Color Theory & Consumption: A Matter of Life & Death?

I tell my students that graphic design is rarely a matter of life and death, unless you're designing freeway signs. However, when it comes to what we consume on a daily basis, the design of our food and its packaging seems to encourage us to make unhealthy selections. Have our expectations trumped our common sense? What role do color and other design elements play in our purchasing decisions? And, what is the responsibility of the designer in all of this?

This session will aim to spur discussion on the ethics of design, consumer habits, and color theory in practice. I certainly don't have the answers, but there are questions that need to be asked.