When growing up, we were all obsessed with specific colors. Pink was my favorite. I was obsessed with pink; my room was all glammed up with pink. Every time my friends would visit and hang out in my room, they were all happy and jumpy.
Imagine a group of 14-year-old active, playful girls in a room!
Colors are essential, and they play an indispensable role in the world we live in. Imagine a world with no colors? It would be dull, right?
Colors surround us in our day-to-day activities. What is your favorite color? Which color makes you happy?
Why do specific colors make you feel a particular type of way? Maybe the blue skies give you that soothing effect when you look at them.
The truth is, there is science behind the meaning of colors and how they cause specific reactions, thinking, and emotions.
Below is an article that will further enlighten the role, significance, and importance of colors in your life.
When growing up, we were all obsessed with specific colors. Pink was my favorite. I was obsessed with pink; my room was all glammed up with pink. Every time my friends would visit and hang out in my room, they were all happy and jumpy.
Imagine a group of 14-year-old active, playful girls in a room!
Colors are essential, and they play an indispensable role in the world we live in. Imagine a world with no colors? It would be dull, right?
Colors surround us in our day-to-day activities. What is your favorite color? Which color makes you happy?
Why do specific colors make you feel a particular type of way? Maybe the blue skies give you that soothing effect when you look at them.
The truth is, there is science behind the meaning of colors and how they cause specific reactions, thinking, and emotions.
Below is an article that will further enlighten the role, significance, and importance of colors in your life.
Our relationship with colors
Colors can change your mood, reduce stress, or even enhance your appetite. There's a unique link between colors and our emotions.
It may be something simple as looking out a greenfield window, which may help you boost your energy when you feel low.
We all react differently to different colors because they influence us on different levels.
For example, most cultures have trained us that black is for mourning while white is for summer, but the reaction is personal depending on how the color is presented in our lives.
Also, we see colors differently in their shades, tones, and hues. Some people are color-blind, and they have no option but to live in a world of muted colors.
There are people whose stress levels rise when in the presence of red or orange. While for others, red may be the color in their grandma's kitchen that makes them feel loved and warm instead.
Classification of colors
Colors are basically classified into two categories; warm and cool colors.
However, black, white, and greys are known as neutral colors.
Warm colors include red, orange, and yellow. Still, if you combine these, they will provide an illusion of warmth.
The warm colors remind us of sunlight or heat, and they will appear like they are progressing towards you.
They are also comforting, inviting, and invoke powerful feelings like love, joy, and passion.
The cool colors include purple, blue, green. They usually are photographic recaps of nature like the sky, water, or grass.
Cool colors give you that sense of calmness or relaxation that helps relieve stress and make you feel refreshed though they seem to be disappearing from us.
Now that you have grasped the basic ideas of how we relate with colors let's narrow down to color significance and their attributes and choose the best colors for your home, design, or brand.
Meaning of Colors
Different cultures worldwide have developed diverse perceptions of different colors, and society has adapted them for over a million years now.
For example, in Western culture, pink is a color for girls, and blue is for boys, but it hasn't always been the case.
In China, red represents good luck, while in South Africa, they mourn in red. Therefore, you need to be sensitive about the colors depending on where you are operating.
For a clear understanding of color meanings click here
Red
This is one of the most influential colors in the world. It reflects intense emotions like love, danger, anger, heat, or passion.
In the branding, world red is said to stimulate appetite that why you see Mc Donald's, KFC Netflix Coca-Cola combined red with other colors. It's a symbol of a call to action.
Therefore, if you want your brand to stand out, red is an excellent choice as you will draw more attention to your products/website.
Orange
This is a combination of red and yellow. Orange is a bold color that is believed to attract attention and bring in creativity with interest.
It's a youth and confident color. Although it comes in different tones and shades, it brings vibrancy, mental health, and fun.
For example, Nickelodeon, Fanta uses orange to connect with the young audience in a fun way.
If you are a youth and look forward to starting an artistic brand that will stand out in the ordinary, orange is the color to catch people's eyes and promote activity.
Yellow
This is a youthful color full of hope, smiley faces, and positivity. It's the most visible color from a distance, and it communicates energy, friendliness, and joy.
Yellow is believed to be a color that represents many concepts depending on the shades.
If you want to start a brand in lifestyle or entertainment, then yellow is the right color for your brand because it's thought to improve the decision-making process, and it's the right color for your product.
Blue
It is believed to represent responsibility, intelligence, royalty, stability, and confidence.
Blue is calming, cool and relaxing because it's linked with the seas and the skies. Though it has different shades like the light baby blue, which means peace, and the dark blue, which means power.
Generally, blue is used by companies like Facebook, Samsung, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and the police to convey communication dependability and authority.
However, it's also used to express sadness or depression. Sometimes you may hear some say, "I am feeling blue."
Green
When you see green, you see nature and plants. It's named after Anglo Saxon, which means grass.
However, in the modern world, it also represents harmony, wealth, and finance.
In the US the dark green is used in money as a sign of constancy and richness.
Green is also known as the color of spring and revival. It's also known to bring a sense of photographic balance and relaxing influence.
Most food brands that target the health-conscious crowd, like Whole Foods Market, use green and hospital logos.
If you anticipate starting an eco-friendly or organic brand, green is the to-choose color.
Purple
Over decades, purple has been connected with loyalty. Its also linked with mystery, luxury, and spirituality as well. Purple is both a relaxed and warm color through the blend of calming red and blue. Purple was very expensive in the old days, meaning only the rich rulers could afford it, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Since the ancient rulers were the gods' descendants, they used purple to portray the special meaning of Catholicism, Judaism, and Buddhism. Purple was a color of trend in 2018 when Pantones chose it as the year's color. If you want to start a brand that designates extravagance or unknown, purple is the right color.
Multi-color
Have you thought of mixing colors? We looked at both the cool and warms colors but have you thought of what could happen when you bring them all together?
Brands that use multi-colors are seen to be playful, educational, and creative.
Most kids brands like Toys "R" Us use colorful themes, designs, and logos to represent friskiness.
Multicolor is for diversity, fun, and optimism.
Come to think of it! If you want to use multi-colors to bring the pop, you could use opposite colors like red, orange, and yellow.
For a better understanding, you can read more about colors combinations and theories here
Wrap up
There's a whole epic journey behind colors. We all have different preferences that sometimes override the science and cultural interpretations behind colors, but sometimes there are other things you might want to consider when choosing your colors. Now that you have a snippet of how the rules of color play, feel free to play around with them and seek what works for you. Always ensure that you choose your color combination by considering how they affect you and the people around you. By Mayanne