Douglas Della Toffalo, Choose & Use the Best Colors, The
Psychology of Color
Are you using the best colors for your web site? Many web
designers often
overlook the issues of color in web design. When choosing
colors for your
web site there are three main areas that should be
addressed.
1) The psychological effect of colors,
2) The effect on the readability of your site, and
3) The complementary choice of colors for your background,
graphics, links,
and text
These are all areas that must be well satisfied to create an
effective and
professional web site.
Listed below are a few characteristics of color that should
always be
considered when designing your graphics.
Ø Colors have an effect on our emotions within 90 seconds of
viewing.
Ø Color choices can motivate, impress, and persuade your
prospect to buy
from you.
Ø Colors not only intensify the item, they greatly influence
our behavior.
Ø The effects of color differ among different cultures.
Ø Color choices alone are sending a specific message to your
viewers.
Given the fact that people respond more to non-verbal cues
than verbal cues,
it's all-important that you choose the corresponding colors
for the
emotional trigger you want to trip. The following colors are
associated with
certain emotions or qualities in North American culture.
White - Suggests truthfulness, purity, clean, devotion,
mild, and
contemporary. White is the best color for a background color
on the web. For
business it can be refreshing and sterile.
Black – Suggests elegance, boldness, power, authority,
seductive, evil,
sophistication and classic. Black is the ideal choice for
text on a light
background. It is hard on the eyes when used as a background
on web sites.
Red – Suggests strength, sex, excitement, passion, speed,
danger,
aggressiveness, and demands attention. In business it is
associated with
debt. Red is the most emotionally intense color. It
stimulates a faster
heartbeat and breathing.
Blue – Suggests security, trust, reliability, coolness,
faithfulness,
belonging, and dignity. Blue is the most popular color. It
is the second
most popular color. In business it suggests fiscal
responsibility and
sanctuary.
Green - Suggests abundance, health, fertility, freedom,
healing, nature,
growth, jealously, and cool. In business it suggests status
and wealth. It
is the easiest color on the eye.
Brown – Suggests effectiveness, politeness, richness, and
helpfulness. Brown
is the color of earth, and is abundant in nature.
Gray – Suggests earnestness, authority, and practicality. In
business it
suggests traditional and conservative.
Pink – Suggests softness, sweet, femininity, well-being,
innocence, and
nurture.
Purple – Suggests dignity, spirituality, royal, luxury,
wealth, authority,
mournfulness, and sophistication. In business it is upscale.
Purple is
favored by the artistic.
Orange – Suggests playfulness, pleasure, cool, warmth,
cheer, vibrant,
strength, endurance, and ambition.
Yellow – Suggests sunshine, warmth, cheer, happiness,
cowardice, and
jealousy. In business it is appealing to intellectual types
and is good for
accents. Yellow enhances concentration, increases
metabolism, and is the
most difficult color for the eye to take in.
Gold – Suggests expensive, and prestige.
Silver – Suggests cold, scientific, and prestige.
Whenever you begin to choose your colors, think about your
target market.
What emotions do you want to evoke? Give some thought to the
current emotion
of your prospect and to the message you want to send. Then
choose your
colors.
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