case study color psychology

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Cause and Effect: Exploring Color Psychology

The use of color in design can affect the emotions and moods of the people. Using colors wisely can improve UX and induce desired behaviors in significant ways.

By Cameron Chapman

Cameron comes from a design background and is the author of two web design books: Color for Web Design and The Smashing Idea Book.

Colors and emotions are intricately linked in ways that digital designers are only beginning to understand and take advantage of, which makes sense when you consider that color in design (particularly newspapers and magazines) has really only become widespread in the last half-century or so.

And yet, the psychological impact of color on user behavior is significant. Something as simple as changing the color of a button can increase desired behavior by double, even triple-digit percentages. Overlooking this vital component of user experience design is a huge mistake and one that’s easily avoided with a little education and research.

What Is Color Psychology?

There has been little rigorous scientific study on the psychological effects of color. Yet color psychology is an important focus of branding and other design disciplines. Most studies on color’s effects have been done for practical reasons and primarily consist of anecdotal evidence and case studies from individual companies and designers.

Ask designers, however, if they consider the psychological effects of color on human behavior and the vast majority of them will affirm that they do. Overlooking color psychology in design is a quick way to ensure poor user experience and reduce the conversion rate of a website or app.

Why Color Affects Emotion

Why colors affect the way people feel isn’t straightforward. There are a number of elements that can influence the way a person feels when exposed to a certain color. One important factor is the personal association with a color. If a person’s favorite stuffed animal as a child was blue, for example, then they may have a preference for blue throughout their life. Or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, if they were hit by a blue car as a child, they might have a strong negative emotional reaction to the color blue.

However, because of universal human experiences, it’s possible to predict how the majority of people will respond to a given color. For example, green is often associated with nature and growth because most people have witnessed plants growing. Blue is almost universally calming because it’s associated with things like the sky and water.

Other effects are cultural. Purple, for example, is still associated with luxury due to the fact that purple dye was prohibitively expensive and rare in many ancient cultures, and therefore only used by royalty. It’s not a natural association, per se, but it was a significant part of the cultural zeitgeist for long enough that it’s become a part of the human psyche .

Color’s Effect on Performance

It’s not just mood and emotions that color can affect. It can also affect performance in very real ways.

For example, in a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, researchers found that the color red negatively affected performance on a test. When participants were given a red participant number (rather than green or black), they performed 20% worse on tests than their peers. That’s a significant difference and one that can be used to influence user experience .

That doesn’t mean red will always hinder performance. In a study of athletic performance , red uniforms appear to give an advantage. During the 2004 Olympics, athletes competing in four different sports (Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, boxing, and taekwondo) were randomly given either blue or red uniforms or protective gear. The red-clad athletes won in 19 of the 29 weight classes. And similar studies among soccer matches showed a similar advantage to the teams wearing red uniforms.

This could be explained by red’s historical connotations with aggression and anger. Either the red uniforms are making their wearers feel more aggressive or, alternatively, the red uniforms are more intimidating to their opponents and therefore negatively affect their performance. Either way, the results are significant.

Color Meanings

Every color is associated with different emotions . The use of color in design can affect the emotions and moods of the people viewing those color palettes. Using colors wisely can improve user experience and increase desired behaviors (including conversion rates) in significant ways.

Warm Colors

Warm colors include shades of red, orange, and yellow. In general, these colors are energetic and active, with relatively positive connotations.

Red: Red is associated with passion, love, and lust. It can also be associated with warnings and danger, or even with anger (hence the term “seeing red”). Red can have a physiological impact on people, too, including raising respiration and heart rate.

Orange: Orange is energetic and positive. It’s association with autumn leaves and seasonal transitions can also make people think of change when they see it. Orange is also associated with warnings, though less strongly than red.

Yellow: Yellow is considered the happiest hue in the color spectrum and is closely associated with sunshine and with hope. It can also be linked with caution and cowardice, though.

Cool Colors

Cool colors include shades of blue, green, and purple. Generally speaking, cool colors are more calm and relaxed than warm colors, though specific hues can have different properties.

Blue: Blue is calming and also represents honesty and loyalty (hence its popularity in so many corporate branding color schemes). Blue can be associated with sadness and loss, depending on context. It’s also linked to peace and even spirituality.

Green: Green can represent new beginnings and growth, as well as nature. It has some of the energizing properties of yellow, while also carrying over some of blue’s calming effects. Green is associated with affluence, money, and stability, particularly in darker shades.

Purple: Purple has long been associated with luxury and royalty, but also with mystery and the occult. Lighter purples, such as lavender, are more romantic and associated with spring.

Neutral colors often take on characteristics of the other colors in a palette and can be used to reinforce those influences. The basic neutrals include black, white, gray, brown, and beige.

Black: Black is elegant and sophisticated, but can also be sad and representative of death and mourning.

White: White is pure and innocent, and often linked to cleanliness. Although in some cultures it can also be associated with death.

Gray: Gray can be seen as sophisticated and powerful, but can also come across as boring if used the wrong way. It’s one of the most flexible neutrals, as it can be seen as warm or cool, traditional or modern.

Brown: Brown is solid and dependable, and can be associated with nature depending on the context in which it is used.

Beige: Beige can be warm or cool depending on the colors used around it. It’s generally conservative and can take on the warmth of brown or the coolness of white. It takes on the meaning of the colors around it and often fades into the background, adding little psychological influence on its own.

Cultural Differences

One area where designers need to be particularly careful in their work is in considering cultural differences in color meaning. For example, in most western cultures, white is associated with innocence and black is associated with death and mourning. But in other cultures, particularly China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries, white is associated with death and mourning, and even bad luck.

It’s important to consider where the users of a product are coming from. If the majority of users for a particular site are coming from Indonesia, for example, then using green would be a bad idea. But if they’re coming from the Middle East, then green is associated with luck, wealth, and fertility, which might be exactly the kind of message desired.

Taking time to research the exact cultural meanings of colors before committing to a color palette is an important step in the UX design process and one that can’t be overlooked. Not just because of cultural differences, but also because of the significant effects color can have on user behavior.

Subtle Changes Have a Huge Impact

Making even subtle changes to an exact hue can have a big impact on how users perceive that color. For example, navy blue is considered loyal and traditional while bright blue can be modern and energetic and light blue can be calming and peaceful. They’re all “blue” but the effect of adding black or white to change the specific color is very significant.

The same goes for how colors are combined. Red and green are complementary colors on the color wheel, and using them right next to each other can create a vibrating effect that’s very unpleasing to the eye. But if you lighten the red to pink and make the green more of a jewel tone, it becomes a striking and unexpected color palette that’s immediately memorable and visually appealing.

How Color Affects Consumer Behavior

Color can affect performance, as already mentioned, but it can also affect overall behavior among users. Countless case studies have been done comparing the effectiveness of different color choices on things like calls to action.

HubSpot ran a case study on the effect of switching a button color from green to red on Performable’s website and got some very conclusive results. A designer’s gut reaction might be that green would perform better, as it’s associated with “go” while red is associated with “stop” and might make people pause before clicking. But the results said the opposite: the red button outperformed the green by 21%. In other case studies, green significantly outperforms yellow or orange , though.

Logo design is another area where color choice is incredibly important. Brands pay specialists thousands (and sometimes millions) of dollars to find exactly the right hue for their brand, one that evokes the correct feelings and actions from their customers while also standing out just the right amount from competitors in their industry (and the “right” amount is often dependent on the specific industry).

The key takeaway here is that the color used in a design does have a significant effect on user behavior but the context in which the color is used is a major factor in this. Buttons, for example, should stand out from the surrounding design elements without clashing with them (one area where using a complementary color is a great idea, such as using a red button when much of the design includes green).

Insight into the psychology of colors helps foster positive user experiences, and there is no single right color palette for a given application. This is why testing designs with real users is such a vital part of creating a color palette optimized for the specific use cases it will be enduring. A green button might convert great compared to a yellow button in one context, but a red button might outperform them both in another.

Further Reading on the Toptal Blog:

• A Spectrum of Possibilities: The Go-to UI Color Guide
• The Role of Color in UX
• Dark UIs. The Good and the Bad. Dos and Don’ts.
• The Principles of Design and Their Importance
• The 10 UX Deliverables Top Designers Use

Understanding the basics

What are the most powerful colors.

The power of color lies less in specific hues, and more in how colors are used to evoke particular responses. Red and blue are most often associated with power. However, because color psychology research is limited, associations like those are debatable.

What is the psychology of color?

Color psychology addresses the way colors and emotions are intricately linked and how color affects human behavior. There has been little rigorous scientific study on the psychological effects of color, but plenty of anecdotal evidence exists.

What colors are positive?

Warm color schemes are most often associated with positivity: red, orange, and yellow. Brighter and lighter colors are also seen as more positive, including sky blue, lavender, and bright green. Darker, duller colors should be avoided when trying to evoke a feeling of positivity.

What is a CTA?

CTA stands for Call to Action. A CTA generally consists of a button or other action-oriented element that aims to get a user to take a specific action. Color psychology is an important element of CTA design, as changing the color of a CTA can have a significant effect on its effectiveness.

How does color affect us?

Color can have psychological effects on everything from human behavior to mood to performance. Prisons in Europe have started painting their walls pink in an effort to calm aggressive inmates. Red sports uniforms have been linked to higher win rates. Blue has been linked to higher rates of creativity.

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Color Psychology and Branding: Case Studies and Tips

This is a guest post written by Max Chekalov, Co-founder and contributor at  DesignAdvisor

Color is such a huge part of how we perceive our world. We may not notice it, but we are highly affected by the presence or lack of color in everyday life. From the cheerful colors of spring evoking joy to the dreary gray darkness of stormy days, we are very much susceptible to its effects.

Brands and marketers have been aware of the power of color psychology for some time now. In fact, DesignAdvisor points out that for nearly 85% of consumers, purchases are color-driven. We’ll explore how big-name companies have put colors to use to help you craft your brand’s signature shades.

Color Case Studies

Facebook Blue

According to Buffer, Facebook went with blue because its CEO has a type of red-green color blindness. KISSmetrics explains that it’s because this type of color perception deficiency is so common that hyperlinks are blue. In Facebook’s case, this was a stroke of luck since blue is widely regarded as the color of trust. It’s the color of choice for brands like PayPal, IBM, Visa, and Ford.

Coca-Cola Red

Who doesn’t recognize Coke’s iconic red and white logo? Many people’s early childhood memories involve colorful Christmas advertisements, depicting a jolly Santa and fluffy polar bears. The colors evoke a certain nostalgia and positive emotions. And it appears that I’m not the only one who feels this way. The phenomenon that is the Pepsi Paradox found that even though consumers preferred Pepsi over Coke during a blind taste test, they reversed their opinions as soon as they found out which was which. How’s that for brand loyalty?

Heinz… Green?

There was a moment in history when Heinz decided to color their ketchup green. While the color is associated with nature and health, this was not the reason why people flocked to stores to buy the green stuff, generating a $23 million revenue for the company. Curiosity about the green condiment was probably the main driver here. Since Heinz is a trusted brand, it was easy to buy a bottle and just try it out. The entire thing probably took off from there purely because no one wanted to miss out on the unique experience.

Additional Tips

90% of how consumers evaluate products depends on color. While color does have this powerful, proven effect, bear in mind that choosing color palettes requires an understanding of your audience. The perception of color is tied to so many things: emotional cues can mean that green invokes relaxation and nature for someone, but also a “go” signal of action for others.

Culture, too, plays a vital role. Red typically denotes love in the West. In Africa, that honor goes to blue while in Japan, instead of love, red is associated with wrath. Instead of love, blue symbolizes wisdom in Eastern Europe. However, if we move a bit more westward that same blue conveys reliability.

Age and gender are also factors in people’s color preferences. As it turns out, our preferred wavelengths change as we get older. Numerous studies have also discussed how men prefer bold colors like blue, green, and black, while women gravitate towards soft tones and the color purple.

