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Navigating through the transformative arenas of New Futures, we unearth the symbiotic dialogue between colour, light, and the fabric of our daily existence. Dutton’s (2023) visionary landscapes echo with the potential of agency, urging us to consciously curate our environments to resonate with well-being and productivity. This proactive engagement can be mirrored in the way Melbourne University students interact with colour and light in their academic environments. A realm where we envision the best versions of our futures, colour can be perceived as a medium to sculpt our utopian academic atmospheres. By understanding and exercising agency over the hues that imbue our study spaces, we can construct atmospheres that resonate with positive energy and heightened focus, akin to the utopian ideals Dutton discusses (Dutton, 2023).

In the transformative paradigm of new futures, Dutton’s discussions on agency illuminate the idea that students, through conscious choices, can harness the spectrum of colours to optimize their environments for well-being and productivity (Dutton, 2023). Gooday’s historical insights provide a contextual panorama, detailing the revolution of our encounters with colour due to artificial lighting's evolution (Gooday, 2016). Our analysis on Goethe's work further reinforce the profound emotional and psychological resonances of colour, emphasizing its undeniable influence on our decision-making processes and overall cognitive performance (Goethe, 2023). As we chart the course towards a utopian academic future, understanding the interplay of colour and light becomes crucial. Their combined agency offers a vibrant tool to craft academic experiences that resonate with holistic well-being, thereby aligning with the utopian visions and new futures' ideals articulated by Dutton.

Dutton's "New Futures" casts a spotlight on the concept of futures literacy, emphasising the need for individuals to navigate the fluid terrains of our evolving world with adaptability and foresight (Dutton, 2023). Drawing parallels with colour's profound influence on mood, the art of futures literacy can be likened to the nuanced understanding of how different hues affect students' daily functionalities. Just as futures literacy equips individuals with the tools to decipher and mould their prospective paths, understanding the intricate dance of colour and its resultant moods equips Melbourne's academic arenas to curate atmospheres conducive to optimal learning and well-being. Envisioning an academic space where students are not just passive recipients but active architects, undergoing a utopian process to craft their immediate environments by selecting hues that resonate best with their emotional and cognitive needs, aligning their present actions with envisioned academic outcomes.

Students can also exercise their agency to strategise their study plans. Dr Jackie Dutton elaborated on how university students can exercise their agency to ensure a smooth transition into their tertiary studies by making full use of the range of resources university has to offer (Dutton, 2022). Aside from subject selection, clubs and internship opportunities, physical resources are just as important, including spaces on campus. What our research has shed light on is the fact that we interact with colour a lot more than we acknowledge, and honing something we often take for granted could be the key in unlocking its full potential that we have not yet realised. The University Melbourne has a vast array of study spaces varying in design, some more colourful than others. With the results of Krüller et al. (2006) illustrating the benefits of colourful work environments on mood, students can exercise their agency by seeking  study spaces designed with colour in mind to improve their study experience. These spaces on campus include Arts West and the Arts and Cultural Building. Additionally, students can use colour to their advantage when designing their own work spaces at home to best facilitate their revision. Beyond spaces, coordinating the colour of clothing worn to campus to stimulate positive moods is something that students can do to enhance their mood and overall well being. Having items carried with students on campus selected with colour in mind are all small changes that could potentially have a big positive impact on the university experience.

Aside from students, campus designers and educators can make use of their agency by putting the mental health and mood of their students in mind and using colour to enhance their learning experiences. Interior designers and even architects can actively seek out colours that evoke positive emotions in students. Interior designers can incorporate colourful elements in walls and furniture to create conducive study spaces for students while architects can utilise those colours to put students at ease before they even enter the building. As for educators, a similar approach could be applied to lesson materials. Worksheets, slide shows, and other resources can incorporate strategically selected colours to promote positive moods in students. For example, specific colours can be chosen for exam papers in order to reduce anxiety in students.

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Colour paints our daily canvases with strokes of light, influencing our spaces, permeating them with tones that resonate with our internal cadences and daily rhythms (Sørensen & Bille, 2015). Each hue carries a melody, a vibration that interacts with our senses, enhancing focus, stirring creativity, or nurturing tranquillity. Drawing from Gooday's insights, the advent of artificial lighting has revolutionised our interaction with colour, extending our days and altering our nocturnal activities (Gooday, 2016). This technological evolution has not only changed our routines but has also influenced our mood and cognitive performance, especially in academic settings such as the University of Melbourne. Ingold's anthropological perspectives reveal the agency of light, underscoring how it weaves through our lives, shaping perceptions and experiences (Ingold, 2011). Each hue, as Goethe illustrates, is more than just a visual delight; it carries a melody, a vibration, interacting with our senses in profound ways (Goethe, 2023).

