Multisensory Coding of Red and Blue in Interior Design for Older Adults and Visually Impaired Users: An Inclusive Design Perspective

Agnieszka Rek-Lipczyńska () and Aleksandra Kowalska
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Agnieszka Rek-Lipczyńska: Department of Interior Design, Faculty of Architecture, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Al. Piastów 17, 71-300 Szczecin, Poland
Aleksandra Kowalska: Department of Interior Design, Faculty of Architecture, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Al. Piastów 17, 71-300 Szczecin, Poland

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-35

Abstract: This article analyses the design aspects of multisensory colour experience in interior architecture. It presents the results of comparative studies on the perception of red and blue spatial environments through various senses (vision, hearing, smell, touch, and thermal sensation). The phenomenon of synaesthesia and its potential application in design are discussed, demonstrating how colors can be encoded and perceived through senses other than sight. Spatial solutions are proposed to enable blind individuals to experience color through touch (e.g., differentiated surface textures), sound (appropriate tones or rhythms), temperature (warm vs. cool lighting), and other environmental properties. The text includes references to the cultural and symbolic meanings of red and blue—covering cross-cultural differences and spatial characteristics attributed to these colors—based on an analysis of Stanisław Lem’s novel Solaris. Furthermore, the article formulates design recommendations from the perspective of sustainable development and inclusivity, taking into account European accessibility guidelines and universal design principles. The aim is to present an integrated approach to interior design, in which color becomes an experience accessible to all users, in line with the concept of “Design for All” and the principles of sustainable design.

Keywords: architecture; interior architecture; Design for All; multisensory design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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