Now, onto the final point: solid research is crucial. Tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Insights help you hone in on your audience and figure out color cues. Twitter, too, has an analytics panel that breaks down follower demographics by age, language, gender, and interests. Determining your brand’s color persona is an exciting process of discovery so on that note, happy creating!

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Color psychology chart: Understanding color meanings and effects

Colors and color psychology charts, throughout history, have been a powerful tool used by artists, designers, and marketers to evoke emotion from their users.

A mere change in the color of a button can double the desired behavior percentages. When carefully considered, the cultural associations of colors with different user demographics can be a powerful tool to communicate with your target audience.

In this blog, I’ll share everything you need to know about color psychology.

I’ll start by explaining what it is and how color psychology charts work. We’ll explore some case studies of big brands playing with colors. I’ve also devised a step-by-step plan to help you get started leveraging color psychology as a UX designer.

What is color psychology?

Color psychology is the study of how colors affect mood and behavior. When used effectively, designers can use various colors to affect the psychological behaviors of their target audience.

Studies show that color has a profound effect on our daily behavior. Different colors represent different moods — red and yellow increase action, while green and blue increase comfort.

Since the 1960s, marketers and advertisers have used colors for their marketing and advertising campaigns. Major branding and product design decisions are also based on how people react to color.

Psychology behind different colors

According to a study , color influences 85% of shopper’s purchase decisions, and specific colors will target a consumer’s mood, behavior, and stress levels.

We’ve established that different colors have different psychological effects on the consumer. But exactly what colors produce what specific effects? Some shades of colors might have a subjective effect, but most of them have universal meanings.

Most warm tones, such as reds, yellows, and oranges, make us feel either warm and comfortable or angry and reactive. Meanwhile, most cool tones, such as blues, purples, and greens, can either calm the mind or induce sadness or melancholia. Universally, shades in the red areas are active, while shades in the blue areas are passive.

The stop light is one of the clearest examples of color in everyday life. It is universally accepted that red means stop (you “react” to the stop signal), yellow means yield (you “react” to the yield signal but not as passionately as to the stop signal), and green means go (you “passively” bypass the stop light):

If you’ve noticed, Coca-Cola uses red for its logos and branding. The pop of red accents with Coca-Cola mirrors the pop of a Coke can. Consumers know that when they’re buying Coke, they’re more likely to become active and engage in passionate pursuits. The brand story has made “Coca-Cola Red” a literal trademark:

There’s also the green logo of Whole Foods. The color choice is a reflection of their brand story of “going green,” or staying healthy to save the environment. The “greenification” of their website tells a lot at the outset:

As consumers, we make decisions based on emotions, not logic. When presented with choices, we go with those that elicit a reaction. And color psychology charts can be a huge part of that.

Color psychology chart

Let me share a handy color psychology chart showing different colors and their corresponding meanings:

Clearly, different shades of color represent different emotions. I’ll summarize the color psychology chart for you:

• Blue — calm, peach, and trust
• Green — health, growth, and generosity
• Purple — luxury, power, and creativity
• Red — passion, energy, and confidence
• Pink — love, kindness, and innocence
• Orange — success, enthusiasm, and warmth
• Yellow — hope, joy, and positivity
• Grey — authority, dignity, and knowledge
• Brown — strength, security, and nature
• Black — mystery, power, and formality
• White — purity, safety, and goodness

Application of the color psychology chart in design

It is exciting to see how existing companies use color psychology. I’ll focus on three domains — branding, advertising, and web design to see how a color psychology chart works in design:

There is more color psychology than blue means this, and green means that. Big companies are usually synonymous with one particular color rather than a ton of colors — Coca-Cola’s red and Sprite’s green. This is all a part of their branding strategy.

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Think of Facebook. Facebook is a very particular shade of blue, right?

Well, Mark Zuckerberg is color-blind. He cannot see green and red and mixes up these colors. And blue is the clearest color that Zuckerberg can perceive. And yet, Facebook’s blue has symbolized openness and communication for the brand. This is Facebook’s palette:

For Facebook, blue, which is also the most used color for banks and security companies, provides security in an age of cyber dangers. It comforts the consumer, who knows that they are safe on Facebook.

Blue is also the most popular color for brands, solidifying Facebook’s popularity. These color psychology factors, along with Zuckerberg’s personal comfort, were considered for Facebook’s branding.

Advertising

Color psychology plays itself out everywhere we see ads. For advertising campaigns, it’s imperative to show consumers products they want to see based on how they see the brand.

I’m thinking here of luxury brand Woodwatch’s ad campaign. They went back to nature, showcasing colors found in nature, such as woody browns. This is the perfect match for their brand, which specializes in wooden watches:

Let’s take another example.

Think of Xiaomi. This brand creates a huge demand for its newly launched products through advertisements. Whenever they have a brand to launch, they advertise. Let’s take a look at one of their adverts:

This advertisement showcases Lei Jun, the CEO of Xiaomi, with the color yellow in bold. Yellow is associated with hope, energy, and, yes, courage. This bold yellow color on a neutral light gray background makes for a bold statement.

Look at their summer sale ad, too. It features a blue foreground, reminiscent of comforting blue skies, with the words summer and sale in gradients of yellow and orange. Orange appears in the logo for Xiaomi, and they use orange to portray the warm optimism of summer:

As a web UX designer, you want consumers to take actionable steps on the website, which might mean looking at your landing pages or clicking certain buttons. You have to keep them engaged. One way to do that is through color psychology.

For example, you should not use bold and bright colors such as red or green except as an accent. If you’re looking to build a well-designed page, you will certainly need a palette, as monotone colors will overpower the rest of the page.

For harmonious effects of color, it’s advisable to balance your color scheme between warm and cold colors and loud and quiet colors. This is done by picking between different shades, tints, and tones of a single color or the hue (differing shades of the pure color), saturation (the intensity of a color), and luminance (the light to dark of a color). Too many bold colors can either distract or disorient visitors to your landing page, so keep them to about 10% of your page .

Let’s study Wattpad as an example. Wattpad uses its logo color, a reddish-orange, as an accent on its homepage. This tells the consumer that it is young, energetic, and passionate. And this tells a story — their passion for storytelling is allowing others to tell their own stories. That’s exactly what Wattpad offers — the chance for anyone to become a writer:

How to use a color psychology chart in design?

With all that theory in mind, I’ll help you build a step-by-step guide to using color for design and marketing:

Step 1 — Learn about color psychology

First and foremost, if you want your brand to take a more inward look at human behavior, be willing to learn the basics of color psychology charts. This could mean reading books on color psychology, such as Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay and The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair.

Look at different brands to see how they build their cases with color. Compare your brand’s color scheme across the board. Does your website have different colors that you’re not utilizing properly in your advertisements?

Having consistent, impactful color coordination and color scheme is key to leveraging color psychology. Looking at how you are utilizing color in your brand is the first step towards using color in your designs.

Step 2 — Pick an emotion for the design

What specific emotion are you looking to evoke in your consumers? Are you targeting excitement or calmness, or does your brand promise security or power?

These questions should find answers in the mission and vision of your company. These are answers to problems that you see in the market, whether it be feeling passionate about brick-and-mortar shops or compassion for the environment. Start by outlining how emotions complement your brand’s goals.

Step 3 — Look at other brands as an example

Whether they are in the same industry and size as your company, or they are brands you idealize, look at other brands as an example of how they use color psychology for designs and marketing. It always helps to scope out the competition, and knowing how other brands use color is a key step in the process.

Perhaps Ikea is inspiring your furniture brand. Look at their color scheme.

By seeing how others make a difference in the world through color, you can also be inspired in the same colorful way.

Step 4 — Match colors with your branding

The most important step in this process is making sure your colors are a match to your branding. Once you’ve figured out how you’re going to target consumers, with what color scheme, and you’ve seen that no other brands use that specific color palette, you are ready to make sure that your colors are relevant to your branding.

The easiest way to do this is to keep consistent.

If you’re a brick-and-mortar store, think about changing your walls, pamphlets, and other physical elements to complement the colors you would like to retain.

If you’re an online store, make sure every landing page is consistent with your use of color psychology chart — from the home page to the About page to the Add to Cart page.

Step 5 — Ensure consistency with cultural demographics

If you’re in China, you already know that the color red is a huge color to use. If you’re in Sweden, you are going to look at certain colors that reflect the Nordish culture. Your color psychology will depend highly on associations that are consistent with the culture of your consumers.

Look at how Huawei uses the color red in its logo because of China’s cultural symbolisms in the color red or how Ikea uses blue and yellow because of the Swedish flag in its palette. These are not just stylistic choices but cultural choices due to culturally determined associations with color.

Choosing to ignore cultural differences in color, can also prove detrimental to how you use color. A UK company, Orange, had to change their slogan and consider changing their name because in Northern Ireland, the Protestant Loyalists were associated with the color orange.

So research, research, and research your consumer demographic.

Step 6 — Create a brand color palette

The last and most crucial step is creating a color palette for your brand. Through your research, you already know what colors you want to use. But use these guides to inform your color choices:

• Analogous colors — These are colors that are next to each other on the color. Think how pink changes to red and red changes to orange.
• Complementary colors — These are colors that complement each other, but are on the opposite sides of the color wheel. Think of purple and yellow, or blue and orange.
• Monochromatic colors — These are colors that are shades of one primary color. For example, gray and black, or sky blue and indigo blue.

Once you’ve created your brand palette, it’s up to you to use it for your brand’s color scheme. Run tests with your users, and find out their primal, emotional reactions to your color palette. Does it align with your brand goals? If it does, you’re on the right path.

Key Takeaways

Color can be a powerful tool in any marketing juncture. In this article, I’ve shown the tremendous psychological effects of color, inducing emotions in the consumer.

It’s important for you, as a designer, to understand how a color psychology chart works because colors can influence the consumer journey and consumer decisions.

If you really are an outward-facing brand that is conscious of your customers, you have to use the color wheel to your advantage.

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The Power of Color: An Expert's Crash Course in Using Color For Impact

Note: Our guest author for this article is experience consultant and founder of LOVE GOOD COLOR, Laura Guido-Clark. Over her career, Guido-Clark has helped some major companies like Herman Miller, Samsung, and Toyota (just to name a few!) understand how to use color theory and emotion  to develop a connection to spaces, transform products, and make an emotional impact in presentations. Learn more about the importance of color at LOVE GOOD COLOR   and the impact of her nonprofit, Project Color Corps.

My obsession with color began at the age of ten while watching The Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy stepped into a technicolor world I went with her, realizing that the impact of color was deeply emotional and that color can tell a story. While my love for color never waned, I had another love, science. By college, I had a double major in pre-med and interior design. I have always felt the two were similar, they both require observation, experimentation, and, above all, empathy.  

While I work with many mediums, color is by far the most transformative. If you’ve thought of color as something that lies on the surface, think again. The use of color has depth, it is empathic and intuitive. I believe that we know when we use color well... and we know when we don’t.

My “aha” moment came from the experience of not using it quite right. My husband and I decided to paint our young son’s room orange. Not just any orange: a really intense orange. The kind of vibrant orange that radiates energy and makes you feel excited just to be alive. In color psychology, orange is noted as optimistic and joyful, two traits anyone would want their child to have. However, what we failed to realize is that orange, like any color, has nuance. We soon realized this specific color of orange wasn’t the optimal shade for our son’s room, it was way too joyful and it affected his behavior. Yet, it wasn’t orange’s fault and it wasn’t my son’s fault; it was a color misunderstanding.

I realized something was missing, a way to emotionally connect to color. That is why I created LOVE GOOD COLOR— a new color system that helps you choose the best colors for impact, teaching you a new language of color. 

The best environments, presentations, and products understand color has an impact. Color’s use (or lack thereof!) provokes an emotive response. If you’re saying one thing in a presentation and your color combination is saying something different, your audience will feel conflicted. Your color palette speaks before you do.

Research shows that color transcends our visual sense; it’s a physical wavelength absorbed through the skin. Studies prove that shifting the color in a room can lead to behavioral changes and even affect blood pressure and heart rate in both sighted as well as blind students. 

