We all know that there’s some solid evidence behind the psychology of color. Colors have a huge impact on our emotions. Therefore, you can greatly benefit from a web design that uses certain colors. However, it’s important to know the basic color psychology. We’ll explore the fundamentals of color theory and how to properly use it in web design.
Using the Right Color
The choice of color depends on what you want to come across to the customer as. Each color creates a different response. So choosing the right color for your web design is important. Let’s take a look at what each color can do.
Red – power and importance
Red is the most energizing colors. It represents power and passion. It attracts the most attention. Which is why it is commonly used for warnings. However, red could work against you. Because red can incite anger or overstimulation. So if you’re going for a more relaxed web design, use it sparingly.
Orange – friendliness and energy
Orange is the most muted of the warmer colors. It can be engaging and energizing. While still being unobtrusive. It creates a sensation of movement and energy.
Yellow – happiness and enthusiasm
Yellow is very versatile. Bright yellows are energetic. Whereas middle shades offer a sense of comfort that is still invigorating. Darker shades add to a hint of wisdom and curiosity.
Green – growth and stability
Green is a great color to use if your brand deals with financial or environmental themes. This color creates a balanced and stable feeling. Darker shades of green caters towards feelings of money or affluence.
Blue – safety and openness
The color blue promotes feelings of relaxation and safety. However, depending on the shade, the meaning varies. Darker shades seem more somber. Whereas, lighter shades can come off as relaxing and friendly. This is why some social media sites use lighter shades of blue.
Purple – luxury and mystery
Historically purple has always been associated with royalty. This color suggests wealth. Which makes it a great choice for luxury goods. Furthermore, lighter shades are considered to be romantic. While darker shades are mysterious.
Black – power and sophistication
Black is the strongest of the neutral colors. This color also represents sophistication and elegance. Since it takes on a variety of characteristics using other colors is a good idea.
White – simplicity and virtue
In Western cultures, white is associated with purity. This color allows images to be the focal point. Websites with white backgrounds can create a minimalistic atmosphere.
Colors carry a lot of weight, even if sometimes they go unnoticed. Therefore, colors greatly influence web design. Whether it’s for contrast or evoking certain emotions. So, using color in web design will do wonders for your site.
We’ve only scratched the surface of Color Psychology. If you’d like to dive deeper into how it works and how to apply it to your website and marketing campaigns check out this awesome blog post and free chart by CoSchedule (our review here), an online service for planning and scheduling social media campaigns:
The Know It All Guide To Color Psychology In Marketing + The Best Hex Chart
