The Symbolism and Psychology of Colors

A dispersive prism is used to break up light into its constituent spectral colors (the colors of the rainbow).

by Michael Corthell

The symbolic meaning of a color can vary depending on the society, the culture, and the historical time period. Each color has many properties, but the symbolic meanings are fairly straightforward.

Knowing color symbolism is helpful in understanding human behavior. Color, as a symbol, is a form of non-verbal communication, and expression. Color influences human perception in ways that are not always obvious. The sense of taste for example. Colors can also be helpful for their placebo-like effects. For example, red and orange capsules are generally used to package stimulants.

Color can indeed influence peoples' perceptions, but they are not even across the board. It is very important to remember that the effect of color symbolism can vary depending on gender, age, and culture. For example, a majority of men reported that red colored outfits made women seem more attractive, while women answered in the study's survey that the color of a male's clothing did not affect his perceived attractiveness.

Color psychology is also widely used in marketing and branding, as well as propaganda. Color is seen as an important part of marketing because color can be used to influence consumers' emotions and perceptions of products and services. 

Color is an important consideration when deciding on brand logos. These logos seem to attract more customers when the color of the brand's logo matches the perception of the products or services, such as the color pink being heavily used on Victoria's Secret branding. Or green in ecologically branded products. However, colors are not only important for logos and products, but also for, posters, magazines and window displays.

Symbolic Meaning of Color

Red is the color of fire and blood. It symbolizes vitality, energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility that’s why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. In heraldry, red is used to indicate courage. It is the color found in many national flags. Red brings text and images to the foreground. It is used as an accent color to stimulate people to make quick decisions; it is a perfect color for 'Buy Now' or 'Click Here' buttons on Internet banners and websites. Red is widely used to indicate danger (high voltage signs, traffic lights). It is also commonly associated with energy band vitality, so it is used when promoting energy drinks, games, cars, items related to sports and high physical activity.   

Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation. To the human eyes, orange is seen as a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance. Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design. Orange is very effective for promoting food products and toys. 

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. Yellow is often associated with food. Bright, pure yellow is an attention getter that’s why taxicabs are painted this color. When overused, yellow may have a disturbing influence; it is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is seen before other colors when placed against black; this combination is often used to issue a warning. In heraldry, yellow indicates honor and loyalty. Later the meaning of yellow was connected with cowardice. Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings. Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so use it to highlight the most important elements of your design. Men usually perceive yellow as a very lighthearted, childish color, so it is not recommended to use yellow when selling prestigious, expensive products to men - nobody will buy a yellow business suit or a yellow BMW's. Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous color, so avoid using yellow if you want to suggest stability and safety. Light yellow tends to disappear into white, so it usually needs a dark color to highlight it. Shades of yellow are visually unappealing because they loose cheerfulness and become dingy. 

 

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for human eyes; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes lack of experience; for example, a 'greenhorn' is a novice. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic. Use green to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Green is directly related to nature, so you can use it to promote 'green' products. Dull, darker green is commonly associated with money, financial world, banking, and Wall Street. 

  

Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity. You can use blue to promote products and services related to cleanliness (water purification filters, cleaning liquids), air and sky (airlines, airports, air conditioners), water and sea (sea voyages, mineral water). Blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred color for corporate America. Avoid using blue when promoting food and cooking, because blue suppresses appetite. When used together with warm colors like yellow or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant designs; for example, blue-yellow-red is a perfect color scheme for a superhero.   

Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic. Almost 75 percent children prefer purple to all the other colors. Purple is a very rare color in nature; some people consider it to be artificial.

 

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, and purity. It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity. In advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because it's the color of snow. You can use white to suggest simplicity in high-tech products. White is an appropriate color for charitable organizations Angels are usually imagined wearing white clothes. White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and sterility, so you can use white to suggest safety when promoting medical products. White is often associated with low weight, low-fat food, and dairy products.

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color (black tie, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief. Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but the black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of painting or photography, you can use a black or gray background to make other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined with red or orange - other very powerful colors - black gives a very aggressive color scheme.

Favorite Color? Blue is the top choice for 35% of Americans, followed by green (16%), purple (10%) and red (9%).

For more in-depth information regarding the science behind color, click this link.

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VIDEO: What is Color Psychology?

Color Psychology: How Colors Influence the Mind? How do colors affect purchases? Here are 10 Ways Color Influences your Choices & Changes your Feelings

The psychology of color is based on the mental and emotional effects colors have on sighted people in all facets of life. There are some very subjective pieces to color psychology as well as some more accepted and proven elements. Keep in mind, that there will also be variations in interpretation, meaning, and perception between different cultures.

Color has the power to evoke emotion, stimulate appetite, and even make babies cry. The psychology of colors goes well beyond personal preference, upbringing, cultural influence, and associations with experiences.

Colors are deeply ingrained in modern society, which can signify love, friendship, boy, girl, purity, passion, happiness, and peace. Marketers are well aware of the power color reigns over our lives, which is why McDonald’s chooses its red and yellows to make us hungry, and Victoria’s Secret uses pinks and purples to make women feel sexy and feminine.