Neurobiologist Mark Changizi states in his work that the evolutionary reason we see in color is to read human emotions. Color affects both the head and heart yet we often leave color palettes as the last step in our design process. This means a key component to a powerful presentation is frequently left out. 

Color can actually change human behavior. The psychology of color and physiological effects of color are staggering. Color influences our minds, our moods, and our behaviors. Shifting the shade shifts the meaning. It can set off a response that makes people react, influences their decision-making, or even take an action. The right color can be the perfect CTA and contribute to conversion rate. As you can see below, when you change the color, you change the story.

When preparing your presentation, note that research shows that people can recall color schemes better than they can even recall objects. Color influences— and greatly affects— the perception of your presentation and the power of its message. Using color for impact is one of the most powerful mediums you have. To make a presentation memorable and meaningful integrate and use color to reinforce your message. 

Let’s take a look at these examples Love Good Color put together with the help of Beautiful.ai’s templates showing 3 different color treatments and how they have varying emotive impact. 

Here we used a beautiful.ai template to make 3 different “our team” pages.

Each of the pages tells its own story through the color's influence. The essence of the team and company's brand personality can be reinforced through intentional color selection:

Creative, fun

Empathic, engaged

Thoughtful, industrious

Next we used a beautiful.ai template to make a Nonprofit's “Mission Statement” page:

Again, each page tells its own story through color. With each color change we have highlighted a different characteristic of what the Nonprofit embodies.

Empowerment, strength

Hopeful, uplifting

Commitment, determination

The bottom line (literally) is that your color choices matter.

Read more customer success stories and case studies here .

Learn more about our LOVE GOOD COLOR workshops and tools and follow us on Instagram so you never miss a color story: LOVE GOOD COLOR   @lovegoodcolor

Laura Guido-Clark

Laura is a Bay-Area based professional color consultant, founder of LoveGoodColor, educator and public speaker.

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Color psychology: The complete step-by-step guide

by Talia Wolf | Conversion Optimization | 3 comments

There are thousands of infographics, images and guides explaining how to use color psychology. Usually, these infographics look something like this:

• Red = anger
• Blue = trust
• Green = health

A never-ending list explaining exactly what color creates what emotion. Countless businesses use these guides to determine the color of their brand, the background and hero image on their landing pages or the color of their call to action buttons.

The problem?

Color psychology doesn’t really work that way.

Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but thinking that every single colour creates one specific emotion for every person in the world is simply incorrect.

Most businesses aren’t aware of this, they follow these guides blindly and unfortunately using the wrong color can actually set you back or even hurt your conversions.

Here’s one thing I do know from running thousands of AB tests:

If you use color psychology the right way , you can influence your target audience’s decision process. Used correctly, You can help people feel the way you want them to feel and increase conversions.

So how do you use color psychology the right way?

Well, that’s what I’ve covered in this color psychology guide.

Here’s what we’re going to learn:

• What color psychology really means (fo realz) and how it works
• The emotional effect colors have on us (and your customers)
• Myth busting: The biggest color psychology myth and how to avoid it
• How color affects people (as in, your customers) on 3 different levels
• Age, gender and other elements that affect color psychology
• Mobile vs. desktop color psychology (yes, there’s a difference)
• How to know what colors to use on your audience

How the most successful companies in the world use color psychology

• A case study – How we use color psychology to grow conversions

Pssst… download our color psychology worksheet here.

Table of Contents

What color psychology really means and how it works

“Color psychology is the study of hues as a determinant of human behavior.  Color influences perceptions that are not obvious, such as the taste of food… Color can indeed influence a person; however, it is important to remember that these effects differ between people. ” Wikipedia

Bottom line?

Color has the power to affect our behavior and influence our decision-making process (as in – “should I buy this or not?” kind of decisions).

[easy-tweet tweet=”Color affects our behavior and influences our decisions (as in – “should I buy this or not?” kind of decisions)” user=”taliagw” template=”light”]

How colors affect our brain

Color impacts our brain which in turn impacts our feelings and senses. The effects can be both physiological and emotional. Research shows that color and light can affect our mood, heart rate, sleep and even our well-being.

An interesting example can be seen in our everyday lives; blue and green light (e.g the sky and nature) stimulate us and wake us up in the morning which is why many doctors and scientists recommend not using our mobile devices before we go to sleep as the screen’s light wakes us up and can cause insomnia.

In 2015 a study found that the color blue reduces stress, slows down heart rate and lowers our blood pressure. Many countries use these techniques to their advantage, for example, the government of Tokyo has been known to use the color blue in their train stations to reduce suicide rates, resulting in 74% fewer suicides. However, this research is still inconclusive and gets challenged all the time by different scientists.

While the question of what color creates which effect continues to be a debate , one thing is clear to all scientists: Color does indeed affect our physiology, our brains and our emotions.

How colors affect our emotions

There’s a reason some of us get a warm, happier feeling during springtime when all the blues, greens and bright colors start appearing in flowers or that we feel more gloom in the winter when things get grey and dark. Whether we think about it or not, colors have an emotional effect on us.

If you consider the amount of time and energy we spend on choosing the r ight color of the clothes we buy or the paint we use in our house you’ll see that while most of us don’t really understand how it works, we do know that colors matter and affect us in some way or another.

And of course, businesses have long known that colors affect our emotions and have been using them for decades in their advertising.

The important thing to know about emotions, is that they affect our decisions . The way we feel about ourselves, our surroundings and the events that happen in our life determine what actions we take, what we buy, what we throw away and much more.

Emotions are so incredibly important in decision-making that a study by Antonio Damasio years ago proved that without emotions, we aren’t able to make even the simplest of decisions (even choosing what sandwich we want for lunch becomes impossible).

When you combine the fact that colors affect our emotions and emotions affect our purchasing decisions, there’s no wonder why companies buy in quickly to those beautiful infographics that claim “red will get people excited about your product” or “blue will convince people you’re trustworthy”.

However, as I mentioned, these infographics are quite wrong.

The biggest color psychology myth

Interestingly enough, when I talk to my clients about emotional targeting one of the first objections they bring up is that not all people feel the same, so how could we use only a few specific emotions to target everyone?

Their biggest concern is that people are different and don’t respond to the same emotions as everyone else, however they never stop to consider the same with color psychology.

People rush to determine that each color has one specific emotion connected to it and use those colors in all their funnels. However, a lot of research shows that color psychology just doesn’t work like that.

“Like other theories… colour theories have too often been strongly normative and weakly analytic. They have been used (abused?) to create guidelines and prescriptions for action, but they are too weak in predicting what the settings will be like when completed and how its colours will influence the users.” Tofle et el

Colors affect us in many different ways, and just like we don’t think every single person who visits our website from Berlin using their mobile phone needs to see the exact same message as other mobile visitors from Berlin, not all people respond the same way to colors.

One of the biggest misconceptions is the “blue for boys and pink for girls” rule, an approach many retail companies use. Many studies have shown that babies and toddlers are actually attracted to the same colors (red and blue), in fact, pink isn’t mentioned in any study as a major influence on girls. Studies show that there are rarely any gender differences in preferred color yet businesses continue to divide people according to their gender because a few infographics and guides claim that boys are more influenced by blue and girls by the color pink.

So how did we get it in our mind that girls like pink and boys love blue? well,  research shows that about a century ago all babies were dressed in white dresses, the idea of blue for boys and pink for girls was created by retailers who wanted to get parents to buy new clothes for their kids and not depend on what they had previously bought for their first child.

Hundreds of companies have branded themselves pink or blue because they were told that was the preference of their main target audience, when in fact that isn’t true at all.

Many authors of blog posts and guides tend to make sweeping statements about color psychology that are supported by what they’ve read online or their own personal experiences. However these cannot be regarded as rules or guidelines for all.

“While the studies argue for the existence of colour-mood association, there is no reliable evidence to suggest a direct relationship between a given colour and a given emotion.” EBDJournal

Another example is the color red. Red is probably the most researched color in the world and is regarded as a color that creates excitement and desire. Or is it warning and danger? Depends on the blog post you read. 🤷🏽

Different studies show that red triggers different emotions, and that’s the bottom line of all this:

Different people will feel different things when seeing the color red (or any color for that matter) because we’re different people. We feel differently about each color because of the different experiences we have in life, our culture and the symbols we attach to each one.

If you want to use color psychology the right way (and increase conversions in the process), you need to understand that colors affect us on 3 different levels:

The 3 ways colors affect our emotions

To use color psychology effectively we need to first understand how our target audience assigns certain emotions to specific colors. If we understand how these emotions are established towards specific colors we can then choose the right colors we need according to the emotions we want to enhance.

Unsurprisingly color means one thing in one culture and another in a different culture. As a quick example, in the Western world white is more commonly seen as a pure color worn at weddings and festive events, while in China it’s perceived as a mourning color.  

Source: informationisbeautiful

Before choosing a color for your audience, be sure to understand their culture and what the different colors represent for each. A few other examples:

• In the Western and Japanese culture, red symbolizes anger while in Hindu anger is represented by black
• In Japanese and Hindu culture purple represents wisdom, while for Native Americans you would use brown and for Eastern Europe you’d use the color blue.
• Love takes on different colors in different cultures too: red for Western and Japanese, green for Hindu, Yellow for Native American and blue for African

The same exact colors with completely different emotions and meanings all over the world.

#2 Symbolism

“Our preference for a specific color can be related to how we feel in any situation, how we want to feel, and even how we remember certain experiences” Joe Hallock

Along with culture, we also assign different symbols to different colors. For example, for some, yellow will always signify the sun, for some it may symbolize a stop light. Green might mean “Go!” for some and nature for others. These symbols we attach to each color are affected by both our culture and our experiences.

#3 Emotional Experiences

The different experiences we go through in life also affect how we perceive color. For example, for some the color blue, reminds them of the ocean, freedom, the beach or perhaps even a holiday, and for some, it may remind them of a sad experience, loneliness and detachment.

In order for us to choose the right colors for our audience we need to understand them better, not just their geographical location or device they’re using, but them – where they come from, what they believe in, what they care about and what matters to them most.

Now that we understand the 3 different levels that color and emotion can be impacted by, we can dig deeper into understanding who our customers are, what culture they come from, what experiences they’ve gone through in life, what scares them and identify the colors that will impact our audience in the best way.

How to choose the right colors for your audience

In order to really choose the colors that influence your visitors and help them convert, you’ll need to first identify what emotions influence your customer most.

You’ll need to first go through the process of identifying their emotional-drivers , the outcomes their searching for and the real reason behind their conversion.

Assuming you know what emotions you need to emphasize, you’ll then need to do the following to choose the colors that will create those emotions for  your customers/visitors:

#1 Behavioral data

The first thing you’ll want to do is go into Google Analytics or any other reporting tool you’re using and analyze your visitors’ behavior. The following metrics are a good place to start from:

• Identify their geographical location so you can determine the different cultures
• Language is also a great way to see the differences in culture in specific countries.
• Age and gender – we’ll dive more into why this further down
• Search terms – look into the words and terms people are using to get to your site or searching for on your site, this also gives a great indication to peoples’ hesitations, concerns and needs.

These metrics will help with choosing the right colors for your specific audience. For example, if you want to highlight emotions such as fun, excitement and energy you may gravitate automatically towards orange and red, however, if your target audience is from Ireland or South Africa that could be a mistake.

Research shows that color preference changes as people get older. The basic “popular” colors such as red and blue stay high on most people’s lists but preferences to other colors such as yellow, green and others tend to change a lot.

“With maturity comes a greater liking for hues of shorter wavelength (blue, green, purple) than for hues of longer wavelength (red, orange, and yellow)” Color Psychology and Color Therapy, 176

Source: Joehallock.com

If your audience belongs to a very specific age group, you may want to consider the chart above. Specifically with a more elderly audience, the colors will also impact their ability to read your content and feel safe. 

In his research, Joe Hallock found that there are some significant differences in color preferences when it comes to gender.

Another study showed that men prefer bright colors and shades, while women prefer soft colors and tints.

