple designs definitely help here and make the products more appealing to me. Darkmode has been especially helpful for me. If the product doesn’t look good in darkmode (like some corporate email templates), I struggle with it.