Testing perceived landscape colour difference using the Internet

The visual impact of introduced objects-such as industry or power infrastructure-in the landscape is dependent on factors that relate to the object itself, the environment and the observer. The difference in colour between the introduced element and its environment is one of the object dependent variables. A number of formulae for colour difference have been developed and tested with particular regard to their use in the automobile and textile industries. The questions being explored here relate to the applicability of these formulae to estimation of contrasts in the landscape. In particular, (a) does a formula based approach provide a good estimate of perceived colour difference, and (b) what is the 'environment' of the object for colour difference calculation purposes. The experiment was undertaken by preparing twelve images which were included with an appropriate explanation and a questionnaire on an Internet page. This also provided the opportunity to test the World Wide Web as a medium for undertaking perception research.