While these studies show that men prefer the color blue significantly over women and that women place orange as the least favorite color, unless you have just one gender as a target market, I wouldn’t rush to change my color pallets without doing a more profound research, including all the metrics I mentioned above. 

#4 Contrast

One of the most important things to consider when choosing a color is its contrast. It’s not just the color of a button or of the image we’re talking about, it’s every color on the page, including the background. Other than being persuasive and highlighting certain emotions, color must also be used to provide clarity and help people read your content. Make sure the colors you choose work with the entire page, support other elements and most importantly, the text.

On mobile we behave differently than on desktop and we have a very different mindset. Mobile optimization in itself has its whole other category but know that we also feel differently about colors according to the size of screen we’re holding, where we are (e.g – office vs. bus) the time of day and even what type of day we’ve had.

While there aren’t many studies on the topic, it’s worth thinking about it when you choose your colors and considering making slight changes to the colors you’re using in your mobile designs to suit your visitors’ needs.

If you’d like to learn more about mobile, check out our thorough guide here.

There are some pretty amazing case studies of companies who’ve used color psychology to grow their business.

Heinz green ketchup comes up as one of the first examples.

It’s  the same ketchup, only green. Yet, despite having made nearly every possible list of “world’s weirdest foods,” it resulted in the highest sales increase in the history of Heinz.

10 million bottles sold in 7 months. Heinz factories had to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to keep up with demand.

They used the emotional power of color to create $23 million in additional revenue for the company taking a condiment everyone believes is dreadfully unhealthy, and turning it into a health product by painting a red label green.

Is this the only reason Heinz made so much money?

Because green equals health?

There were many other elements in play here, one of them being the ‘Bandwagon Effect’ – a psychological trigger that affects our tendency to change our opinions and decisions according to the number of people who think or act in the same way. Essentially, the more people purchase something and talk about it in a certain way, the more likely is it to grow in popularity and be trusted.

That’s the thing about color psychology, it doesn’t work alone. Every element on your page: the copy, the images you use, the colors, the bullet points and even the font, all work together to help people feel a certain way. It would be wrong to think that simply changing the color of your background or the color of a button could produce real, scalable increases in conversions.

[easy-tweet tweet=”Don’t think that simply changing the color of your background or button will produce scalable increases in conversions, that’s not how color psychology works.” user=”taliagw” template=”light”]

These changes in color are done with a lot of research. Just a few years back, McDonald’s changed all of its European stores from red to deep green to change the public’s opinion on them. This change didn’t come alone, sure it was the most noticeable one, but along with the green redesign came new healthier meals and a series of ads highlighting the nutritional benefits of eating a McDonald’s burger for lunch over a salad. It was an entire strategy aimed to reduce their bad rep and brand them as a more healthy option.

Source: DailyMail

A color psychology case study

If you’ve watched any of my webinars you probably know that I am a strong advocate for using color psychology to increase conversions.

As part of our process at GetUplift, once we complete our emotional targeting and data research we identify the emotional triggers we want to test on our client’s pages and choose the colors, images and copy that support that hypothesis.

One of our past clients was faced with an ongoing roadblock; their product was almost 3X the cost than their competitors. The difference in price was due to many different factors (e.g the quality of the platform and its abilities) and required a strategy that would emphasize these differences to their audience, a strategy that will help people understand why it’s worth using our client’s product over others despite the cost.

Their landing pages were getting significant traffic but they weren’t doing too well.

After completing our conversion optimization analysis and emotional targeting research, we created a new variation according to our hypothesis.

Our hypothesis was that in order to increase conversions we need to to show parents (the main target audience), that this product will:

• Help them throw the best party for their kids
• Set them apart from other parents (stand out)
• Set them up for the party of their dreams without working to hard

As you’ll see below, many changes were implemented. A new hero image, new copy and content, a much longer page, additional information that wasn’t included in the original landing page, and new colors, primarily purple and green.

Purple has long been associated as a color of royalty, prestige and power (it actually stems all the way back to Queen Elizabeth 1). The changes we made to this page resulted in a 42% increase in revenue for our client.

It wasn’t the colors alone that produced these results, but without them it wouldn’t have worked as well as it did. The purple and green colors supported the entire strategy we were testing and that’s how color psychology should be used, as a tool that can support and amplify tour strategy.

Your Next Steps

Here’s what you should be walking away with from this guide:

• If you’re going to use color psychology (which you should), forget about the infographics and best practices people share and start doing your own research on your own audience. What worked for your competitor, will not necessarily work for you.
• Color psychology is just part of your entire optimization strategy. If you want to truly optimize your funnels for higher conversions you need to take a step further into understanding your customer’s experiences, state of mind, culture and most importantly, their emotional-drivers. Only then can you truly utilize the power of color psychology to grow your conversions.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve used color psychology before, and how you choose the colors for your pages.

Facebook Comments

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Excellent, just excellent. In the paragraph:

You link to: https://getuplift.co/landing-page-optimization-complete-guide/

When talking about emotional drivers, don’t understand fully (no news there! :-)), would this post make more sense:

https://getuplift.co/emotional-targeting-leverage-the-power-of-emotion-to-grow-conversions/

Please note that I’m a tired two child dad, and suffering from a weak intellect going in to parenthood.

Keep up the good work! I really enjoy blog!

Really insightful post, thank you so much for doing a deep dive. Colour is fascinating, and your post has expanded my knowledge since writing about it 2 years ago.

interesting ! Thanks for information !

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Color Psychology: Does It Affect How You Feel?

How color impacts moods, feelings, and behaviors

Kateryna Kovarzh

• Psychological Effects of Color
• Modern Research
• Influence on Performance
• Consumer Behavior

Do you feel energized when you see red? Does the color blue make you feel calm and relaxed? Artists and interior designers have long believed that color can dramatically affect moods, feelings, and emotions. "Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions," the artist Pablo Picasso once remarked.  

Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Certain colors have been associated with physiological changes, including increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain.

"It's amazing how colors can truly impact our mood and influence our behavior," says Rachel Goldman PhD.

"Take a moment to think about a familiar space to you, is there a color that stands out about that space? Think about your clothes and how different colored clothing makes you feel when you wear them. Perhaps the next time you are feeling kind of blah, think about this and see if your mood shifts by wearing a different color. Many times, it's the small things that can have the largest impact."  

Press Play to Learn More About How Colors Affect the Mind and Body

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how colors influence the mind and body. Click below to listen now.

Follow Now : Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / Amazon Music

At a Glance

Color can play an important role in conveying information, creating certain moods, and even influencing the decisions people make. Color preferences also exert an influence on the objects people choose to purchase, the clothes they wear, and the way they adorn their environments.

People often select objects in colors that evoke certain moods or feelings, such as selecting a car color that seems sporty, futuristic, sleek, or trustworthy. Room colors can also be used to evoke specific moods, such as painting a bedroom a soft green to create a peaceful mood.

What Is Color Psychology?

Color psychology is the study of how different colors affect human mood and behavior. It explores how colors can influence emotional responses, as well as how responses to color are affected by factors such as age and cultural background.

Different topics that are of interest in this area include:

• The meanings of colors
• How colors impact physiological responses
• Emotional reactions to color
• Factors that impact color preferences
• Cultural differences in the meanings and associations of different colors
• Whether colors can impact mental health
• How colors can influence behaviors
• Ways that colors can be utilized to promote well-being
• How colors can be used to improve safety and design more optimal home and work environments

Much of the evidence in this emerging area is anecdotal at best, but researchers and experts have made a few important discoveries and observations about the psychology of color and its effect on moods, feelings, and behaviors.

The Psychological Effects of Color

The scientific exploration of color psychology is relatively new, but people have long been interested in the nature and impact of color. In ancient cultures, colors were often used to treat different conditions and influence emotions. They also played a role in different spiritual practices.

Why is color such a powerful force in our lives? What effects can it have on our bodies and minds? While perceptions of color are somewhat subjective, some color effects have universal meanings.

Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colors and include red, orange, and yellow. These warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility.

Colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors and include blue, purple, and green. These colors are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference.

Symbolic Color Meanings

Symbolic meanings that are often associated with different colors:

• Red: Passion, excitement, love
• Pink: Soft, reserved, earthy
• Purple: Mysterious, noble, glamorous
• Blue: Wisdom, hope, reason, peace
• Green: Nature, growth, freshness
• Yellow: Hope, joy, danger
• Orange: Warmth, kindness, joy
• White: Truth, indifference
• Black: Noble, mysterious, cold

One 2020 study that surveyed the emotional associations of 4,598 people from 30 different countries found that people commonly associate certain colors with specific emotions. According to the study results:

• Black : 51% of respondents associated black with sadness
• White : 43% of people associated white with relief
• Red : 68% associated red with love
• Blue : 35% linked blue to feelings of relief  
• Green : 39% linked green to contentment
• Yellow : 52% felt that yellow means joy
• Purple : 25% reported they associated purple with pleasure
• Brown : 36% linked brown to disgust
• Orange : 44% associated orange with joy
• Pink : 50% linked pink with love

The study's researchers suggested that such results indicated that color-emotion associations appear to have universal qualities. These shared meanings may play an essential role in aiding communication.

Our feelings about color are often deeply personal and rooted in our own experience or culture. For example, while the color white is used in many Western countries to represent purity and innocence, it is seen as a symbol of mourning in many Eastern countries.

"Given the prevalence of color, one would expect color psychology to be a well-developed area," researchers Andrew Elliot and Markus Maier noted in a review of the existing research on the psychology of color. "Surprisingly, little theoretical or empirical work has been conducted to date on color's influence on psychological functioning, and the work that has been done has been driven mostly by practical concerns, not scientific rigor."

Color Psychology as Therapy

Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced chromotherapy, or the use of colors to heal. Chromotherapy is sometimes referred to as light therapy or colorology.

Colorology is still used today as a holistic or alternative treatment . In this treatment:

• Red is used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation.
• Yellow is thought to stimulate the nerves and purify the body.
• Orange is used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels.
• Blue is believed to soothe illnesses and treat pain.
• Indigo shades are thought to alleviate skin problems.

While more research is needed, a 2020 study suggested that chromotherapy may be an effective way to help combat feelings of compassion fatigue and post-traumatic stress in intensive care unit nurses.

Modern Research on Color Psychology

Most psychologists view color therapy with skepticism and point out that the supposed effects of color are often grossly exaggerated. Colors also have different meanings in different cultures.

However, the mood-altering effects of color may only be temporary. A blue room may initially cause feelings of calm, but the effect dissipates after a short period of time.

However, existing research has found that color can impact people in a variety of surprising ways:

• While-colored pills are associated with greater pain relief., while red pills are associated with having greater stimulant properties.  
• Red causes people to react with greater speed and force, something that might be helpful during athletic activities according to researchers.
• Black- uniformed players are more likely to receive penalties in competitive sporting events.

Additional Research Is Still Needed

Interest in the subject of color psychology is growing, but there remain several unanswered questions. How do color associations develop? How powerful is the influence of these associations on real-world behavior?

Can color be used to increase worker productivity or workplace safety? What colors have an impact on consumer behavior ? Do certain personality types prefer specific colors? As researchers continue to explore such questions, we may soon learn more about color's impact on human psychology.

Zena O'Connor, a faculty member in the Department of Architecture, Design, and Planning at the University of Sydney, suggests that people should be wary of many of the claims they see about the psychology of color.

"Many of these claims lack substantiation in terms of empirical support, exhibit fundamental flaws (such as causal oversimplification and subjective validation), and may include factoids presented as facts," O'Connor explains. "In addition, such claims often refer to outdated research without referring to current research findings."

More research is needed to understand the mental and physical effects of color. Universal associations may exist, but many other factors, including personal preferences and individual experiences, also play an important role in your unique emotional and behavioral response.

Color Can Influence Performance

Studies have also shown that certain colors can have an impact on performance. No one likes to see a graded test covered in red ink, but one study found that seeing the color red before taking an exam actually hurt test performance.  

