Many people who select art for hospitals believe that children need different art than adults. It is common on pediatric wards to see teddy bears, clowns and Disneyesque cartoons. Is that really what kids want?
Dr. Upali Nanda and her team of researchers surveyed 64 children to find out what they preferred. Key Ideas:
- Realistic nature pictures were rated most popular; especially when there is something in the picture they can relate to
- When picking images consider having water elements, and/or friendly wildlife
- Bright colors work better than pale pastel colors
- Child-art (art drawn by children) is more suitable for younger children than for older children
- Beware when picking cartoon images, they are not always popular
This research was published in the Summer 2009 issue of HERD.The article is called: Pediatric Art Preferences: Countering the “One-Size-Fits-All” Approach.
Dr. Nanda is Vice President and Director of Research at American Art Resources in Houston, TX
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