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What is color psychology?

Color Psychology is a study that examines how colors influence our moods, choices and behavior. Although it may seem simple at first, there is more to this than you think. There is a lot of science behind the reasons why we choose certain colors over others.

If you have ever wondered why a yellow room makes you feel so happy or why a red button on a sale is more appealing, we invite you to dive into the fascinating world of color psychology.

Explore the psychological effects color

Sir Isaac Newton taught us to understand colors scientifically, instead of using them based on intuition. He discovered that white light was a mixture of colors. How? He showed us, by splitting light using a prism that each color had its own wavelength.

The psychology of color was born from this discovery. This discovery showed that color is more than just a pretty hue. Each color has its own identity and meaning.

Understanding color theory

Newton’s work on the prism laid the foundation for the colour wheel. The circle shows us the spectrum of colours, and how they interact.

What is a colour wheel?

A colorwheel is an arrangement of colors that are arranged in a circle, usually by chromatic relationship. It’s a great tool to understand color theory.

There are two main forms of it:

RYB is a traditional wheel with the primary colors Red Yellow and Blue
RGB : a digital application with Red, Green and Blue colors.

These are primary colors. These colors are unique, and they cannot be made by mixing other colors.

When we explore the mysteries of the color wheel, we discover that these primary colors combine to form secondary shades, such as orange (red and yellow), green, (blue, yellow, and yellow), or purple (red, blue, & red). secondary hues are also created by combining a primary color with a neighboring secondary color.

What is color harmony?

The brain rejects information if it is dull or overwhelming. This highlights the importance of a balanced visual presentation. A lack of visual elements can cause chaos while an excess can create disinterest. The same principle applies to color psychology.

Understanding the way colors work together and combine makes it easier to achieve colour harmony.

Colors that complement and are analogous

Colors that are opposite one another on the color wheel (such as blue and orange, or red and yellow) create a high-contrast, striking look. A color palette that uses three colors adjacent to each other on the wheel (such as yellow, orange and red) creates a harmonious look, but it requires care in choosing the right combination.

Monochromatic color schemes

Designers use monochromatic color schemes to create subtler and more sophisticated effects. This technique uses different hues and tints and tones for a single colour, creating an elegant and unified look.

Color schemes with triadic and tetradic patterns

Tetradic and triadic color schemes can create a dynamic and bold effect. Triadic color schemes use three colors evenly distributed on the wheel. For example, red, yellow and blue. This creates a lively and vibrant feel, while still maintaining balance. A tetradic design uses four colors. Typically, two complementary pairs are used, like blue and orange with red and green. This creates a complex, rich visual experience, full of energy and contrast, which is ideal for creating attractive designs.

Warm colors and cold colors

The color temperature can also play a major role in creating the mood and atmosphere of a design. Warm colors like oranges, reds and yellows are often associated warmth, passion and energy. They remind us of the sun. They can give a feeling of excitement and comfort. Cool colors, like blues, purples and greens, can make you feel calm and tranquil. They also evoke feelings similar to the feeling of freshness and tranquility that is emitted by water and sky. These colors are often used to create an atmosphere of calm and professionalism.

Loud colors and quiet colors

Colors that are loud, such as bright red, tend to be highly saturated. They’re often combined with black or other colors in order to attract attention and create excitement. Quiet colors, like soft blue, are pastel shades that have low saturation and create a peaceful environment. It’s important to balance the use of loud and quiet colours for a harmonious, effective color scheme.

The individual character of each color in a particular design is determined by its hue, saturation and luminosity. A bright, highly saturated red can convey a sense urgency while a darker, less saturated red could communicate elegance and subtlety.

Designers can adjust these elements to create designs that are visually and emotionally appealing and effectively communicate their intended message.

Color palettes and consumer behavior

Did you know our genes might influence how we perceive colors? This idea is supported by a report titled “Color Compatibility From Large Datasets.” It suggests that people tend to prefer bright, warm colors as well as cyan shades and dislike monochromatic schemes.

There’s an interesting twist. Our backgrounds and cultural contexts have a great impact on our perception of colors. Color preferences are influenced by factors such as gender, culture, climate, and language. Red is a good example. It’s the colour of passion in North America and Europe. In Asia, especially in China, the color red is associated with prosperity, honor, and luck. It’s also used for wedding dresses to symbolize fertility and a long-lasting union.

