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| The Colour Wheel |
Designers have a large range of colours at their disposal and most are well aware that certain colours are associated with feelings and emotions. Designers, companies and manufacturers use colours cleverly to promote a certain feeling about their products.
The interpretation of a colour depends on culture, profession, and personal preference. In general, the colours red, orange, and yellow are "exciting" colours and the colorus purple, blue, and green are "calming" colours. It is very important to consider your target audience, the psychology of colour, and the image you wish to project before you construct your web-site, printed materials, and logo.
What A Customer Sees
Colours also have an effect on your visitors before they begin to read the content of your web site or printed design. Thus, it is very important for you to consider your target audience, the psychology of colour, and the corporate image you wish to project before you complete your design.
When colour is used correctly, it can add impact and clarity to your message and highlight important points. Alternatively When colour is used incorrectly, it can compromise your message and confuse your target audience. The diagram below outlines the main emotions associated with each of the main colours.
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| Colours and their meanings |
The interpretation of a colour depends on culture, profession, and personal preference. In general, the colours red, orange, and yellow are "exciting" colours and the colors purple, blue, and green are "calming" colours. Interpretation of colour is not always a matter of personal preference. For example, in Western cultures the colour white symbolizes purity; however, in China the colour white symbolizes death.
Colour can also work for your web site and printed materials in various other ways:
Colour can also work for your web site and printed materials in various other ways:
- Colour emphasizes, highlights, and leads the eye to important points or links.
- Colour identifies recurring themes (i.e. titles and subtitles are usually the same colors).
- Conversely, colour can differentiate, such as different colors in pie charts and bar graphs.
- Colour symbolizes and triggers emotions and associations.
To summarise, it is very important to consider your target audience, the psychology of colour, and the image you wish to project before you construct your web-site, graphic design, printed materials or logo.