Keywords

1 Introduction

Nowadays, the world population is faced with the trend of aging and China is completely entering into the aging society around 2000. The latest survey data shows that the population of 65 years old or above reached 109.56 million in 2008, accounting for 8.3% of the total population, with an increase of 0.2% over the previous year [1]. In China, more and more elderly people live alone, and more and more their children work far away from home. China’s national conditions determine that the elderly’s life is arduous and complicated. Therefore, it is necessary to study how to improve and design the living environment of the elderly.

When entering the old age, people will be faced with the decline in various abilities, such as physical function including vision, hearing, language ability and limb movement function and cognitive ability including perception, memory, attention and learning ability degradation. More than 80% of the necessary information received from people’s social life comes from the visual system, [2] mainly through visual sensitivity of human body, visual field, color vision and the minimum recognition critical value on vision and a series of visual function which can apperceive the surrounding environment [3]. When it comes to the photopia vision, the human body can apperceive different colors of visible light to form the color vision [4]. The human eyes not only improve the acceptance speed, but also enrich daily life through rapid screening and identification of color information the outside world. However, the vision of the elderly usually declines, and the field of vision shrinks; the color recognition weakens, especially for blue and green color; visual sensitivity weakens, especially for the sensitivity of dynamic objects.

The trend of product packaging is required to consider the actual needs of the elderly and the product packaging design based on the needs. In order to improve the life quality of the elderly and facilitate the daily life of the elderly, color recognition and analysis have been taken into consideration for packaging design, which minimizes the cost and maximize the effect, as well as realizes the subtle discrepancy on the physiological function between men and women.

2 Characteristics and Differences of Body Function and Visual Between Male and Female

The human eye tissue structure changes with age, and gradually there will be some phenomenon of visual degradation, which causes certain inconvenience to the daily life of the elderly. Based on the known theory about the color vision of the elderly and environmental aspects, the color selection of the elderly daily product packaging is analyzed, emphasizing two analysis aspects including the color recognition between male and female and the color preference of different genders, which provides reference for the color design suitable for the packaging of elderly’s product. There are great differences in the vision between men and women: women have stronger color recognition than men, and men have the visual advantages in the sensitivity of the details on the distant objects and the ability to track fast moving objects. The researchers claim that this distinction starts form the ancient times because men and woman have different roles in the long-term social labor division.

2.1 Physical Function and Visual Characteristics of the Elderly

Compared with the young, the eye tissue structure of the elderly has a series of changes occurred, which results in a visual degradation. On the one hand the aging cornea and lens lead to color perception change and light transmission performance weakens, which cause the visual effects of the elderly turn yellow and the corresponding human perception changes. It is difficult to recognize the color blue and green, but the rest color of red, orange, yellow and others are relatively easy to identify. Human recognition ability for the discrepancy of color, brightness and saturation correspondingly decline, thereto there is little changes for the recognition for brightness difference. In addition, with age, changes of human cornea lead to the light scattering, and the pupil becomes smaller, which causes sensitivity for light declines and the adjustment function of eyes declines due to the changes of vitreous structure and retina. Changes of eye tissue structure are expressed by a series of phenomenon of physiological changes on the eyes such as physiological presbyopia, changes on bright and dark vision, decline of contrast sensitivity, sensitivity of glare and decline of vision and depth of field, even cataract, glaucoma and senile ocular lesion [5].

2.1.1 Common Functional Degradation of the Elderly

  1. (A)

    Cataract: the elderly with cataract cannot see things clearly and the sight seems be blocked because transparent lens produce sclerosis, turbidity and other lesions. Severe cataract has the following symptoms: blurred vision, photophobia, darker image color, when reading light is low, the degree of glasses changes.

  2. (B)

    Presbyopia: As time goes, the lens of the eye will gradually harden and lose the original flexibility, which cause the adjustment function of eyes weakens and make it difficult to work and read in the close distance with the symptoms [2] of fatigue, pain and swelling, and even headache, nausea etc. [6].

2.1.2 The Data Is Old

At present, data collection about the elderly in China is still in the stage of infancy. There are very few studies on the visual discrepancy of color discrimination between the male and female elderly. There is some information on visual illusion and visual degradation and visual characteristics of the elderly etc. However, there are few specific distinctions visual differences between the male and female elderly. So the reference data in terms of color identification for the elderly is relatively poor.

