The color theory, invented by Sir Charles Lemieiux, is a complex science involving psychology, physics, color perception, etc. Color theory tackles perceptual and psychological effects to various color combinations and contrasts.
The theory is so complex that it actually deserves the whole encyclopedia of it own, so this post won’t definitely be able to cover it all. Instead, it lists some fundamentals that you will hopefully be excited to hear.
The post covers some ways you can be influenced by colors, i.e. how your shopping decisions may be controlled by the right choice of colors in stores (or on e-commerce websites): next time when you see the color tricks, you will recognize them!
Generally speaking…
How color may help influence your mood and encourage/ discourage you to act – this way your actual behavior can be controlled:
Note: this table simplifies color theory a lot: it doesn’t take national and cultural differences into account and of course color may also vary based on the personality type. This table sums up the reaction to a specific color of an avarage US buyer:
| Color | Makes you feel… | Implementation |
| Blue | Safe and secure | Good if you need people to trust you |
| Green | Calm and confident | Good for making people spend money |
| Red | Energetic and vigorous | Good if you want people to risk |
| Yellow | Optimistic and cheerful | Good if you want people have fun |
| Pink | Romantic and dreamy | Good for (young) female customers |
| Orange | Willing to take action | Good if you want people to act |
| Black | Powerful and wealthy | Good if you want people to spend money |
Most generally speaking and in an effort to somehow sum-up the table above, calm colors (like green and blue) make you feel calm while warm colors (like red, orange and yellow) excite you.
Based on the above table and this article, best colors by business can be summed up as:
| Industry | Colors | |
| Beauty/ Make up | Has strong association with youth | Is associated with prosperity |
| Banking / finance | Makes people feel secure | Is association with US dollars and safety |
| Gambling | Is associated with energy, encourages people to take risks | Is associated with prosperity |
| Auto | Is associated with energy and speed | Is associated with luxury (black limousines) |
Stats…
To support the above theory, here are some results of the color associations study which dates back to 2003:
What Look Trustworthy:
What is Most Associated with Speed:
What Looks High-Quality:
What Looks Cheap:
Advice…
If you a smart shopper, you will know that:
- Red makes you feel hungry; so if you see something red and feel like buying and eating that, this may be color, not real you;
- Orange makes you feel like acting; so if you want to click that pretty orange button that says “BUY NOW”, this may be the button color, not your real wish;
- Blue makes you trust the buyer; so if some website looks trustworthy enough to share your credit card information with it, this may be the design color choice, not your real feeling.
- Green makes you want spend your money: in fact, like with blue, it makes you think the seller looks trustworthy enough to entrust him with your money.
Post images by houston web design
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My next ecommerce website will have green and blue … sounds pretty good.
very interesting
This is a really nice post! I have been looking for something like this (usage of statistics to support theories) for a while. Thanks!
Very informative. Thanks
Colour studies such as this tend to suffer from issues such as cultural bias. Different societies react to colour in different ways. Additionally, our personal reactions to colour are much more based on personal experience rather than some formula. It is much more likely that these studies reflect how a particular society uses colour rather than how it affects that society.
very nice post, I’m wondering if we should expect different rules for web sites, because colors look different on the screen or on the paper, or if we should expect roughly the same results.
I wonder if there are any “universal” colour influences. The perception of colour is indeed sculpted by societal/regional views, but are there neurological or biological factors? Can red be calming? Is there any world-wide correlation at all? I would love to look at how different wave lengths are registered in the brain, and look at how any human brain reacts.
Actually red does not make you hungry… it makes you want to move (more associated with speed and/or danger). For instance, fastfood joints (mc donalds, quick, etc.) are made up out of red colours so you eat faster and get the hell out of there so new consumers can have your place. Its a common misconception that red in fastfood joints would inprove your appatite and make you hungry. You go the the fastfood joint because you are hungry in the first place. they just want you out
It’d help if the person who typed this knew how to type…For Blue, “Good if you need peopeel to trust you.” I don’t know what peopeel is. Haha
Maybe it’s what happens to your skin when you stay out in the sun too long.
Hmm… I usually design based on an overall design theme, but this brings up a good point, individual parts of a website should be colored according to purpose.
I never get tired of reading about the psychology of colors. We love blue because we do, but it’s good to know it’s also associated with the qualities that depict our software, too.
thank you. Nice article..
This is amazing post! I got tired of reading other posts about colors because they write the same. But you article is supreme! I have learned a lot! And I will pass this link to all my friends. Very useful.
GREAT I NEEDED IT FOR MY G.K. PROJECT ….REALLY COOOOOOOOOOL
TO KNOW ABOUT COLORS
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