Colour strategies in mental health promotion posters in China and the UK: a cross-cultural pattern recognition analysis

Mental health promotion is increasingly recognised as a global imperative, with visualcommunication—including posters displayed on websites—playing a crucial role in shapingpublic perception and fostering awareness about human well-being. this article reports across-cultural pattern recognition analysis involving two colour studies. Study 1 investigatesthe use of colours in mental health promotion posters displayed on chinese and Britishuniversity websites of nanjing, Shenzhen, edinburgh, and london. computational methods,including K-means clustering and euclidean distance metrics within the cielaB colour space,were employed to analyse the 30 most prevalent colours used in the poster designs. thefindings reveal that chinese posters predominantly feature vibrant, warm colours, while Britishposters use a varied palette and favour cooler, muted tones. Study 2 explores similarities anddifferences in colour choices perceived as relevant for use in mental health posters by visualdesigners of the four cities. By offering a city-level comparison, the study uncovers nuanceddistinctions in how regional contexts influence colour choices and shape visual trends withregard to mental health promotion. the results advocate for the integration of data-drivenand human-centred insights into the understanding of colour choices to ensure that mentalhealth promotion remains both visually engaging and perceptually relevant across diverseglobal audiences.