In retail and online commerce, it is important to understand color-related cultural variations. Color psychology is key to changing customer behavior and enhancing the shopping experience. Color psychology can be used in retail and online to:

Promote purchases. Certain colors can either stimulate or deter purchasing. Red is used in many sale signs to create a sense urgency and excitement. Red is also thought to convert better than other colors on buttons.
Set a mood. Different colors evoke different emotions. Blue can evoke feelings of reliability and trust, while yellow may evoke happiness and optimism.
Assign specific connotations to a product. Colors used for branding often subconsciously communicate the identity of a product to consumers. The combination of black and gold, for example, conveys a sense of elegance. If a watchmaker wants to convey sophistication and premium quality, then these colors will be the best choice.
Craft Brand Identity. Use of certain colors consistently can strengthen brand identity and increase brand recognition.

What psychological effects do specific colors have?

Colors are used strategically in branding and marketing. They’re chosen based on how they affect human behavior. Advertising uses white to promote medical products and services, as it conveys the idea of sterility and health. Eco products are often packaged in green, because green is associated to nature and health.

There is no universal rule for choosing colors in marketing campaigns, and there are many color psychology beliefs that lack solid evidence. However, certain hues are associated with specific qualities. Understanding color associations can help consumers make better decisions about brands and products. We’ll review the primary colours and their meanings.

Blue conveys a sense of trust and communication. Blue can also have negative connotations. Blue is rare in natural foods, which can have a suppressing effect on appetite. The wrong shade of color can make your brand appear unfriendly and aloof.

Red serves as a warning color and is associated with ripe fruits due to its evolutionary significance for primates. It can also increase heart rate and breathing. This is why so many fast food chains use this color in their branding.

Yellow represents optimism, warmth, and sunshine. Businesses use yellow to attract attention. It is more effective than other colors.

Orange has a stimulating and warm color that is known for its energy. Orange is a vibrant color that attracts attention and is often used for important contexts like traffic signs. Orange is the favorite color of children, along with yellow and red.

The color green has a lot of associations with the environment and nature, but also with good luck and wealth. Green shares with blue the tranquilizing qualities that are associated with this color. Intriguingly, green’s association with positive attributes like nature and calmness is a relatively recent development, as historically, its <a href="https://aizome-textiles.com/blogs/the-bed-blog/from-mad-hatters-to-radioactive-dinnerware-the-dark-side-of-dyes-and-why-plant-color-matters#:~:text=In%2019th%20century%20Paris%2C%20a,the%20dance%20floor%20often%20collapsed." The dyes used to contain lethal arsenic. This has now faded and the color is associated with a more positive meaning.

The color purple represents wisdom, creativity and mysticism. Many brands use purple to communicate exclusivity. It is also associated with royalty and luxury. Inclusive and energizing, digital lavender–another variety of color purple–is now <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90865212/once-you-spot-gen-zs-favorite-colors-youll-see-them-everywhere#:~:text=Like%20Millennial%20Pink%2C%20Gen%20Z,Lavender%2C%20also%20aligned%20with%20inclusivity." One of the most popular colors for Gen-Zers is digital lavender.

The color white represents optimism according to color psychology. In branding, white is associated with simplicity for high-tech items, cleanliness in beauty and healthcare products, and purity and freshness in food. White is often paired with black to create an appearance of balance and contrast. This classic combination conveys a sense elegance, sophistication and modernity.

What colors should you choose for your brand?

Visual branding will help you to stand out. Remember when KFC ran the funny campaign in 2019? The campaign made fun of all the chicken shops that copied their style in the UK. This was a clever way to emphasize the importance of having a unique style and color scheme.

Here’s some advice if you are considering choosing colors for your company.

Color choices to engage your audience

Understanding how your target audience perceives your brand colors can be a key marketing strategy. Pepsi is a great example. After listening to feedback from customers, went through their biggest logo redesign in 15 years and reverted to older designs that resonated better with their customer base. This shows the importance of listening to customer feedback and how it can impact brand appeal.

Maintain your uniqueness while embracing trends

It’s important to maintain your brand identity, even as color preferences change. The pastels that symbolized prosperity in 1950s were replaced by the vibrant pastels associated with early 2000s tech-optimism. The trick is to keep up with the latest trends, such as Pantone’s releases, while maintaining your brand’s distinctive voice among a sea similar aesthetics.

Be consistent with your marketing materials

It is important to use brand colors consistently across all platforms in order to establish a strong brand identity. Consistency helps build brand recognition and trust. Only a quarter of organizations consistently enforce their branding guidelines. Interestingly, organizations with consistent branding have <a href="https://www.inc.com/tracy-leigh-hazzard/boost-profit-with-constant-brand-consistency.html#:~:text=For%20organizations%20with%20brand%20consistency,those%20with%20inconsistent%20brand%20presentation." The average revenue has increased by 23%.

