Eric the Red, Web Design

The Colour Responses

Choosing effective colour schemes is important.

Psychological Responses to Colour

There is no question that colour affects people psychologically. These qualities were discovered during the Middle Ages, and are partly responsible for the use of so much blue in the stained-glass windows in the great cathedrals. Colour meanings and perceptions around the world are often paradoxical. It's up to the designer to choose a palette that works to the advantage of a given design.

Colour	Description	Psychological Response	Notes of Interest
White	White is cheering and reflects sunlight, particularly when used with red, yellow, or orange.	Purity, cleanliness, precision, innocence, sterility, death	Signifies virginity, marriage in the U.S. but death in India and other Eastern cultures.
Black	Black, like grey, is depressing unless combined with a livelier colour.	Power, sexuality, sophistication, death, mystery, fear, unhappiness, elegance	Signifies death and mourning in many Western cultures. In packaging, conveys elegance, wealth, and sophistication.
Blue	Blue reduces mental excitability and therefore helps one to concentrate. It is both cooling and sedative, but cannot be used indiscriminately, as too much of it produces melancholia.	Trust, conservative, security, technology, cleanliness, order	Used in the U.S. by many banks to symbolize trust.
Green	Green is a cooling colour and acts as an opiate.	Nature, healthy, good luck, jealousy ("green with envy"), renewal	Doesn't do well in a global market. There are problems associated with green packaging in China and France. Green has been successful in attracting investors in the Middle East.
Yellow	Yellow is cheering and stimulating and draws attention.	Optimism, hope, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice (a coward can be described as "yellow"), betrayal	Yellow is a sacred colour to Hindus.
Red	Red is exciting and stimulates the brain.	Power, energy, warmth, passions, love, aggression, danger	Red changes meaning in the presence of other colours. With green, it becomes a symbol of Christmas. When combined with white, it means joy in many Eastern cultures.
Purple	Purple is a sedative and soothing.	Spirituality, mystery, royalty, transformation, cruelty, arrogance	Purple appears very rarely in nature.
Brown	Brown is restful and warming but should be combined with orange, yellow, or gold, because it can be depressing if used alone.	Earth, reliability, comfort, endurance	Food packaging in the U.S. is often coloured brown, to great success. In Colombia, brown discourages sales.
Grey	Grey, like brown, is depressing unless combined with a livelier colour.	Intellect, futurism, modesty, sadness, decay