Goethe got it wrong but Bieber got it right away

Yellow

Goethe's 'Theory of Colour' advocated both Yellow and Blue as the First colours of the spectrum, largely due to the agency of sun and sky alike. While no doubt pleasing to Swedes and Ikea executives Goethe was a little premature in that assertion as Newton subsequently proved. These fans of Justin Bieber give credence to the fact that Yellow is the first colour the eye sees. Blog post by the mum below

Yellow is the color the eye first sees

This is a fact that my child investigated on google (and one i already knew -- think mc donald's golden arches, shell gas station, and a host of other advertising examples) as she prepared to dress for the justin bieber concert tonight. She and her friend decided they wanted to be noticed. and GUESS WHAT! He did! He gave the girls in yellow a shout out - they were actually sitting close enough that this is not a figment of their imagination. Good for them! As Jade says, her Bieber fever has risen about 30 degrees after this concert!

This image from the cover of Learning from Las Vegas lets us know that the memo on the visual potency of yellow had definitely reached Vegas by 1972. Yellow billboard, taxi, fire hydrant, motel sign and other assorted signage are testament to that. However yellow is also a visual irritant and needs to be used sparingly. That memo didn't reach Vegas. It did reach Ikea. While the signage of Ikea mirrors the Swedish flag and thus Ikea's use can be seen perhaps as a coincidence it is safe to say that if the Swedish Flag was grey and black it would not be used so pointedly by Ikea. Ikea's use of yellow within the store is restrained and purposeful. Drawing our attention to prices, price reductions and the multitude of goods marked at 9kr. Outside the store it achieves its one true aim of grabbing the attention of the passing vehicular traffic.

This from colormatters.com

Yellow, pure bright lemon yellow is the most fatiguing color. Why? The answer comes from the physics of light and optics. More light is reflected by bright colors, resulting in excessive stimulation of the eyes. Therefore, yellow is an eye irritant. Babies cry more in yellow rooms, husbands and wives fight more in yellow kitchens, and opera singers throw more tantrums in yellow dressing rooms. Be careful how you use it. In practical application, do not paint the walls of a critical task environment yellow. Also, do not use yellow legal pads (but it will give you a jolt and temporarily wake your brain up), and do not use yellow as a background on your computer monitor.

This may explain the sign in Learning from Las Vegas offering free aspirin!