However, white has different connotations in different contexts. As the color of peace, we perceive a white dove as tranquil and a white flag as a sign of surrender. Yet, in some Asian countries, white is the color of mourning and death, such as in China or India. The white coats of doctors have an interesting history: physicians began to wear them in the nineteenth century to dissociate their profession from common mysticism and unreliable remedies. As medicine became considered more of a science, doctors adopted lab coats as attire, differentiating themselves from the usual gloomy black robes of hospitals in centuries past, when hospitals had a much higher death rate. In the nineteenth century, physicians donned their white coats to indicate hope for recovery, communicating that the hospital was no longer a place of death, but a place of healing.
White today may also be considered the standard of design, indicating modern yet simple spaces or products. For example, Apple has made the use of white space, geometric structure, and simplicity a core aspect of their retail store initiative. As a result of such uses of the color, white has become an inherent part of modern and futuristic design. Psychologically, white may help induce productivity by encouraging clarity and deterring clutter. Neutral and clean, the color inspires creativity and fresh thought.
