Colours can play a big role in how things are perceived, and they can be very influencing. Colours can be studied to understand more in depth how and when they are being implemented in different industries, projects and situations that can affect the user’s decisions and interaction.

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Colour psychology is known as the study of colours and how it connects to human behaviour with goal on finding how decisions can be influenced by these.

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Each colour may have a different perception:

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Blue: Commonly linked to stability, harmony, peace, calm and trust which can create a strong first positive connection with the user, as they will not feel overwhelmed. When people are asked what this colour reminds them of the answer tends to be the sky and sea, in specific the sea waves. On the other hand, this colour can also be perceived with negative eyes which may communicate the sense of depression and coldness.

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Red: is often described as excitement, energy, danger, passion, action, and it is often seen when applied to button such us “BUY NOW” with the aim to catch people’s attention and stand out. Red being the most intense colour within colour psychology it means that it can also be very effective in provoking strong emotions such anger and danger.  

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Orange: represents, adventure, enthusiasms, success, and balance. Orange itself is a very attracting colour however, this is not as imposing as red, therefore it is useful for drawing attention into an area without being patronising.

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Yellow:  reflects positivity, happiness, optimism, and the season of summer but it also portraits a feeling of warning. Yellow is said to be very efficient to draw attention to specific information on your web page, for example a “free delivery over $50”

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Pink:  relates to female audience primarily but also playfulness, immaturity, and unconditional love, but it can also be linked to compassion , sincerity, sophistication and sweetness.

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Green: When people describe the colour green this is associated to  nature as well as money. Green is considered a colour which links to positive meanings such us growth, health, fertility, and generosity. On the other hand there is a small chance in which green can be thought as negative, envyness.

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Figure 1 Colour diagram with descriptions of colour meanings.

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There are many other colours which hold different meanings, and it is really important to understand how this can affect the outcome you are trying to achieve. In this project the importance of colour is relevant to studies suggesting that the focus and productivity of individuals with cognitive disorders such as ADHD, ADD and autisms within others can be impacted by these. Therefore, it is important that to create a possible impact and higher satisfactory feedback from users, that designers behind these artefacts and products are aware of how these decisions can be key to the final result.

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References:

London Image Institute. 2020. Color Psychology: How Do Colors Affect Mood & Emotions?. [online] Available at: <https://londonimageinstitute.com/how-to-empower-yourself-with-color-psychology/> [Accessed 26 March 2021].

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Martins Ferreira, N., 2019. Color Psychology: How Color Meanings Affect You & Your Brand. [online] Oberlo.co.uk. Available at: <https://www.oberlo.co.uk/blog/color-psychology-color-meanings> [Accessed 19 March 2021].

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Patel, N., 2021. The Psychology of Color: How to Use Colors to Increase Conversion Rate. [online] Neil Patel. Available at: <https://neilpatel.com/blog/the-psychology-of-color-how-to-use-colors-to-increase-conversion-rate/> [Accessed 1 April 2021].