The power of colour for good is not in doubt. For example, colour appearance, colour contrast, and colour difference form the foundation of all visually perceived attributes of a product or scene. Colour can have a profound effect on an individual's moods and feelings, and designers exploit these effects to provide acceptable spaces in which we can live with minimal stress and optimal comfort. Designers, artists, and teachers of design are asking scientists to become more involved in helping them understand the designed environment. Science now has the tools to discover and quantify links between physical design and the feelings of the viewer. This editorial advocates continuing the extension of the total appearance concept, originally developed for foods, to wider problems of design in general. (C) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.