July 21, 2014

Building a case for “slime green”

If you were playing a word association game, what would be your immediate response to the word “green?” Would you visualize the brilliant blue-green of a tropical ocean, a verdant bed of velvety moss, silver-green willow branches, the lush deep green of a pine scented arbor, the sophisticated sparkle of emeralds, or the sickly yellow-green associated with nausea and mold or slimy, scary creatures?

As the range of green is enormous, so are the possibilities of positive or negative associations.

If you are one who views the yellow-greens as “slimy” and associate the color with negative associations, this blog post is for you.

In my book Colors For Your Every Mood, I wrote about “Slimy Green” and the many associations (see opening paragraph) with the color being connected to things of an unappealing nature. Today, I would like to discuss a few positive attributes of “slime green.”

As the color may differ for each purpose, the greens that fall in the bright, neon, and fluorescent family are best suited for safety.

Screen shot 2014-07-21 at 11.20.22 AM

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Safety Council recommend that kids and adults “…always wear neon, fluorescent, or other bright colors when riding day or night.”

One bicycle enthusiast’s blog titled “THE DECIDEDLY UNFASHIONABLE CHARTREUSE SAFETY VEST” where he writes about the joys/pains of wearing such a color: safety versus fashion?

It’s not much of a choice, when you think about it.

Another area to highlight (pun intended) is the use of highly-visible clothing as worn by workers who are around moving vehicles.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) identifies their criteria for “high-visibility safety apparel” as any clothing worn that has highly reflective properties or a color that is easily discernible from any background.” They also have this to say about the standard:

“The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) is ‘the trade association for manufacturers of safety and personal protective equipment’. ISEA is accredited by the ANSI as a standard developing organization.”

So, the next time you are turning your nose up at the sight of those sulfuric yellow-greens, keep in mind that the color is keeping your loved ones alive whether they are in the field or on the streets.

Remember: with color it is CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT.

Did I change your mind on yellow-green?