While the color red is often described as threatening, arousing or exciting, many previous studies on the impact of the color red have been largely inconclusive. The study found, however, that exposing students to the color red prior to an exam has been shown to have a negative impact on test performance.

In the first of the six experiments described in the study, 71 U.S. colleges students were presented with a participant number colored either red, green or black prior to taking a five-minute test.

The results revealed that students who were presented with the red number before taking the test scored more than 20% lower than those presented with the green and black numbers.

Color and Consumer Purchases

Color psychology suggests that various shades can have various effects, from boosting our moods to causing anxiety. But could the color of the products you purchase ever say something about your personality? For example, could the color of the car you buy somehow relate to some underlying personality traits or quirks?

When buying items, your color preferences might say something about the image you are trying to project. Color preferences, from the clothes you wear to the car you drive, can sometimes make a statement about how we want other people to perceive us. Other factors, such as age and gender, can also influence our color choices.

• White : As many of our readers have suggested, the color white can feel fresh and clean. The color is often used to evoke a sense of youth and modernity. 
• Black : Our readers often describe black as a "powerful" color, which might be the reason why black is the most popular color for luxury vehicles. People often describe the color as sexy, powerful, and mysterious.
• Silver : It's the third most popular vehicle color and is linked to a sense of innovation and modernity. High-tech products are often silver, so the color is often seen as new, modern, and cutting-edge.
• Red : Red is a bold, attention-getting color, so preferring this type of car might mean you want to project an image of power, action, and confidence.
• Blue : People often describe blue as the color of stability and safety. Driving a blue car or SUV might indicate that you are dependable and trustworthy.
• Yellow : According to the experts, driving a yellow vehicle might mean you are a happy person in general and perhaps a bit more willing than the average person to take risks.
• Gray : The experts suggest that people who drive gray cars don't want to stand out and instead prefer something more subtle.

Of course, our color selections are often influenced by price, selection, and other practical concerns. Not only that, but color preferences can also change over time.

A person might prefer brighter, more attention-getting colors when they are younger, but find themselves drawn to more traditional colors as they grow older. The personality of the buyer can play an important role in color selection, but buyers are often heavily influenced by factors such as price as well as availability.

For example, purchasing a white vehicle might be less about wanting people to think that you are young and modern and more about the climate you live in; people who live in hot climates typically prefer light-colored vehicles over dark ones.

Keep in Mind

So what's the bottom line? Experts have found that while color can have an influence on how we feel and act, these effects are subject to personal, cultural, and situational factors. More scientific research is needed to gain a better understanding of color psychology.

Yang J, Shen X. The application of color psychology in community health environment design .  J Environ Public Health . 2022;2022:7259595. doi:10.1155/2022/7259595

Jonauskaite D, Abu-Akel A, Dael N, et al. Universal patterns in color-emotion associations are further shaped by linguistic and geographic proximity .  Psychol Sci . 2020;31(10):1245-1260. doi:10.1177/0956797620948810

Elliot AJ. Color and psychological functioning: a review of theoretical and empirical work . Front Psychol . 2015;6:368. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00368

Azeemi STY, Rafiq HM, Ismail I, Kazmi SR, Azeemi A. The mechanistic basis of chromotherapy: Current knowledge and future perspectives .  Complement Ther Med . 2019;46:217-222. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2019.08.025

Emani R, Ghavami H, Radfar M, Reza Khalkhali H. Impact of chromotherapy on professional quality of life in intensive care unit nurses: a randomized controlled trial .  Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior . 2020;8(3):121-129. doi:10.1080/21641846.2020.1782058

Amawi RM, Murdoch MJ. Understanding color associations and their effects on expectations of drugs' efficacies .  Pharmacy (Basel) . 2022;10(4):82. doi:10.3390/pharmacy10040082

Elliot AJ, Aarts H. Perception of the color red enhances the force and velocity of motor output . Emotion . 2011;11(2):445-9. doi:10.1037/a0022599

Frank MG, Gilovich T. The dark side of self- and social perception: black uniforms and aggression in professional sports .  J Pers Soc Psychol . 1988;54(1):74‐85. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.54.1.74

O’Connor Z. Colour psychology and colour therapy: Caveat emptor . Color Res Appl . 2011;36(3):229-234. doi:10.1002/col.20597

Elliot AJ, Maier MA, Moller AC, Friedman R, Meinhardt J. Color and psychological functioning: the effect of red on performance attainment . J Exp Psychol Gen . 2007;136(1):154-68. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.136.1.154

Taylor C, Schloss K, Palmer SE, Franklin A. Color preferences in infants and adults are different. Psychon Bull Rev . 2013;20(5):916-22. doi:10.3758/s13423-013-0411-6

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Color Beyond Aesthetics: The Psychology of Green in Interior Spaces

• Written by Dima Stouhi
• Published on February 19, 2021

How many changes have you done to your interior space during this past year? Whether it was a change of furniture layout, repainting the walls, adding more light fixtures or perhaps even removing them, after spending so much time in one place, the space you were once used to didn’t make sense anymore. We could blame the overall situation for how we’ve been feeling lately, but as a matter of fact, the interior environment plays a huge role in how we feel or behave as well. However, if you were wondering why some neighbors seem much more undisturbed and serene even in the midst of a pandemic, it could be because the interior is greener on the other side.

In previous articles, we saw how colors change the perception of interior spaces ; light colors enlarge rooms, while dark colors compress spaces and make them appear smaller. This is why when designers want to convey a specific mood or create an illusion, they play around with where they place dark walls. The same applies to materials and lighting; their choice selection and placement greatly influence the way people behave within that space.

First, let’s take a look at how we perceive colors. 

In theory, the human eye and brain translate the light reflected on an object into color. The retinas in our eyes have receptors that are sensitive to blue, green, and red (unrelated to the cyan, magenta, and yellow, the primary colors of the color wheel) , which are responsible for the perception of color. The combinations and variation of these three colors create the visible color spectrum we are all familiar with. Then, the human brain creates a link between the color it is seeing and the context it is accustomed to see it in, influencing the psychological perception of the color. Color psychology is the study of hues and tints and their influence on human behavior. According to a study conducted by German neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Kurt Goldstein, colors with longer wavelengths such as yellow, red, and orange are stimulating compared to those with a shorter wavelength, such as green and blue, which evoke calmness and serenity. However, the way people perceive colors differs from one another due to several factors such as cultural differences, geographic location, and age.

So what is green mostly perceived as? 

“The color green may have a special connotation in terms of human evolution due to its correspondence with fertile natural surroundings where factors such as a temperate climate and the availability of food were more conducive to survival. Humans have tended to migrate toward and settle in green fertile geographic regions of the world and therefore, the propensity to experience positive moods in natural surroundings is an innate instinct in which greenness has a particular significance.” Akers, et al.

Instinctively, the human brain links the color green to nature and vegetation, and in nature, one usually finds freshness, health, and tranquility. It is the unengineered area in life that has long existed before the human race and is a vital symbol of renewal and prosperity. Many psychologists and researchers have found green to be a healing color, which is why it is commonly used in doctor’s clinics and waiting areas. Even in media studios, guests and interviewees of television shows wait in a “green room” to relieve the stress of being on air. In addition to its calming qualities, green is often linked to the “go” notion, as used and seen on traffic lights and infographics. This endorphin-releasing value provokes a call for action, as if the human is “ready to go” or is “on the right path”, which is why study areas are often painted green to provoke motivation, creativity, and imagination.

Green and Interior Design

When it comes to interior spaces, designers have found several ways to utilize green. Other than painting the walls, designers have brought the outdoors inside by using biophilia as an important source of inspiration, promoting well-being, health, and emotional comfort, incorporating natural greenery within their designs. 

In terms of color coordination, green is a very versatile color that pairs well with neutrals like brown and gray, colors excessively found in residences and commercial spaces. Although green is considered a cool tone, its wide range of hues allows it to contrast well with warm tones like yellow and orange. After all, red and green are opposites on the color wheel so they naturally complement each other.

Take a look at how designers employed green's versatility in their interior spaces.

This article is part of the ArchDaily Topic: Green . Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and projects. Learn more about our monthly topics . As always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us .

• Color Psychology: Effects of Perceiving Color on Psychological Functioning in Humans by Andrew J. Elliot and Markus A. Maier
• The Trichromatic Theory of Color Vision by Kendra Cherry
• The Color Psychology of Green by Hailey van Braam
• Visual color perception in green Exercise: Positive effects on mood and Perceived Exertion by Akers et al.

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The Psychology Of Colors in Logo Design

istock.com/Ukususha

What Does Your Logo Say to Viewers?

No, we aren't just talking about the literal words that might be included, such as in a wordmark logo. We’re talking about other ways of sending messages — specifically, the psychology of colors and how it influences how your logo is viewed and received.

Famous artist Pablo Picasso noted, "Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions." Just like your facial expressions might reflect how you feel, colors can also make adjustments to your emotional state — sometimes subtle, sometimes drastic.

It isn't unusual to hear about the logistics and science of color psychology; extensive research has been conducted into the reasons behind why certain colors affect us in certain ways.

When it comes to practical application, however — such as how color psychology can be effectively employed within logo designs — there’s a little bit more to it than just "how does this make you feel?"

Source: freepik.com

Color Psychology — Meaning And Uses in Logos

Take a good look around at your surroundings right now. Are you in your work space? At home? In a cafe using complimentary wifi? Wherever you’re at, take a moment to think about how it makes you feel.

Are you anxious? Sad? Excited? Calm and peaceful?

The odds are, the colors surrounding you have a big part to play in how you’re feeling at this very moment in time. For good or bad, your emotions and mood are affected by your environment, and color is a big part of that.

Why is color psychology important to logo design?

Consider this case study by A J Elliot and H Aarts , which "examined whether perception of the color red influences basic motor functioning." The results of the research identified “a link between red and basic motor action." Fundamentally, what the study boiled down to was that the color red led the viewer to react to stimuli with greater force and greater speed. The conductors of the study concluded that the results

"highlight the need to attend to the functional, as well as aesthetic, value of color." Color psychology thus influences your brand on a wider scale. There is a reason why famous brands are so good at using color psychology to influence our choices and emotions."

Now picture your business logo design being revealed to the public, and based on your color choices, a higher percentage of your potential clients are motivated to quickly seek out your business or services. Though attention to color psychology is no guarantee of success, as with any aspect of design, if it can contribute to the growth of your business, it’s definitely worth a deeper look.

There are no across the board rules that work for every single individual when it comes to the psychology of color. But research shows that we can assign a certain value to colors when it comes to instigating emotions in the majority of viewers. Although perceptions of hue and tone vary, enough studies have been done to give us certain parameters to work in, especially with regard to design choices. Let's take a look at how color psychology is involved in the following:

• D emographics

Color Psychology in Logo Design - By Industry

If you do a quick Google search for logos by a certain industry, such as for real estate or construction logos , you might very well notice a common thread.

That's because the psychology of color continues to develop, even within smaller circles, such as in a given industry.

Companies put a lot of thought into what colors best represent them, and this isn't just based on what the personal preference of the owner is — or, at least, it shouldn’t be. Colors send messages, and companies choose colors that are in line with the message they want to present to their customers.

Banking and financial companies, for instance, tend to opt for solid, primary colors with a clear psychological motivation: blues are common, since blue imparts a feeling of trustworthiness and reliability. Two things that everyone wants in their financial institution logos . Financial institutions such as CitiBank, Fifth Third Bank, and Chase Manhattan Bank, to name a few, have all found the effectiveness of using strong, calm blues in their bank logos .

Color psychology plays a part in which banking logos a viewer is drawn to, giving them the equivalent of subliminal messaging: you can trust us.

Real estate interests trend toward greens. Green is a more versatile color, appealing to both genders, and is strongly connected to nature, growth, and prosperity. Why is this effective for real estate logos? Picture a logo that sends the message: grow with us!

Real estate, house and home improvement logos are centered around fostering a feeling of happy, healthy family, since the idea of "family" is what generally underlies the desire to build or purchase a home of your own. Companies like Trulia and Clover Realty rely on noticeable green in their logo designs . In appealing to both men and women, and promoting growth and prosperity, green gets at the root, so to speak, of what drives the real estate market.