2.2 Research on Color Identification Between the Male and Female Elderly

Because there are still differences of color vision between the male and female elderly, this study is to make the elderly of different genders identify and choose the best option by Munsell color system, PCCS color card and the color of the common packaging in life, as well as, summarize visual difference between the male and female elderly according to statistical data of SPSS analysis.

3 Experiment

3.1 Experimental Objectives

This article aimed at the target group of the elderly between 65 and 75 years old, whose physical function drops significantly compared with the younger old people between 60 and 65 years old. However, the elderly more than 75 years old are on the stage of relative self-reliance and capable of completing necessary trivia in life and going to the supermarket to buy products. Therefore, 50 elderly male between 65 and 75 years old and 50 elderly female between 65 and 75 years old are chosen as the objects of study. In this study, those objects of research are from Guangdong and Inner Mongolia respectively, which shows the difference between the north and south and universal meaning.

3.2 The Measurement Parts

Thought the Munsell lightness color card, PCCS color ring and product packaging, the elderly are interviewed to choose more clear color and the code of color ring preferred in accordance with the contrast effects of the samples. The experimental data is received through investigation and interview to the objects of study.

3.3 The Measurement Methods and Tools

In order to ensure the accuracy of data, we invited a professional to participate in the whole experimental process. The main method is to show fifty elderly men and fifty elderly women all these three experimental samples including PCCS hue circles, six color packaging samples with main colors of red, yellow, blue and green, and three color rings with high, medium and low brightness and then choose their most recognizable and favorite color, packaging sample and color ring respectively. The date recorded is used to make the graph and analyzed (Figs. 1, 2 and 3).

Fig. 1.
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Sample 1 (Color figure online)

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Fig. 2.
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Sample 2 (Color figure online)

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Fig. 3.
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Sample 3 (Color figure online)

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4 Data Analysis

4.1 The Data Prepossessing

In order to ensure the accuracy and reliability of data, 100 elderly people between 65 and 75 are chosen as the object of study. Measurement data are processed and some repeated data are deleted after checking. 100 valid data are received with effective rate of 100%.

4.2 The Analysis Methods

SPSS data analysis software is used to analyze the data, and then the differences of visual color identification between male and female elderly from north and south are summarized and compared.

4.3 The Analysis of Data

After statistics and analysis of the data, we can learn about the histogram of experimental materials (Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15).

Fig. 4.
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The distribution of sample 1 clear(M)

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Fig. 5.
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The distribution of sample 1 preference(M)

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Fig. 6.
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The distribution of sample 2 clear(M)

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Fig. 7.
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The distribution of sample 2 preference(M)

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Fig. 8.
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The distribution of sample 3 clear(M)

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Fig. 9.
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The distribution of sample 3 preference(M)

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Fig. 10.
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The distribution of sample 1 clear(W)

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Fig. 11.
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The distribution of sample 1 preference(W)

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Fig. 12.
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The distribution of sample 2 clear(W)

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Fig. 13.
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The distribution of sample 2 preference(W)

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Fig. 14.
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The distribution of sample 3 clear(W)

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Fig. 15.
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The distribution of sample 3 preference(W)

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4.4 The Analysis of Data Difference

SPSS software 20.0 is used for analysis and the results are as follows:

4.4.1 Descriptive Analysis

Below is the analysis of frequency, that is, the sample frequency, percentage, effective percentage, cumulative percentage.

4.4.1.1 4.4.1.1 The Clearest

See Tables 1, 2 and 3.

Table 1. PCCS (The Clearest)
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Table 2. Sample of Food Packaging (The Clearest)
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Table 3. Color Group of Different Brightness (The Clearest)
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4.4.1.2 4.4.1.2 The Most Favorite

See Tables 4, 5 and 6.

Table 4. PCCS (The Most Favorite)
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Table 5. Sample of Food Packaging (The Most Favorite)
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Table 6. Color Group of Different Brightness (The Most Favorite)
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4.4.2 Chi-Square Testing

P < 0.05 is taken as a criteria of statistical difference, the results are as follows:

4.4.2.1 4.4.2.1 The Clearest

As seen from Table 7, P tested by the chi-square or Fisher for the most favorite colors of packaging bags between different genders is less than 0.05. Therefore, there is the discrepancy of the favorite colors of packaging bags between different genders.

