What Do the Colors On Your Web Site Represent?

It was a short entry from The IT Articles that made me realize the power of colors in blogs. The entry tells us the important role of colors in communicating your message online.

Colors and Their Psychological Associations

The entry also tells us that the color wheel allows us to see groups of colors that are harmonious and those that might clash. Understanding the emotions that these colors represent can greatly help communicate a message with a stronger impact. To begin with, below is a list of common colors and their psychological associations (from the book, The Zen of CSS Design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web):

• Red - Power, energy, love, passion, aggression, danger
• Blue - Trust, conservative, secure, clean, sorrowful, order
• Green - Nature, earth, health, jealousy, renewal
• Orange - Fun, happiness
• Yellow - Optimism, hope, philosophy, cowardice
• Violet - Royalty, mystery, religion
• Brown - Reliability, comfort, endurance, earth
• Gray/silver - Intellect, futurism, modesty, sadness, decay, elegance
• Black - Power, sexuality, sophistication, mystery, fear, unhappiness, death
• White - Purity, cleanliness, precision, innocence, sterility, death

Depending on the intensity, a color can change its significance. For example, a particular type of green evokes something related to trees or grasses whereas a brighter green could mean soldierly.

Color and Influences of Culture and Gender

Also mentioned in the book is a list that provides some insight into color responses and associations based on culture and gender.

• Red - In China, a symbol of profound good luck. When mixed with white, this intensifies. More women choose red over blue.
• Blue - The color of immortality in many Eastern countries, blue is the color of holiness for the Jews, and it represents Krishna in Hinduism. It is revered throughout the world and, as a result, is considered to be the most globally safe color. Men prefer blue to red.
• Green - Associated with money in the United States but not necessarily in other cultures. Green has strong emotional associations in Ireland, where it represents Irish Catholic nationalists. Women can identify more named hues of green than men.
• Orange - In the United States, a tradition in packaging design is to use orange to signify inexpensive items. When designing with orange for business sites, it’s important to bear this in mind. Orange has strong emotional connotations for the Irish, as it represents Protestantism. Men prefer orange to yellow.
• Yellow - A sacred, imperial color in Asian cultures. Women prefer yellow to orange and associate it with warmth and optimism.
• Violet - Associated with mourning in Europe. It is also associated with newage and alternative religions, so it can be considered controversial. Violet is found relatively rarely in nature: a few species of flowers and some saltwater fish.
• Brown - A neutral color both culturally and gender-wise.
• Black - Mourning and death in most Western cultures and many others, too.
• White - Mourning and death in most Asian cultures. Purity and chastity in most of Western society.

Use Only 3 or 4 Colors

The entry from the IT Articles suggests that we should only use 3 or 4 colors or shades of those colors for our Web site or blog. As a guiding principle, always remember the concepts quoted below:

1. Primary color: This is the main color of the page. It will occupy most of the area and set the tone for the design as a whole.
2. Secondary color: This is the second color on the page and it’s usually there to “back up” the primary color. Usually these colors are close to the primary color.
3. Highlight color: This emphasizes certain parts of the page. It’s usually a color, which contrasts more with the primary and secondary colors, and should be used with moderation.

When Choosing Colors, Study Your Audience First

It is important that you know your audience before you choose the colors of your Web site or blog. If you’re designing for an audience concerned with global warming, then warm colors such as shades of green and yellow might provide strong support. If your Web site or blog is about romance or dating, bright reds might give emphasis to certain images. Experiment with your color palette by making use of CSS. Photoshop is also an excellent tool when mixing and matching colors.

Ultimately, it is color that enhances the interest of your audience. That is why according to The Zen of CSS Design book, it is best to begin by understanding your message and the audience to whom it is directed. With that information in hand, you are far more likely to make color choices that serve to enhance your message.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 17th, 2007 at 13:39 and is filed under Web Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.