Restaurants frequently opt for red logos . Red is a motivating, stimulating color, moving the viewer to action, as well as catching the attention more readily than some colors.

It might be faster to mention well known restaurants that don’t use red in their logos, but here’s a brief rundown of some names you’ll almost certainly recognize: McDonalds, In ‘N’ Out, Arby’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s, Denny’s, Outback Steakhouse, Nando’s, Dairy Queen, Dunkin’ Donuts — the list goes on. As mentioned in the case study above, it elicits a strong physical reaction: come and eat!

Source: kfc.com

To sum up, professional logo designers must understand that each type of industry follow color schemes that reflect the psychology of their customers and their perception of the companies in it. If your business is looking for a way to follow this trend then the following infographic would help you quickly pick colors for your business logo in minutes.

Color Psychology in Logo Design - By Culture

An even more broad set of parameters is involved when it comes to color psychology as perceived by culture. This is largely because this differs so widely depending on where any given viewer is from, how they were raised, and what their background is.

Author Kendra Cherry of Everything Psychology Book in an article notes, “Your feelings about color are often deeply personal and rooted in your own experience or culture. For example, while the color white is used in many Western countries to represent purity and innocence, it is seen as a symbol of mourning in many Eastern countries.”

Another example is yellow. Frequently used as an instigator of warm, friendly, attractive emotions in the United States, it’s seen as the color of death, mourning, and sadness in Latin America.

Green, viewed in the States as a color closely tied to nature, is seen in China as being associated with infidelity. So a company that uses green prominently in its logo may choose to modify the color somewhat when expanding to Chinese markets, especially if the company wants to promote a message of trust and reliability.

Japan views the color black as being modern, sleek, impressive, and forward thinking. So a jet black vehicle that sold well in Japan was imported to India, where the sales were less than impressive. Consumer research showed that the consumers weren't reacting as well to the product, largely because the color black is viewed as a symbol of death in India.

Knowledge of and attention to how colors are perceived in various cultures is important if you want to appeal to a wide variety of people and backgrounds, and even more important if your company is headed for international availability. As the examples above show, color psychology can make or break the success of a venture.

International perceptions of colors don’t always mandate that you redesign your logo when expanding to other countries. But it does reflect why it’s a good idea to have other color options that play well with your standard colors — ensure that your logo looks good in black and white, for instance.

Color Psychology in Logo Design - By Demographic

Color psychology can be continually broken down into smaller and smaller sections, but some vitally important demographics to take account of are age and gender.

Some colors are typically seen as either masculine or feminine, while others are viewed as gender neutral. This can change fairly drastically, however, as evinced by the blue vs. pink for infants. For a long time, a gender neutral color (white, specifically) was the choice for little ones, but in the mid 19th century, pastel colors were introduced, and according to the book Pink and Blue: Telling the Girls From The Boys In America, by author Jo B. Paoletti, the colors were not intended to be gender specific — at first.

In a Ladies' Home Journal article in June 1918 published on Smithsonian website states, "The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl."

So it's entirely likely that color psychology according to gender is what we make it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

According to a study by Joe Hallock , 57% of men polled chose blue as their favorite color, whereas only 37% of women polled said the same. Earlier studies indicated similar conclusions, with one study from 1897 indicating that blue was preferred over red by men, and vice versa for women.

Though the results are somewhat ambiguous when it comes to differences in what colors actually mean to each gender, it is still fairly clear that the appeal differs depending on whether you are male or female. So for design that is intended chiefly for female viewers or consumers, it makes sense to take preferences into account when choosing your color palette for your logo.

Take upscale clothing lines as an example. When related to clothing, black is seen by women as a slimming, fashionable color; when used in a fashion label logo , it can evoke much the same feeling, to the point that a high number of fashion labels, especially those with lettermark logos , stick with black and white. Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, and Kate Spade New York are all prime examples.

Men's Warehouse, on the other hand, dispenses with the suggestion of sleekness and modern style and opts for solid, comfortable army green and dark orange — perhaps not the "favorite" colors of men who were polled, but certainly evocative of a shopping experience that is more about getting it over and done with than taking time along the journey.

Education in color taste is partly responsible for this, as well as experiences that influence how we view certain colors, but it all boils down to the same: knowing your intended audience and reviewing how they’re likely to respond to a certain color is vital for a successful, memorable logo design.

Talia Wolf in her article states that, with age, "the basic "popular" colors such as red and blue stay high on most people's lists but preferences to other colors such as yellow, green and others tend to change a lot.""And researcher Joe Hallock, mentioned above, found that his polls led to more conclusions based on demographics. “With maturity comes a greater liking for hues of shorter wavelength (blue, green, purple) than for hues of longer wavelength (red, orange, and yellow)." So if the main tendency as we age is to "cool down" when it comes to our favorite colors, that could play a big part in the choice of logo color , especially if your business is age-oriented, such as a company that provides senior services.

A stand out example of age-oriented color psychology logo decisions is the retail clothing company Justice For Girls. It isn’t just the fun, youthful font with the scribbled heart to dot the I — it’s the hot pink color of the letters and the baby blue accent that would make practically any of the target demographic tug on their mom’s sleeve until they’ve pulled them through the door.

Color Psychology in Logo Design - Emotions

A 2002 study entitled "A Study of Colour Emotion and Colour Preference" by Li-Chen ou, et. al, discussed the findings of a number of other studies that predated it, and broke it down thusly: "universal colour-emotion factors may exist across different research, no matter what different colour-emotion scales are studied." Basically, though the studies differ in how they determine the emotions elicited by colors, there’s no doubt that colors do, in fact, elicit emotions.

Red, almost across the board, is seen as a physical color; as mentioned near the beginning of this article, research shows that it is more likely to encourage a physical reaction, as though the viewer is reacting with a fight or flight trigger. It isn't a color that soothes, but a color that disturbs and unsettles.

It can be employed well in restaurant logos meant to instigate action, or even gym logos and exercise related businesses, such as Bally Total Fitness, Crunch fitness logos , and others.

Source: BallyTotalFitness.com

Source: lowes.com, facebook.com

Blue is the opposite. It is a soothing, calming color. It can also be perceived as cold and aloof, however. It’s used to its best advantage in logos that don’t require a lot of immediate action or active emotional response from the viewer, such as in logos like Facebook or Lowe’s.

Green is peaceful and balanced, likely partly because it is so strongly identified with nature. It’s very frequently seen in organic farm logos , natural products, and the like, as it draws the viewer towards a feeling of calmness and environmental awareness.

Orange is emotionally enlivened and alert. It can be seen in a variety of markets, from Tinder to Harley Davidson; anywhere that a orange logo needs to be paid attention to.

White can be seen as symbolizing purity, something untouched; but it also can give a feeling of sterility and elitism. It is often paired with another soothing, calming color, such as green. Emotional responses to colors are also not across the board, just as responses based on culture, age, gender, and other factors are not going to hold true of everyone. But some basic knowledge of what emotion might be triggered based on color usage can be incredibly helpful when it comes to design .

So let's move on and talk about color usage in logo design , shall we?

Color Usage In Logo Design

So you have probably all of the information you could ever need, regarding color choices in logo design. You know the whys behind design decisions made by others.

Now it's time to focus on your own design.

Market and consumer research plays a big part in design decisions; as all of the information up till now can attest, whether you end up choosing a bright yellow or a peaceful, calming green for your logo may be more likely either to attract or repel your intended audience. So before making a decision on your logo color palette, take another look at the statistics and demographics you’re trying to appeal to.

If your chief demographic is young men, analyze the colors most likely to appeal to them based on where they’re coming from, the exact ages they’re likely to be, and male-based gender preferences as listed above. Take into account the trends in your market; that doesn’t mean you have to follow along with the crowd; in fact it’s frequently better not to. But trends can be a valuable tool for showing us what works and what doesn’t.

Consider the root message of your company. Your logo is the ambassador for your brand ; if you have a solid, serious, trustworthy company and want to establish yourself as someone not to be trifled with, a bright, happy, yellow and red hued logo is probably not the way to go.

It's a good idea not to use too many colors, as well. Remember, your logo has to be seen in a lot of places, and the reprint, resize, and rendering values should be through the roof. Does it look good even if the values are a little off? Take your logo through some test runs and put it through its paces.

Source: wwf.org

Source: gucci.com

Your color selection may be just as recognizable as the logo itself; for instance, it may be difficult to draw out the exact deer on the John Deere logo (it is a deer icon , right? A stag?) but most consumers will recognize John Deere green as being the color of the logo; and not just because the company name is right there in the color title.

Of course, sometimes a logo just requires something extra simple: black and white.

This is commonly seen in what whitespace designs that utilize shape logos on more than one level. Black and white are such a perfect juxtaposition of meanings and emotions that it may almost seem like cheating to use them for your logo; but the tone conveyed by a black and white logo is very distinct, for the most part, and must be taken into consideration like in penguin logo designs .

Black and white logos tend to give the viewer a feeling of no-nonsense, sleek, modern efficiency. For some bold black and white logos, think of classic logos like Adidas, Nike, Gucci, and Apple. Black and white logos can result in a very dignified, aloof feeling for a company’s brand, so if that isn’t what your company is about, it’s best to use at least an accenting or highlighting color.

Color Selection

Once you’ve made the decision about whether to focus on a color logo or a black and white logo , there are further considerations to be made. All colors are not created equal; while the basis of color psychology is often predicated on rather simple, uncomplicated, common shades, there are nuances of shade, hue, and tone that might make a large difference in how well your logo is accepted and remembered.

Mixing colors: Sometimes your logo requires something a little extra; sometimes the message of your company isn't able to be wrapped up in the psychology of just one color.

That's perfectly fine, however, because multiple colors can be used, if it fits the bill for your company.

The caution here is to use colors, basically, that don't make the viewer's eyes bleed when they are seen together. Colors that are appealing and send a great message on their own may not play well with others.

That doesn’t mean that you should shy away from bold contrasts. Some colors that seem to be opposing in theory may actually work together to create a strikingly perfect logo . Just ask any Christmas inspired logo design that has managed to win its way into the consumer's favor.

Hues: A hue is basically a "true" color or pure spectrum color that is found in the hue rainbow or circle. Using true colors, without adjustments to tone, shade, and tint, should theoretically give the clearest, strongest message according to color psychology, but that isn’t always true.

Strong primary colors, while they may still convey some of the commonly understood psychology message, can also be seen as harsh, especially if they are extensively used. A simple Z lettermark logo on a solid, bright, true blue background (picture the blue of the screen that used to be seen when booting up older computers) may not give the sense of trustworthiness that you want.

Choosing a color that sends the right message and hits the right tone for your company may be a question of altering the color by adding other colors.

Tints, Tones, and Shades: Altering the color can be achieved in a few different ways.

A certain tint of a color is achieved by mixing the hue with white to lighten the color. The lighter the color, the softer the effect; this may be exactly what you want, depending on your business. Lighter blues, for instance, can be more calming and soothing, more likely to cut the "coldness" aspect of the color.

Tones are altered by the addition of grey, or by both black and white; in other words, both tinting and shading. Adjusting the tonal quality can assist you in creating a unique logo color that fits your business to a tee, while still playing on the psychological impacts of color choices.

Gradients: A color gradient is also known as a color progression, or color ramp. Basically, it allows for the progression of colors, from one hue, through its permutations by either tinting or shading, to another hue. This can be one way of mixing colors in your logo.

Gradients are also known as "ombre," which is a popular trend in design. It's probably a good idea not to go to overboard with gradient within a logo , however, as too many shades or tints (or colors) in a small space may keep the logo from being seen as a cohesive whole, which would probably wreak havoc with your intended message.

Source: istock.com/Dimitris66

Color Wheel

The idea behind the design of a color wheel dates back to at least the early 1700s. It was used to illustrate the differing permutations of colors based on changes in tints and shades.

Choosing colors that play well with others or that provide a good contrast can be difficult, but the setup of a color wheel can take some of the guesswork out of it.

