Color Maps: Research Themes and Trajectories

Editor's note

Abstract

Issue 17(1) of the "Color Culture and Science – Cultura e Scienza del Colore Journal – CCSJ" brings together nine contributions that testify to the vitality and plurality of approaches with which color continues to be the object of study and reflection in the most diverse disciplinary fields. The essays presented here embrace a broad and articulated thematic arc, ranging from visual perception and sensorial correspondences to sustainable and inclusive design aesthetics through communication strategies in the financial, marketing, and cultural fields, up to the conservation of photographic heritage and critical reflection on chromatic symbolism. A common thread emerges clearly: the centrality of color as a tool of meaning and as a mediator between perception, culture, and technology.

The set of contributions offers an updated and in-depth overview of current research on color, through methodologies that intertwine empirical investigation, semiotic analysis, visual experimentation, study of design practices, and technical-scientific evaluation of materials. This variety reflects the intrinsically transdisciplinary nature of color studies, which are fueled by the dialogue between the hard sciences and the human sciences, between laboratory experimentation and field applications, and between the most advanced technologies and the symbolic and anthropological dimension.

This issue features both studies that explore new applications and meanings attributed to color in emerging fields — such as the economics of sustainability or sensory marketing — and research that delves into consolidated but still little-investigated phenomena, such as the color experience of people with visual impairments or the preservation of photographic materials of great artistic value. The picture is completed by a dense and culturally sophisticated monograph on the color pink and its connection with gender issues, as well as pioneering research on color symbolism in the financial field.

The issue is, therefore, configured as a coherent and stimulating mosaic, capable of reflecting the wealth of perspectives with which color continues to be questioned in contemporary times.

The fact that color is more than just a visual phenomenon is becoming increasingly apparent. Rather, it is a multifaceted prism that allows us to perceive, speak, and comprehend the world. As we examine the diverse fields of color science and its many uses, this becomes clear. In addition to fostering a deeper comprehension of the intricate web of life and its profound impacts on science, society, and culture, the papers in this issue aim to encourage more research, dialogue, and collaboration.

Colorful regards,

April 2025
The Editor-in-Chief
Maurizio Rossi, MSc, PhD
Full professor of Design
Politecnico di Milano