In the light's spectrum, colours manifest as powerful conductors of our immediate environments, tuning our moods and productivity with their influential resonances (Boray et al. 1989). Imagine a realm bathed in warm, invigorating reds and oranges, kindling vitality, and enhancing focus, or a space enveloped in soothing blues and greens, cultivating calmness and mental clarity. Colour, in its luminous language, speaks to our senses, curating atmospheres that harmonise or discord our daily functionalities and emotional states, creating a vivid narrative in the theatre of University of Melbourne (Unimelb) students' lives.

In academia, the interplay of light combined with the spectrum of colours, can have tangible effects on students' productivity. Overly intense or improperly balanced hues can cast a shadow of lethargy, potentially dampening spirits and productivity levels. Conversely, well-harmonised palettes can promote attentiveness, creativity, and overall well-being. To understand the profound effects of colour on mood, one need only consider Goethe's explorations. He delves deep into the emotional and psychological resonances of colours, revealing how they can stir passions, evoke memories, and even influence decision-making processes (Goethe, 2023). At the intersection of Ingold's anthropological insights and Goethe's explorations, colour emerges not merely as a visual experience but as a powerful conductor of mood and daily functionality (Ingold, 2011; Goethe, 2023). In this luminous orchestration, colours like cerulean blues and morning golds wield the power to rejuvenate, sparking cognitive agility, and kindling the flames of attentiveness and focus (Daurat et al., 1993).

Contrastingly, the shadows cast by overly intense or discordant hues can veil the academic realms in lethargy, subtly diminishing spirits and eroding the foundations of productivity and well-being (Gooday, 2016). Here, colour’s role transcends the aesthetic, transforming into a silent pedagogue that crafts the rhythms of learning, attentiveness, and emotional equilibrium. Within the vibrant landscapes of Unimelb, this nuanced interplay between colour and light holds the profound potential to cultivate environments that resonate with nurturing warmth, intellectual vitality, and emotional harmony.

The nuanced interplays of light and colour emerge as powerful agents embracing Dutton’s discussion of agency and utopian thinking unveiling pathways through which the subtleties of light and colour orchestrate the daily rhythms of student life (Dutton, 2023). These subtle orchestrations of light and colour not only influence the immediate academic performances but also subtly steer the overarching narratives towards new futures, filled with possibilities, innovations, and transformative explorations. For students at Unimelb, navigating the complexities of academic life, these subtle yet powerful influences of colour in their immediate environments—be it through the architectural designs, digital screens, or natural vistas—can make a significant difference in their daily functionality and emotional well-being.

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New futures Links (theory and philosophy)

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New futures Links (theory and philosophy)

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Futures literacy is a salient element of New Futures demonstrated by the literature, especially Gooday (2016). The aforementioned work implores us to reflect on the past and present and how the reception of new ideas can change vastly over time (Gooday, 2016). Electricity was once deemed as a scary and foreign beast but has now become an integral thread in the fabric of the 21st century. The ambiguity of the future is a double edged sword; on one hand, the unknown is daunting and can leave us feeling fearful, fostering a parochial mindset that only grows narrower at the thought of that discomfort. On the other hand, we could choose to embrace it and explore the endless possibilities that await us. The latter would be a demonstration of future literacy and is our key in pushing forward the importance of colour in everyday life. Putting a heavy emphasis on creating a conducively colourful university campus might sound trivial, shallow, and even ridiculous at first. It could be argued that universities have problems far greater than the shade of blue they should be using in their libraries. However, given the increased traction of the discussion of mental health and the ambiguity of the road ahead, it could very well be that the colour of spaces on campus is something we will see in a utopian new future. Futures literacy in this respect further motivates the research in this field and even encourages further agency to be taken in the field.

The study into colour theory and colour philosophy has also been a spark for utopian thinking. Research into colour could be grounded into real world applications and be redefined as a utopian process. Colour could be perceived as something purely aesthetic, regardless of its practical implications, a physically beautiful and visually stimulating world could be seen as a version of Utopia and remains to be a valid interpretation of the word. However with the myriad of studies and experiments investigating the effect colour has on humans, the integration of colour in a utopian new future could be put into further consideration. In particular, the consideration of colour in everyday routines could be a utopian process in achieving a goal such as experiencing positive moods more consistently.