Pay attention, however, to the tones of the colors you choose. Mixing warm and cool, especially if they might clash, can muddy the waters of the message you want to give.

Let's take a brief look at the different levels of colors found on a color wheel :

Complementary

Source: istock.com

Though color theory governs how colors are typically chosen, especially when they are being mixed together or used alongside each other, the psychology of color has a part in the choice as well.

When using a color wheel to choose the colors for your logo , looking for color harmony is an important consideration — not just the harmony of the colors, but also the harmony of the message the colors present.

Though color psychology may not be a guarantee of the success of a design decision, if you do your research and know who your audience is, it can definitely give you a leg up when it comes to a memorable, durable, unique logo design .

This article has been written and verified by Zaheer Dodhia , an expert in logo design and branding.

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MINI REVIEW article

Color and psychological functioning: a review of theoretical and empirical work.

• Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

In the past decade there has been increased interest in research on color and psychological functioning. Important advances have been made in theoretical work and empirical work, but there are also important weaknesses in both areas that must be addressed for the literature to continue to develop apace. In this article, I provide brief theoretical and empirical reviews of research in this area, in each instance beginning with a historical background and recent advancements, and proceeding to an evaluation focused on weaknesses that provide guidelines for future research. I conclude by reiterating that the literature on color and psychological functioning is at a nascent stage of development, and by recommending patience and prudence regarding conclusions about theory, findings, and real-world application.

The past decade has seen enhanced interest in research in the area of color and psychological functioning. Progress has been made on both theoretical and empirical fronts, but there are also weaknesses on both of these fronts that must be attended to for this research area to continue to make progress. In the following, I briefly review both advances and weaknesses in the literature on color and psychological functioning.

Theoretical Work

Background and recent developments.

Color has fascinated scholars for millennia ( Sloane, 1991 ; Gage, 1993 ). Theorizing on color and psychological functioning has been present since Goethe (1810) penned his Theory of Colors , in which he linked color categories (e.g., the “plus” colors of yellow, red–yellow, yellow–red) to emotional responding (e.g., warmth, excitement). Goldstein (1942) expanded on Goethe’s intuitions, positing that certain colors (e.g., red, yellow) produce systematic physiological reactions manifest in emotional experience (e.g., negative arousal), cognitive orientation (e.g., outward focus), and overt action (e.g., forceful behavior). Subsequent theorizing derived from Goldstein’s ideas has focused on wavelength, positing that longer wavelength colors feel arousing or warm, whereas shorter wavelength colors feel relaxing or cool ( Nakashian, 1964 ; Crowley, 1993 ). Other conceptual statements about color and psychological functioning have focused on general associations that people have to colors and their corresponding influence on downstream affect, cognition, and behavior (e.g., black is associated with aggression and elicits aggressive behavior; Frank and Gilovich, 1988 ; Soldat et al., 1997 ). Finally, much writing on color and psychological functioning has been completely atheoretical, focused exclusively on finding answers to applied questions (e.g., “What wall color facilitates worker alertness and productivity?”). The aforementioned theories and conceptual statements continue to motivate research on color and psychological functioning. However, several other promising theoretical frameworks have also emerged in the past decade, and I review these frameworks in the following.

Hill and Barton (2005) noted that in many non-human animals, including primate species, dominance in aggressive encounters (i.e., superior physical condition) is signaled by the bright red of oxygenated blood visible on highly vascularized bare skin. Artificial red (e.g., on leg bands) has likewise been shown to signal dominance in non-human animals, mimicking the natural physiological process ( Cuthill et al., 1997 ). In humans in aggressive encounters, a testosterone surge produces visible reddening on the face and fear leads to pallor ( Drummond and Quay, 2001 ; Levenson, 2003 ). Hill and Barton (2005) posited that the parallel between humans and non-humans present at the physiological level may extend to artificial stimuli, such that wearing red in sport contests may convey dominance and lead to a competitive advantage.

Other theorists have also utilized a comparative approach in positing links between skin coloration and the evaluation of conspecifics. Changizi et al. (2006) and Changizi (2009) contend that trichromatic vision evolved to enable primates, including humans, to detect subtle changes in blood flow beneath the skin that carry important information about the emotional state of the conspecific. Increased red can convey anger, embarrassment, or sexual arousal, whereas increased bluish or greenish tint can convey illness or poor physiological condition. Thus, visual sensitivity to these color modulations facilitates various forms of social interaction. In similar fashion, Stephen et al. (2009) and Stephen and McKeegan (2010) propose that perceivers use information about skin coloration (perhaps particularly from the face, Tan and Stephen, 2012 ) to make inferences about the attractiveness, health, and dominance of conspecifics. Redness (from blood oxygenization) and yellowness (from carotenoids) are both seen as facilitating positive judgments. Fink et al. (2006) and Fink and Matts (2007) posit that the homogeneity of skin coloration is an important factor in evaluating the age, attractiveness, and health of faces.

Elliot and Maier (2012) have proposed color-in-context theory, which draws on social learning, as well as biology. Some responses to color stimuli are presumed to be solely due to the repeated pairing of color and particular concepts, messages, and experiences. Others, however, are presumed to represent a biologically engrained predisposition that is reinforced and shaped by social learning. Through this social learning, color associations can be extended beyond natural bodily processes (e.g., blood flow modulations) to objects in close proximity to the body (e.g., clothes, accessories). Thus, for example, red may not only increase attractiveness evaluations when viewed on the face, but also when viewed on a shirt or dress. As implied by the name of the theory, the physical and psychological context in which color is perceived is thought to influence its meaning and, accordingly, responses to it. Thus, blue on a ribbon is positive (indicating first place), but blue on a piece of meat is negative (indicating rotten), and a red shirt may enhance the attractiveness of a potential mate (red = sex/romance), but not of a person evaluating one’s competence (red = failure/danger).

Meier and Robinson (2005) and Meier (in press ) have posited a conceptual metaphor theory of color. From this perspective, people talk and think about abstract concepts in concrete terms grounded in perceptual experience (i.e., they use metaphors) to help them understand and navigate their social world ( Lakoff and Johnson, 1999 ). Thus, anger entails reddening of the face, so anger is metaphorically described as “seeing red,” and positive emotions and experiences are often depicted in terms of lightness (rather than darkness), so lightness is metaphorically linked to good (“seeing the light”) rather than bad (“in the dark”). These metaphoric associations are presumed to have implications for important outcomes such as morality judgments (e.g., white things are viewed as pure) and stereotyping (e.g., dark faces are viewed more negatively).

For many years it has been known that light directly influences physiology and increases arousal (see Cajochen, 2007 , for a review), but recently theorists have posited that such effects are wavelength dependent. Blue light, in particular, is posited to activate the melanopsin photoreceptor system which, in turn, activates the brain structures involved in sub-cortical arousal and higher-order attentional processing ( Cajochen et al., 2005 ; Lockley et al., 2006 ). As such, exposure to blue light is expected to facilitate alertness and enhance performance on tasks requiring sustained attention.

Evaluation and Recommendations

Drawing on recent theorizing in evolutionary psychology, emotion science, retinal physiology, person perception, and social cognition, the aforementioned conceptualizations represent important advances to the literature on color and psychological functioning. Nevertheless, theory in this area remains at a nascent level of development, and the following weaknesses may be identified.

First, the focus of theoretical work in this area is either extremely specific or extremely general. A precise conceptual proposition such as red signals dominance and leads to competitive advantage in sports ( Hill and Barton, 2005 ) is valuable in that it can be directly translated into a clear, testable hypothesis; however, it is not clear how this specific hypothesis connects to a broader understanding of color–performance relations in achievement settings more generally. On the other end of the spectrum, a general conceptualization such as color-in-context theory ( Elliot and Maier, 2012 ) is valuable in that it offers several widely applicable premises; however, these premises are only vaguely suggestive of precise hypotheses in specific contexts. What is needed are mid-level theoretical frameworks that comprehensively, yet precisely explain and predict links between color and psychological functioning in specific contexts (for emerging developments, see Pazda and Greitemeyer, in press ; Spence, in press ; Stephen and Perrett, in press ).

Second, the extant theoretical work is limited in scope in terms of range of hues, range of color properties, and direction of influence. Most theorizing has focused on one hue, red, which is understandable given its prominence in nature, on the body, and in society ( Changizi, 2009 ; Elliot and Maier, 2014 ); however, other hues also carry important associations that undoubtedly have downstream effects (e.g., blue: Labrecque and Milne, 2012 ; green: Akers et al., 2012 ). Color has three basic properties: hue, lightness, and chroma ( Fairchild, 2013 ). Variation in any or all of these properties could influence downstream affect, cognition, or behavior, yet only hue is considered in most theorizing (most likely because experientially, it is the most salient color property). Lightness and chroma also undoubtedly have implications for psychological functioning (e.g., lightness: Kareklas et al., 2014 ; chroma: Lee et al., 2013 ); lightness has received some attention within conceptual metaphor theory ( Meier, in press ; see also Prado-León and Rosales-Cinco, 2011 ), but chroma has been almost entirely overlooked, as has the issue of combinations of hue, lightness, and chroma. Finally, most theorizing has focused on color as an independent variable rather than a dependent variable; however, it is also likely that many situational and intrapersonal factors influence color perception (e.g., situational: Bubl et al., 2009 ; intrapersonal: Fetterman et al., 2015 ).

Third, theorizing to date has focused primarily on main effects, with only a modicum of attention allocated to the important issue of moderation. As research literatures develop and mature, they progress from a sole focus on “is” questions (“Does X influence Y?”) to additionally considering “when” questions (“Under what conditions does X influence Y and under what conditions does X not influence Y?”). These “second generation” questions ( Zanna and Fazio, 1982 , p. 283) can seem less exciting and even deflating in that they posit boundary conditions that constrain the generalizability of an effect. Nevertheless, this step is invaluable in that it adds conceptual precision and clarity, and begins to address the issue of real-world applicability. All color effects undoubtedly depend on certain conditions – culture, gender, age, type of task, variant of color, etc. – and acquiring an understanding of these conditions will represent an important marker of maturity for this literature (for movement in this direction, see Schwarz and Singer, 2013 ; Tracy and Beall, 2014 ; Bertrams et al., 2015 ; Buechner et al., in press ; Young, in press ). Another, more succinct, way to state this third weakness is that theorizing in this area needs to take context, in all its forms, more seriously.

Empirical Work

Empirical work on color and psychological functioning dates back to the late 19th century ( Féré, 1887 ; see Pressey, 1921 , for a review). A consistent feature of this work, from its inception to the past decade, is that it has been fraught with major methodological problems that have precluded rigorous testing and clear interpretation ( O’Connor, 2011 ). One problem has been a failure to attend to rudimentary scientific procedures such as experimenter blindness to condition, identifying, and excluding color deficient participants, and standardizing the duration of color presentation or exposure. Another problem has been a failure to specify and control for color at the spectral level in manipulations. Without such specification, it is impossible to know what precise combination of color properties was investigated, and without such control, the confounding of focal and non-focal color properties is inevitable ( Whitfield and Wiltshire, 1990 ; Valdez and Mehrabian, 1994 ). Yet another problem has been the use of underpowered samples. This problem, shared across scientific disciplines ( Maxwell, 2004 ), can lead to Type I errors, Type II errors, and inflated effect sizes ( Fraley and Vazire, 2014 ; Murayama et al., 2014 ). Together, these methodological problems have greatly hampered progress in this area.

Although some of the aforementioned problems remain (see “Evaluation and Recommendations” below), others have been rectified in recent work. This, coupled with advances in theory development, has led to a surge in empirical activity. In the following, I review the diverse areas in which color work has been conducted in the past decade, and the findings that have emerged. Space considerations require me to constrain this review to a brief mention of central findings within each area. I focus on findings with humans (for reviews of research with non-human animals, see Higham and Winters, in press ; Setchell, in press ) that have been obtained in multiple (at least five) independent labs. Table 1 provides a summary, as well as representative examples and specific references.