Table 7. PCCS (Chi-Square Testing of The Clearest)
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As seen from Table 8, P tested by the chi-square or Fisher for the most favorite packaging bags of food product between different genders is = 0.150 > 0.05. Therefore, there are no discrepancies of the clearest hue circles between different genders.

Table 8. Sample of Food Packaging (Chi-Square of The Clearest)
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As seen from the Table 9, P tested by the chi-square or Fisher for the clearest colors between different genders is = 0.090 > 0.05. Therefore, there are no discrepancies of the clearest colors between different genders.

Table 9. Color Group of Different Brightness (Chi-Square of The Clearest)
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4.4.2.2 4.4.2.2 The Most Favorite

As seen from Table 10, P tested by the chi-square or Fisher for the most favorite colors between different genders is less than 0.05. Therefore, there is the discrepancy of the favorite colors between different genders.

Table 10. PCCS (Chi-Square of The Most Favorite)
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As seen from Table 11, P tested by the chi-square or Fisher for the most favorite colors of packaging bags between different genders is less than 0.05. Therefore, there is the discrepancy of the favorite colors of packaging bags between different genders.

Table 11. Sample of Food Packaging (Chi-Square of The Most Favorite)
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As seen from Table 12, P tested by the chi-square or Fisher for the most favorite colors between different genders is less than 0.05. Therefore, there is the discrepancy of the favorite colors between different genders.

Table 12. Color Group of Different Brightness (Chi-Square of The Most Favorite)
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Brief analysis are listed as follows:

  1. (1)

    There are significant differences of color tendency for the elderly between male and female.

  2. (2)

    There are significant differences on the length of the wavelength of visual color formed in the eyeballs of the elderly between male and female.

  3. (3)

    There are significant differences on the hue saturation of the elderly between male and female.

  4. (4)

    There are no significant differences on the color brightness between male and female.

  5. (5)

    Women’s color recognition is stronger than men, and men have the advantage of unity and decisiveness in choosing color.

  6. (6)

    In terms of recognition, the majority of men and women choose warm colors.

  7. (7)

    In terms of preferences, there are obvious differences of preference for the elderly between male and female, which is likely to follow the current color understanding between men and women. Generally speaking, men prefer blue and green and other cool colors, while women have a preference of red, yellow and other warm colors.

  8. (8)

    In terms of color brightness, the male and female elderly people generally choose the color group of medium brightness, that is, the N4 group, but there are some slight differences in preference, men prefer N3 and N4, while women have a preference for N3 and N5. Therefore, compared with men, women prefer the soft tone with lower brightness.

5 Conclusion

Some research in the journal Gender Biology claim that in the majority of the visible spectrum men and women need longer wavelengths to form the same chrominance in the eye [7]. Based on a survey on Chinese men and female elderly people, it is found that the elderly’s preference for color mainly depends on two factors: First, visual factors, for the single color, the elderly prefer the medium brightness color because visual ability of the elderly weakens and the medium brightness color looks more vivid. While more elderly women choose the color red than elderly men. However, there are no significant differences in the aspect of age. In terms of color configuration, the elderly generally has preference in the color or color matching that is bright and easy for visual perception with strong visual impact. For the colors such as red, orange and other warm colors, the same color of red looks more red for men, compared with women. However, for the color of green looks more green for women, compared with men. Second, psychological condition makes most of the elderly need the bright and lively colors due to their psychological need. Therefore, the elderly has a preference of warm color and subconsciously think those sunshine-likely colors symbolize the vibrant life, youth and energy.

Therefore, those factors should be fully taken into account for packaging design for the elderly. In according with people-oriented basic, the correct emotional color with medium saturation and brightness is used to design the packaging of product. However, the relatively distinguished colors neither produce stimulus for the vision of the elderly, nor have color confusion for the elderly with poor visional function. Besides, the large scale color matching that is difficult to distinguish should be avoided including the color white and yellow, blue and gray, blue and green and other colors.