Want to display power & influence? Wear black. Want to express safety? Use deep greens. Feeling luxurious? Purple’s the best pick! The list goes on, and whether we like it or not, our thoughts and actions are dictated by underlying subconscious action, and with colour being so high on the hierarchy chart, it means that it’s one of the most influential tools in a designers toolkit. Of course, this doesn’t just go for design, and is used heavily in marketing, presentations, and many other places to elicit desired responses in target audiences, to a very powerful degree.

The Influence of Colour

Colour sits right at the top of the hierarchy chart in design, and is always the first thing users notice in a product.

Studies have shown that over 90% of first judgements made about something are influenced solely by the colour — that means before you’ve read anything, or even understood what the product is, you’ve involuntarily been shifted into a certain state of belief.

Red: Energy, Passion, Danger

Orange: Creativity, Optimism, Adventure

Yellow: Positivity, Happiness, Invigoration

Green: Safety, Growth, Balance

Light Blue: Wisdom, Joy, Freedom

Dark Blue: Loyalty, Trust, Honesty

Violet: Imagination, Mystery, Spirituality

Pink: Compassion, Admiration, Love

Brown: Natural, Comforting, Stability

Grey: Neutral, Conservative, Formal

Black: Authority, Power, Elegance

Industrial Specificity

The basics of marketing tell us that emotional responses work well in favour of certain industries, so unsurprisingly colour can play a big part of that.

Ever wondered why certain types of products all seem to use the same colour palette? Wonder no longer, let’s note some down.

Red: Fire services, Sports, Entertainment

Orange: Art, Expeditions, Events

Yellow: Leisure, Holidays, Public Safety

Green: Environment, Alternative Energy, Fresh Produce

Light Blue: Travel, Aerospace, Technology

Dark Blue: Finance, Security, Healthcare

Violet: Humanitarianism, Religion, Spirituality

Pink: Women’s Products, Beauty, Fashion

Brown: Agriculture, Construction, Food

Grey: Widely used as an intermediary (Timelessness)

Black: Widely used as an intermediary (Modernism)

Usage of Colour

Colours don’t just have to be used to create a subconscious connotation with emotions and industry, colour can also have an immediate effect on the body and mind; just from viewing them!

This allows the designer to utilise the psychology of colour effectively outside of emotional or industry specific design situations.

Red: Create Urgency, Increase Desire, Stimulate Senses

Orange: Express Positivity,Display Fun, Draw Attention

Yellow: Stimulate Awareness, Energise Mental, Encourage Positivity

Green: Nurture Growth, Revitalise Senses, Encourage Comfort

Light Blue: Display Knowledge, Express Joy, Communicate Freedom

Dark Blue: Increase Security, Reduce Stress, Create Trust

Violet: Inspire Creativity, Evoke Consciousness, Display Luxury

Pink: Express Innocence, Exude Calmness, Create Affection

Brown: Display Resilience, Express Comfort, Display Fundamentalism

Grey: Reduce Attention, Invoke Conformity, Express Maturity

Black: Mystery & Subterfuge, Intimidate, Communicate Authority

In Summary

There’s a lot to talk about with each individual colour, but I think they deserve their own article due to all the interesting implications they can have on your design, however I hope that this has been a valuable introduction into the psychology of colour!

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