Have you ever thought about the fact that when you mention any brand, bright color pictures associated with the company pop up in your head? Thus, on a subconscious level, we determine each color’s meaning and establish a certain emotion. Since the beginning of its history, humanity has been interacting with the environment. This is how the basic associations appeared. For example, dark colors indicate night, passivity, rest, and light colors indicate the beginning of the day, activity, sun. Red means impulsiveness, making quick decisions, and the ancestors of such associations are blood and fire.
What are Colors – the emotions they evoke?
This article is about the primary colors used in web design and what they are subconsciously associated with.
Before you start building your website, you need to define your target audience. Agree it’s almost impossible to match financial services with pink. It is necessary to use the most suitable shades; for example, a website for the food industry should consist of a palette of natural products. It is rare to find blue or gray food, but these colors, on the contrary, suppress appetite. A harmoniously selected color palette will help to achieve the company’s goals and will be able to keep the client on the site. It would be best if you also experimented with brightness: make the client plunge into a state of relaxation using muted dark shades, or make his life sparkle with bright colors.
Brown
The color brown is gaining more and more popularity in web design. It is associated with expensive wood or leather furniture, chocolate, or coffee. At the same time, it points to dirt, earth, and reunion with nature. Often, brown needs to be accompanied by additional photos or videos to convey a brand or product’s mood accurately.
Brown is very rarely used on its own and only in cases when it is necessary to emphasize the color of the material or the emphasis is on the richness of nature. An example of a website using browns is the company Andy Wolf Eyewear.
Beige
A pleasant, unobtrusive beige blends perfectly with other colors. It is imbued with the main mood of the shades and can become brighter or darker. The beige background helps you relax and not strain your eyes. It is hardly used on its own, but it helps create a calm atmosphere that encourages relaxation and informed decision-making.
For example, Bellina Alimentari combines a calm beige hue with vibrant purple to complement the website with rich, vibrant photos. Just looking at the main page, you can understand that the restaurant has a cozy atmosphere, complemented by the explosive taste of food.
Red
The most versatile color, red, is used in many fields for different purposes. It can be associated with passion, love, fun, aggression, wars, and impulsiveness. Red is the favorite color of shopaholics; you should even remember the price tags with the words “Discount” or “Action.” The main rule of using red shades is not to overdo it. The excess of bright elements can alienate the consumer. It is recommended to emphasize the main details and sections of the site. Red color speeds up heart rate and breathing and increases blood pressure.
CNN, Formula 1, Coca-Cola – the list of brands that use red in their website design can be continued for a very long time. The three industries create different associations: attention, speed, adrenaline, and appetite.
Orange
Orange is a burst of energy, positive emotions and adds playfulness and excitement to the site. It was once considered the color of health and creativity. Now it is actively used in health care and education and is also great for sites with children’s topics. Quieter shades of orange help you relax without feeling sad and lonely.
The well-known Nickelodeon is a great example of the successful use of color. Children are always full of energy and positive emotions, and orange shades only attract their attention and add a drive.
Yellow
The color of summer, sun, optimism – this is how bright yellow with its shades can be characterized. Also, he emphasizes solidity, honorable status, or even intelligence. Even though the color is bright enough, it activates parts of the brain without irritating the nervous system. Shades of yellow attract attention, help to tune in to a positive and friendly rhythm. It is often called the color of a carefree childhood.
For many, the first association with yellow is taxi signs. It is suitable for many areas: education, public relations, baby products, or travel services. Notable companies that use yellow on their websites include IMDb, Nikon, and Shell.
Green
The color of energy, environment, beginning – these are the main characteristics of green with its shades. It is used in cases where it is necessary to focus on the product’s naturalness and environmental friendliness. Green blends perfectly with any color to create unique designs. For example, the site of the Android operating system consists of shades of green and blue. Colors complement each other and do not lose their brightness.
First of all, green is associated with nature. We see her creations every day, be it flowerpots on the windowsill or amazing landscapes outside the window. Color soothes and helps to achieve harmony. Whole Foods Market focuses on organic products and uses green as the dominant color on their website.
Blue
Blue is the exact opposite of bright shades. He never evokes negative emotions, but on the contrary, he is associated with reliability and confidence. This is why shades of blue are perfect for financial, tech giants and banks. The color also represents a friendly atmosphere, which is why Facebook and Twitter have acquired this color. Lighter shades of blue indicate a connection with one of the elements – water. Using these colors will allow you to achieve peace and balance while also remembering nature’s soothing sounds.
Blue is practically not used in the food industry since there are few products in nature that have acquired this color. One of the exceptions is the Oreo brand, which has successfully used rich colors both on product packaging and on the website.
Purple
Purple is the color of mysticism, luxury, and creativity. A darker shade represents wealth, while a lighter shade indicates romance. Previously, only royal families were allowed to wear purple clothes to underline the company’s unique status. Purple is often used on the websites of confectionery companies such as Milka and Cadbury.
Pink
Pink is almost always associated with a female or children’s audience. This is the color of carelessness, naivety, sweetness, and joy. It won’t work for most websites, like a company that sells fishing equipment, but it is great for its audience. Also, shades of pink in combination with red are often used for love and romantic themes.
The famous Victoria’s Secret brand knows exactly how to attract a female audience. Products, packaging, website design – everything is done in pink. The famous Barbie dolls also use pink shades in combination with other bright colors: yellow, orange, light green, and purple.
Black
Black is the base color that will never go out of date. It affects concentration, enhancing it, but at the same time can lead to anxiety and feelings of loneliness. Black is best used in combination with other shades, such as beige. It is also often used for fonts and sections on the site. Along with all the elegance, black can be very annoying to the consumer if used too often in the website’s design.
The dark color is a favorite among sports brands: Puma, Nike, and Adidas. They use it combined with shades of brown, white, and beige, and black to highlight important information and sections of the site.
Gray
Gray is the middle ground between black and white. Color embodies neutrality, so designers choose the emotion they want to convey with a shade. Gray works well with brighter colors that stand out against its background. If a website’s goal is to convey professionalism or formality, then shade variations are perfect for this task. But in some people, there is an association with sadness, depression, cloudy weather without a single ray of sun. The main thing is to choose the right combination and shades.
An example of the successful use of gray is the pharmaceutical company Grünenthal. The brand’s goal is not to make people laugh or cry. They focused on professionalism and product quality.
White
White is the perfect shade for a minimalist look. Against its background, you can focus on a specific product or dilute it with a bright color. Using monochrome white may not impress the client, so it’s best to combine it with complementary hues.
It symbolizes purity, freedom, and simplicity. In Western cultures, white is used in wedding ceremonies, so there is a sense of joy, a new beginning. In eastern countries, color is associated with death since it is customary to wear white things for the funeral ceremony. This is another reason why it is still important to research your target audience before starting web design.
What colors trigger what emotions?
White symbolizes simplicity and purity, pink evokes a feeling of joy and carelessness, and purple is associated with luxury and mysticism. Blue is used when necessary to convey reliability and confidence; green is associated with nature and tranquility; yellow – with optimism and summer; orange – with creativity; red – with any bright emotions. Beige and brown help you relax.
How do colors affect our emotions?
According to the psychology of color, people perceive different shades differently, depending on the culture’s characteristics. If white means mourning in the east, it is associated with innocence and purity in the West. The question of how color associations arise is not fully understood.
What emotions does the color red evoke?
Red is associated with any strong emotion, from love to hate. It is used to demonstrate energy, passion, strength, and confidence.
