December 2012

Thoughts about the effects of color –

How does color affects your target audience. (Know your audience!) There are many factors that contributes to how someone perceives color. Taking color choices into consideration when developing a web design/color sceme can contribute to succuss – or failure.

Colors have different meaning in different cultures and religions, so knowing your target audience will help determine the best color choices.

http://colorschemedesigner.com/
Nice site to experiment with color relationships
https://kuler.adobe.com/#themes/rating?time=30
See what color combinations designers are producing.

Some thoughts and associations relating to individual colors*:

Red
Red is the most dominant color and will always draw your attention when it is present. This makes red a good color to use if you want to draw the attention of the viewer to or away from a design element. Red is good to highlight a price or BUY button.

• Association – Positive – Negative:
• Fire – Power – Aggressive
• Blood -Attention Getting -Anger
• Sex -Love – Immorality
• Danger – Excitement -Violent
• Love -Sexy -Antagonistic
• Passion -Enthusiasm

Red suggests speed and danger.  Red cars get pulled over for speeding more often and have a higher theft rate than any other color.
Red stimulates the heart rate, breathing and appetite.

Yellow:
Yellow is the first color the human eye can recognize.

• Association – Positive – Negative:
• Sunshine  -Intellect – Jealousy
• Desert  Wisdom – Cowardice
• Brightness  – Radiance – Deceit
• Warning/Caution   -Joy  – Hazard
• Idealism
• Friendship
• Innovative
• Awareness
• Caution

Yellow is brighter than white but causes more eye fatigue than any other color.
Yellow speeds up the metabolism.
Pale yellow can enhance concentration.

Blue

• Association – Positive – Negative:
• Sea  -Knowledge  -Depression
• Water  – Trust  -Coolness
• Sky – Peace  -Detachment
• Trust  – Masculinity  -Apathy
• Loyalty
• Justice
• Intelligence

Most of the world interprets blue as a masculine color
Blue is the most used color in branding and advertising. Linked to trust and loyalty.
Blue suppresses hunger as it is an unappetizing color.
People are more productive in blue rooms.

Green
Green is the easiest color on the eye.

• Association – Positive – Negative:
• Nature – Money -Greed
• Environment  -Fertility – Envy
• Mould – Growth – Nausea
• Healing   — Poison
• Success
• Nature
• Harmony
• Honesty
• Fresh/Renewal

Green is considered calming and relaxing.
Green is said to aide digestion and reduce stomachaches.
Green is the most widely used color for environmental marketing and branding.

Purple
Purple is believed to stimulate the imagination.

• Association – Positive – Negative:
• Royalty/Nobility — Luxury  Excess
• Magic – Wisdom -Madness
• Spirituality  -Imagination -Cruelty
• Wealth -Sophistication
• Nobility
• Mysticism
• Meditative
• Prestigious

Purple dye used to be very expensive, and was associated with wealth, royalty and nobility.
Purple is rare in nature and therefore often seen as artificial.

Orange

• Association – Positive – Negative:
• Autumn –  Creativity –  Crassness
• Citrus – Invigoration –  Loudness
• Warm – Uniqueness –  Raucous
• Tropical –  Energy  – Frivolous
• Halloween –  Health

Orange is linked to learning.
In western cultures orange is associated with affordable, inexpensive items.
Orange is and appetite stimulant.
Orange rooms encourage people to think and talk.

Black

• Association – Positive – Negative:
• Night – Power – Fear
• Death  – Authority – Negativity
• Sleek – Sophistication – Evil
• Professiona – Elegance – Mourning
• Sophistication – Seriousness – Emptiness
• Dignity –  Depression
• Mystery —  Oppression
• Bold
• Classic
• Modern

Black makes other colors appear brighter.
Black is said to boost self-confidence and strength.

White

• Association – Positive – Negative:
• Light – Marriage – Fragility
• Purity – Weddings – Isolation
• Pristine – Cleanliness – Sterile
• Clean –  Virtue  – Cold
• Hospitals  – Innocence  – Clinical
• Snow/Winter  – Lightness
• Softness
• Simplicity
• Truth

In western cultures brides wear white to signal purity, but in Japan and China it is associated with funerals.
White is the universal symbol for a truce.
White light can be blinding.

Gray

• Association – Positive – Negative:
• Neutrality – Balance – Dull
• Moodiness  -Security  – Conformist
• Modesty – Detached
• Corporate – Sadness
• Quiet  – Depression

Grey seldom evokes strong emotions, and is associated with business.
Gray can be elegant if paired with a stronger color.

*Ivy at Tips & Tricks HQ is credited for most of the above information. Read more here:
http://www.tipsandtricks-hq.com/color-psychology-and-how-it-affects-your-site-4497