Know Your Competitors

Before deciding on your brand colors, it is important to research the colors of your competitors. This research will help you to understand the industry and identify colors that are heavily associated with your competitors. Color choices that are unique will ensure that your brand is distinct and not confused with another.

Avoid legal traps

It is important to avoid colors that are too similar to the ones used by competitors. Consult an intellectual property lawyer to make sure your brand color palette does not violate the rights of others. This will protect your brand’s unique identity.

Test and experiment

It is important to test your brand colors on different platforms in order to ensure consistency and visual appeal. Don’t forget to use A/B Testing techniques in order to measure their effectiveness on multiple platforms. This involves comparing the performance of two color schemes to determine which one performs best in terms of brand recognition and engagement. This method helps you to make data-driven decisions and ensures visual appeal. It also allows for consistency.

How to use color psychology in your web design?

It’s not enough to know the facts about color psychology. You have to apply them in a way that makes an impact. The right color choice can make a huge difference in your landing page’s conversion rate and engagement. We’ll go over some strategies to help you choose and apply colors that will transform your landing pages from good into great.

Be mindful of the emotions you wish to evoke. Match the colors and emotions that it creates to the message you want to send. Green can be an excellent choice if your company sells eco-friendly items.
Limit color. A landing page with too many colors may confuse or distract visitors. A good rule is to use primary, secondary and accent colors.
Use the 60-30-10 rule. The interior design principle can be applied to web design. Use the dominant color to cover 60% of the area (usually the background), the secondary color for 30% (headers and footers), and the accent color for 10%.
Maintain consistency. To ensure brand recognition and consistency, your landing page should be aligned with the existing color palette of your brand.
Make the most of whitespace. White space can help focus the attention of viewers and direct their eyes to important information or CTAs.
Highlight Calls-to-Action (CTAs).. Make your CTA buttons stand out by using colors that contrast sharply against the background. They should grab the user’s attention instantly.
Make the page accessible. Make sure your color choices can be accessed by all users including those who have color vision impairments.
Run A/B Tests. Test different color schemes and see which one works best with your audience. What works for one segment of the audience might not work well for another.

Color psychology examples of landing pages that use color psychology in the right way

Let’s look at some examples of landing pages that make the most intelligent use color.

Klarna

Color psychology creates an energetic, vibrant background.

Pink is often associated with warmth and playfulness, while purple represents creativity, luxury and wisdom. The gradient blend is a contemporary approach that invites a feeling of inclusivity and warmth. The use of cool shades gives this color combination a calm and trustworthy vibe. This can influence visitors to interact with the brand. The darker purple background makes the text stand out, which ensures readability and focus.

The CTA is bolder and more direct with the black button. The white CTA contrasts with the background less, suggesting that it is a second option.

Blue Apron

They use color psychology The landing page has a light-blue background, which sets a calm tone and is trustworthy. This aligns with the brand message of reliability and quality. The dark blue and black text colors against the light background make it easier to read and give the design a clean and simple look. The vivid images of food against the blue background draw the eye, and encourage users to explore further the meal plans.

The CTA button is navy blue, which offers a subtle but effective contrast. This keeps the page looking professional while making the CTA stand out.

Petcube

Color psychology The landing page creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere with its color selections. The beige and creamy background creates a warm and simple atmosphere, which sets the stage for more vibrant elements. Orange pops bring a playful and energetic feel to the brand, which works well for a pet-centric company.

The images of pets are vibrant and colorful, grabbing the attention of visitors and creating an emotional bond. The orange CTA draws attention to the pet images and resonates with vibrant energy that pet owners appreciate.

Notion

Color psychology The landing page has a minimalistic design, with a white background and black text. Monochromatic illustrations are also used. This contrast creates an elegant and modern look that suggests efficiency and clarity, which may resonate with users who are looking for productivity tools.

The use of black text with black-and white illustrations in contrast to the white space emphasizes the platform’s organization and ease-of-use. The CTA button’s color is probably chosen to inspire feelings of calm and trust, encouraging users to test the service without feeling pressed.

It’s important to understand color psychology when it comes to web design. You can do this by hone your aesthetic instincts, and draw inspiration from landing pages that are well-designed. If you need inspiration or want to know what works, check out these examples.

The best landing pages will convert more visitors if you use the right colors

Colors on your landing pages, from headers to buttons, are silent ambassadors for your brand. They can influence decisions in a quiet way and stir emotions that words cannot.

Do you want to learn more about the secrets behind a high-converting landing page? Or do you need some help creating one from scratch? Instapage allows you to launch campaigns quicker with landing page designs that are professionally designed and optimized for conversions. Try Instapage for 14 days free.

Author: Fahad Muhammad

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