Do you feel tranquilly calm when surrounded by green fields
and blue skies? Or perhaps slightly alarmed when staring at a red stop sign?
Color has been known to have a powerful psychological impact
on people’s behavior and decisions, and this knowledge has been harnessed all
too well by designers and marketers alike. Color can often be the sole reason
someone purchases a product, where 93% of buyers focus on visual appearance and
almost 85% claim color to be their primary reason for purchase!
How do Colors Influence People?
Red – Creates a sense of urgency, which is good for
clearance sales. Encourages appetite, thus is frequently used by fast-food
chains. Physically stimulates the body, raising blood pressure and heart rate,
associated with movement, excitement, and passion.
Blue – The preferred color of men. It’s associated
with peace, water, tranquility, and reliability. Blue provides a sense of
security, curbs appetite, and stimulates productivity. The most common color
used by conservative brands looking to promote trust in their products.
Green – Associated with health, tranquility,
power, and nature. Used in stores to relax customers and for promoting
environmental issues. Green stimulates harmony in your brain and encourages a
balance leading to decisiveness.
Purple – Commonly
associated with royalty, wisdom, and respect. Stimulates problem solving as
well as creativity. Frequently used to promote beauty and anti-aging products.
Orange & Yellow – Cheerful colors that promote optimism.
Yellow can make babies cry, while orange can trigger a sense of caution. Used
to create a sense of anxiety that can draw in impulsive buyers and window
shoppers.
Black – Associated with authority, power, stability,
and strength. Often a symbol of intelligence, but can become overwhelming if
used to frequently.
Grey – Symbolizes feelings of practicality, old
age, and solidarity. But too much grey can lead to feelings of nothingness and
depression.
White – Associated with feelings of purity,
cleanliness and safety. Can be used to project an absence of color or
neutrality. White space helps spark creativity since it can be perceived as an
unaltered, clean state.
Properly Using Color Theory
Use contrasts to reduce eyestrain and allow readers to focus
their attention on specific items. Vibrancy can dictate the emotional response
users have to your design.
For example, choosing brighter colors can lead users to feel
more energetic, which can evoke better responses and reactions. But if your
website is information-intensive, you may find that a darker color theme will
make it easier for readers to process all your data.
How Are Major Brands Using Colors?
Source: Small Biz Trends
Shared by: Mizanur Rahman
