Interesting Color Psychology – How does color affect us emotionally?

Have you ever wondered why red is used for stop signs and “Do Not Cross” tape is black and yellow? Those colors are chosen for reasons. I believe most people feel emotions like “DANGER” when seeing red, or “WARNING” when seeing black and yellow. This is because color can affect people’s moods, feelings, and emotions.

What is color psychology?

Color psychology is a study of how human behavior like decision-making is influenced by colors. Color is thought to have its own effect on people. Each color has a specific meaning and connotation, but the way the color affects you may vary based on your experiences and cultural influences.

Psychology of color in marketing

Color can be a powerful communication tool. It gets people to see what you want them to see, feel what you want them to feel, and do what you want them to do. This is why color psychology is widely used for marketing and branding.

The color you use for your brand should be considered carefully. The wrong choice can lead to negative impressions, while the right one can help increase sales. In order to successfully use color psychology in your marketing strategy, you must first understand the meanings that different colors evoke in your audience members. Knowing how to use this powerful tool is vital for marketing strategy.

Let’s take a look at how each color affects people mentally and physically

Color Psychology

Red color psychology

The color red is considered the warmest and evokes the strongest emotions of any color. Red attracts attention so it is used to warn people to avoid danger like: stop signs, fire trucks, and red traffic lights. Common feelings associated with the color red are love, passion, anger, and power.

Red has been shown to affect people physically by raising blood pressure, enhancing metabolism, and increasing heart and respiration rates.

Companies and products using red for their branding: Target, Kmart, Pinterest, Coca-cola

Yellow color psychology

The color yellow is the brightest color of all and is associated with joy, happiness, cheerfulness, and optimism. Because we associate yellow with sunshine, it can help us to feel happy, energetic, intelligent, and hopeful. But it also can create feelings of frustration and anxiety. Some people find too much yellow irritating. Because of this reason, It is a nice color, but you should use it sparingly. 

Companies and products using yellow for their branding: McDonalds, Shell,

Orange color psychology

Orange is a joyful color that makes us feel glad to be alive. It’s an optimistic color that can make us feel better about ourselves and our place in the world. For this reason, the color orange is considered an energetic color like red and yellow but not as strong as red. Orange is also used to draw attention and is often used for life jackets. Orange represents excitement, enthusiasm, and warmth. 

Companies and products using orange for their branding: Hooters, Shutterfly, Payless

Green color psychology

Green is a cool color with peace and tranquility. It evokes feelings of compassion, calmness, and good health. The color green is heavily associated with nature, such as forests and trees. It is also a sign of growth, which is why green is often used for economic exchange. Many people say they have their best ideas when they’re in a green room or surrounded by nature.

Companies and products using green for their branding: Whole Foods, Tropicana, Hess

Blue color psychology

Blue is a very powerful calming color. Whether it’s light blue or dark blue, it can bring comfort and peace to those who are feeling anxious or overwhelmed by their problems. Blue is also associated with nature like the ocean and blue sky. Blue represents high quality, corporate, reliability, stability, and trust.

However, blue can give negative feelings to people such as sadness, coldness, and distance.  

Companies and products using blue for their branding: Dell, Lowe’s, American Express

Purple color psychology

The color purple is a symbol of royalty and wealth. Purple is a combination of red and blue, so it has the power of red and the stability of blue. It is described as mysterious, spiritual, and imaginative.

However, purple also can cause feelings of frustration, and decadence. So consider the balance and use purple sparingly.

Companies and products using Purple for their branding: Welch’s, Taco Bell

Pink color psychology

The color pink is known for femininity and youthfulness. Pink is a light hue of red and creates a feeling of love and romance. No wonder why pink is the popular color amongst women.  Pink represents softness, immaturity, empathy, and sensitivity. 

Yet, some people think pink is childish. We all know that most girls’ toys are pink. It may be associated with our cultural experience.

Companies and products using Pink for their branding: Barbie, T-mobile,

Brown color psychology

Brown is an earthy color, which gives it a connection to the natural world. It’s associated with wood, sand, and mud, which are all elements of nature that give us feelings of warmth, comfort, and stability.

But there are some downsides: brown can also be associated with sadness and grief in some cultures.

Black color psychology

Black is a versatile color depending on which angle you see this color from. The color black is associated with elegance, sophistication, control, and seriousness. On the other hand, black is also linked to loneliness, depression, and death. In many cultures, black is a symbol of grief. It also has a negative connotation like a blacklist, black humor, etc.

It is a very powerful color. So too much black can give people negative feelings such as sadness, death, and evil. 

White color psychology

The color white is a symbol of purity, innocence, and cleanliness. In Western culture, a bride typically wears a white wedding dress. Too much white can give the impression of sterility like hospitals and can cause isolation and emptiness. 

Gray color psychology

The color gray is a variation of a mix of black and white. It is considered neutral, balanced, and practical. Gray can also have negative effects on color psychology, such as being dull and moody. Gray is often used in more subtle ways instead of black, which can give a dramatic contrast.

Conclusion

Color can affect people’s mood, feelings, and emotions. However, how people feel and react to colors depends on their experiences, cultural differences, and personal preferences.

In marketing and branding, color can be a strong communication tool. It will give customers their first impression of your brand and products. Even more, it can affect their buying decisions.

Therefore, for marketing strategy, it is beneficial to know about color psychology and choose suitable colors for your brand wisely.

I hope you understand the importance of color psychology and can utilize colors in your design and projects in more practical ways.

Thank you for enjoying my post. If you would like to learn how to choose a perfect color for your bland, please visit these posts as well.

• Brand Colors: How to choose attractive colors for your brand
• Color Scheme: choosing perfect colors 2022