Design Template by Anonymous

Effects of Colors

Warm Colors

Although their meanings may change across cultures, every color can affect the audience in different ways. In general, warm colors such as red, orange, and yellow evoke positives emotions. They are used to give a sense of enthusiasm, happiness, and overall good energy.

Red

The color red is very fierce. It correlates with the ideas of violence and blood, as well as love and passion. It is also often associated with anger, importance, and danger. All of these correlations make it a very powerful color that attracts the viewer’s attention immediately. Due to this it should not be overused when designing, but instead sprinkled in occasionally to give the color its full effect.

Orange

Orange is a very positive and vibrant color. Often it is associated with autumn, and the changing of the seasons in general. The color orange also associates itself with the fruit, which makes the color give off a sense of health. Due to the brightness of the color, it is effective at grabbing the viewer’s attention. However, it is not as powerful and fierce as red is, which makes the color feel more friendly rather than aggressive.

Yellow

Yellow is the most bright and energetic color there is to offer. It’s association with sunshine and happiness in general makes it a color that can evoke feelings of cheerfulness. However, it can also be used as a sign of cowardice. It also has some association with danger. A calmer feeling of happiness can be evoked when a less bright yellow is used, and darker yellows can show permanence. Furthermore, the effect culture has on colors is seen by the fact that yellow is used for mourning in Egypt, whereas in Japan it represents courage.

Cool Colors

On the other hand, cool colors such as green, blue, and purple are used to evoke more calm and reserved feelings. Since they are colors often found in nature, they are much more relaxing and less in-your-face than warm colors.

Green

Green is a very earthy color. It is seen a lot in nature, and thus can represent growth and new beginnings. On the other hand, it can be used to represent feelings of jealousy or envy. It’s a very calm color though and is not as attention grabbing as others. Due to this, it’s associated with balance and harmony. However, green is also often associated with money and wealth. This is due to the influence of culture, and how money is portrayed and represented around us.

Blue

Blue can take on many different feelings depending on the shade and hue of it. Light blue can evoke a feeling of calmness, while darker blues feel more reliable. Blue can also represent peace and spirituality. Finally, blue in general is often associated with sadness.

Purple

Purple is a color often associated with royalty, but it can also represent creativity and imagination. Lighter purples can also be used to represent romance and spring. In Thailand however, it is the color of mourning for widows.

Neutral Colors

The most common neutral colors are black, white, gray, brown, tan, and cream. These colors are often used a lot in design and help to enhance the colors used around them. However, these colors on their own can create clean and sophisticated designs.

Black

Black is a color that can take on many different meanings depending on the context. It can be associated with power and elegance, while at the same time mystery and death. It can be used to create edgy designs, or elegant ones. On top of this, it can also give the design a more modern feel. Moreover, it is also the traditional color of mourning in Western cultures. It is also used very often for typography due to how simple it is. Black is a very versatile neutral color that can evoke many different feelings.

White

White works well with many other colors. It can be used to evoke feelings of cleanliness, purity, virtue, and angels. It’s also associated with weddings in the West. On the other hand, white is associated with death and mourning in the East. Generally, white is used to enhance the colors used with it rather than attract all the viewer’s attention.

Gray

The color gray is very common in design and dark grays are often used for typography. It is a color that can be conservative, formal, and professional, but also modern. However, it can also represent moodiness and depression.

Brown

Brown is a color that can be associated with reliability, due to it representing wood and the earth. It can evoke feelings of warmth as well as wholesomeness. It is a natural color that can also be seen as dull.

Tan

Tan and beige can take on many different feelings depending on what is around it. It can evoke feelings of warmth, while at the same time being used to show coolness. A lot of the time it is used for backgrounds and does not stand out on its own. Due to this, it can take on the feelings of the colors around it and be used to amplify them.

Cream

Finally, the color cream is a very quiet color that can evoke a sense of history. It has some of the pureness and cleanliness of white within it, while at the same time being a bit warmer. In general, it can bring feelings of elegance and calmness to a design.