TABLE 1. Research on color and psychological functioning.

In research on color and selective attention, red stimuli have been shown to receive an attentional advantage (see Folk, in press , for a review). Research on color and alertness has shown that blue light increases subjective alertness and performance on attention-based tasks (see Chellappa et al., 2011 , for a review). Studies on color and athletic performance have linked wearing red to better performance and perceived performance in sport competitions and tasks (see Maier et al., in press , for a review). In research on color and intellectual performance, viewing red prior to a challenging cognitive task has been shown to undermine performance (see Shi et al., 2015 , for a review). Research focused on color and aggressiveness/dominance evaluation has shown that viewing red on self or other increases appraisals of aggressiveness and dominance (see Krenn, 2014 , for a review). Empirical work on color and avoidance motivation has linked viewing red in achievement contexts to increased caution and avoidance (see Elliot and Maier, 2014 , for a review). In research on color and attraction, viewing red on or near a female has been shown to enhance attraction in heterosexual males (see Pazda and Greitemeyer, in press , for a review). Research on color and store/company evaluation has shown that blue on stores/logos increases quality and trustworthiness appraisals (see Labrecque and Milne, 2012 , for a review). Finally, empirical work on color and eating/drinking has shown that red influences food and beverage perception and consumption (see Spence, in press , for a review).

The aforementioned findings represent important contributions to the literature on color and psychological functioning, and highlight the multidisciplinary nature of research in this area. Nevertheless, much like the extant theoretical work, the extant empirical work remains at a nascent level of development, due, in part, to the following weaknesses.

First, although in some research in this area color properties are controlled for at the spectral level, in most research it (still) is not. Color control is typically done improperly at the device (rather than the spectral) level, is impossible to implement (e.g., in web-based platform studies), or is ignored altogether. Color control is admittedly difficult, as it requires technical equipment for color assessment and presentation, as well as the expertise to use it. Nevertheless, careful color control is essential if systematic scientific work is to be conducted in this area. Findings from uncontrolled research can be informative in initial explorations of color hypotheses, but such work is inherently fraught with interpretational ambiguity ( Whitfield and Wiltshire, 1990 ; Elliot and Maier, 2014 ) that must be subsequently addressed.

Second, color perception is not only a function of lightness, chroma, and hue, but also of factors such as viewing distance and angle, amount and type of ambient light, and presence of other colors in the immediate background and general environmental surround ( Hunt and Pointer, 2011 ; Brainard and Radonjić, 2014 ; Fairchild, 2015 ). In basic color science research (e.g., on color physics, color physiology, color appearance modeling, etcetera; see Gegenfurtner and Ennis, in press ; Johnson, in press ; Stockman and Brainard, in press ), these factors are carefully specified and controlled for in order to establish standardized participant viewing conditions. These factors have been largely ignored and allowed to vary in research on color and psychological functioning, with unknown consequences. An important next step for research in this area is to move to incorporate these more rigorous standardization procedures widely utilized by basic color scientists. With regard to both this and the aforementioned weakness, it should be acknowledged that exact and complete control is not actually possible in color research, given the multitude of factors that influence color perception ( Committee on Colorimetry of the Optical Society of America, 1953 ) and our current level of knowledge about and ability to control them ( Fairchild, 2015 ). As such, the standard that must be embraced and used as a guideline in this work is to control color properties and viewing conditions to the extent possible given current technology, and to keep up with advances in the field that will increasingly afford more precise and efficient color management.

Third, although in some research in this area, large, fully powered samples are used, much of the research remains underpowered. This is a problem in general, but it is particularly a problem when the initial demonstration of an effect is underpowered (e.g., Elliot and Niesta, 2008 ), because initial work is often used as a guide for determining sample size in subsequent work (both heuristically and via power analysis). Underpowered samples commonly produce overestimated effect size estimates ( Ioannidis, 2008 ), and basing subsequent sample sizes on such estimates simply perpetuates the problem. Small sample sizes can also lead researchers to prematurely conclude that a hypothesis is disconfirmed, overlooking a potentially important advance ( Murayama et al., 2014 ). Findings from small sampled studies should be considered preliminary; running large sampled studies with carefully controlled color stimuli is essential if a robust scientific literature is to be developed. Furthermore, as the “evidentiary value movement” ( Finkel et al., 2015 ) makes inroads in the empirical sciences, color scientists would do well to be at the leading edge of implementing such rigorous practices as publically archiving research materials and data, designating exploratory from confirmatory analyses, supplementing or even replacing significant testing with “new statistics” ( Cumming, 2014 ), and even preregistering research protocols and analyses (see Finkel et al., 2015 , for an overview).

In both reviewing advances in and identifying weaknesses of the literature on color and psychological functioning, it is important to bear in mind that the existing theoretical and empirical work is at an early stage of development. It is premature to offer any bold theoretical statements, definitive empirical pronouncements, or impassioned calls for application; rather, it is best to be patient and to humbly acknowledge that color psychology is a uniquely complex area of inquiry ( Kuehni, 2012 ; Fairchild, 2013 ) that is only beginning to come into its own. Findings from color research can be provocative and media friendly, and the public (and the field as well) can be tempted to reach conclusions before the science is fully in place. There is considerable promise in research on color and psychological functioning, but considerably more theoretical and empirical work needs to be done before the full extent of this promise can be discerned and, hopefully, fulfilled.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Keywords : color, psychological functioning, hue, lightness, chroma

Citation: Elliot AJ (2015) Color and psychological functioning: a review of theoretical and empirical work. Front. Psychol. 6:368. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00368

Received: 25 November 2014; Accepted: 16 March 2015; Published online: 02 April 2015.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2015 Elliot. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Andrew J. Elliot, Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Intercampus Drive, Rochester, NY 14627, USA [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

The Impact of Color Psychology: How Architecture Harnesses the Power of Colors

Colour is a power which directly influences the soul. – Wassily Kandinsky

To capture the essence of colour’s profound impact on our emotions and well-being. Although there is a general correlation between colour and emotion in many factors of our lives, it is solid within architecture. Beyond just being aesthetically captivating, colour is used strategically in architecture to create surroundings that affect our interactions, emotions, and perceptions. This piece delves into the charming area of colour psychology in architecture, examining how it alters spaces and impacts.

The Essence of Color Psychology

Colour psychology examines approaches to distinctive hues that affect our emotional and intellectual responses. It encompasses the idea that hues can evoke particular emotions and behaviours in individuals. This intellectual phenomenon is not arbitrary but deeply rooted in our evolutionary records, cultural upbringing, and personal experiences.

Colors are divided into warm and cool categories, each with its particular characteristics:

Warm Colors : Red, orange, and yellow are related to warmth, energy, and stimulation. They can create a feeling of pleasure and liveliness. Cool Colors: Blue, green, and purple are calming and tranquil. These colours evoke emotions of relaxation and serenity.

The Role of Color in Architecture

Architecture using colour is a lot more than simply ornamental. It also has how a room feels, features, and is perceived. Let us check out the numerous features that colour serves in the architectural layout:

Mood and Atmosphere

Colour can set the mood and surroundings of space. For instance, a colourful and energetic shade scheme, with the dominant use of warm hues like red and orange, might be suitable for a café or an innovative workspace , fostering an active and dynamic environment. Conversely, a serene and calming area, such as a spa or meditation centre, may benefit from a groovy colour palette comprising blues, vegetables, rest and introspection.

Spatial Perception

The use of colour can considerably affect how we perceive space. Light shades make a room experience more spacious, even as darker colours can create a sense of cosiness and intimacy. Architects regularly use color to govern the period in small or oddly shaped regions.

Visual Hierarchy 

Architects use color to establish a visual hierarchy in a construction. They might probably use bold, contrasting colorings to attract attention to key factors, which include entrances or focal elements even as using extra diffused shades for tons fewer essential regions. This no longer simply aids in wayfinding but also creates a visually attractive and prepared vicinity.

Cultural Significance

Colors can keep profound cultural and symbolic connotations. Understanding cultural sensitivity is essential to architectural design. Specific colors can explicit unique cultural issues, and their appropriate use can enhance the general format’s elegance and efficacy.

Creating Emotionally Resonant Spaces 

Architects, interior designers , and psychologists regularly collaborate to create emotionally resonant areas through colors. These spaces are designed to elicit specific emotional responses from their occupants. Here are some examples:

Spaces for Education 

Color psychology is used in schools and other educational institutions to improve the learning environment. While serene colours in study spaces and libraries stimulate attention, warm, inviting colours in classrooms may foster creativity and focus.

Healing Environments 

In healthcare structures, the significance of colour is clear in creating restoration environments. Hospitals regularly rent soothing and comforting hues, such as smooth blues and greens, to lessen patient stress and tension. Studies have shown that these colorings can lead to quicker restoration instances and accelerated affected person pride.

Workspaces 

In office architecture, the choice of colors can significantly impact employee productivity and well-being. Incorporating colours that stimulate creativity and energy in collaborative areas and calming colours in private workspaces can create a balanced and productive work environment.

Case Studies: Architectural Marvels Utilizing Color Psychology 

Several architectural marvels around the world correctly harness the strength of shade psychology. for example:, biomuseo, panamas by frank gehry.

The Biomuseo, or Museum of Biodiversity, is a colourful Panama museum designed by Gehry . Its bright colors, hot reds and oranges, create anticipation and exhilaration, setting the tone for engaging enjoyment. The museum’s excellent hues aid in wayfinding, making it clean for visitors to navigate the gap. The colours also mirror Panama’s unique biodiversity, representing the numerous ecosystems observed within the United States of America and the interplay of different environments, from lush rainforests to pristine beaches.

La Muralla Roja, Spain: 

This residential complex built by Ricardo Bofill features a bold color scheme of terracotta, pink, and red. In addition to being aesthetically striking, the colors evoke strong feelings in people, giving them the impression that they are residing in a piece of art.

High Court Building, Chandigarh by Le Corbusier: 

Le Corbusier’s High Court Building uses a strategic and profound color palette to convey professionalism, neutrality, and objectivity. The predominantly grey and white colours convey a sense of fairness and justice, while bold, contrasting colours like red and yellow guide occupants and aid in decision-making. The colors red and yellow, deeply embedded in Indian culture, evoke a sense of identity and cultural significance. The monochromatic palette symbolizes the authority and impartiality expected from a high court, while the Indian tricolour (saffron, white, and green) symbolizes India’s cultural and national identity.

The Future of Color Psychology in Architecture

As technology and studies in colour psychology continue to enhance, the future of shade in structure looks promising. The integration of smart lighting fixture systems allows for dynamic and adaptable color schemes that could reply to the wishes and options of the occupants. Moreover, sustainable and green colouration options will likely gain prominence as architects and designers prioritize environmental responsibility.

Color psychology in structure is an effective tool that enables designers to convert areas into emotionally resonant environments. By information on the profound impact of colors on human feelings, architects can create areas that inspire, comfort, and increase the lives of their occupants. Whether it is a healing environment in a health facility or a colorful workspace in an office, the use of color in structure holds the capacity to shape our experiences and leave a long-lasting effect on our well-being.

References: 

Kandinsky, W. (1970) Color study: Squares with concentric circles, c.1913 – Wassily Kandinsky , www.wikiart.org . Available at: https://www.wikiart.org/en/wassily-kandinsky/color-study-squares-with-concentric-circles-1913 

Colour psychology: The marvel of colours in architecture (no date) www.surfacesreporter.com . Available at: https://surfacesreporter.com/articles/133801/colour-psychology-the-marvel-of-colours-in-architecture 

Ltd, T.S. (2020) The perception of color in architecture , Medium . Available at: https://medium.com/studiotmd/the-perception-of-color-in-architecture-cf360676776c

Color in architecture – more than just decoration (no date) Archinect . Available at: https://archinect.com/features/article/53292622/color-in-architecture-more-than-just-decoration 

(No date) Impact of color on human behavior case -interior space – researchgate . Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368339395_Impact_of_Color_on_Human_Behavior_Case_-Interior_Space 

Biomuseo (2023) Wikipedia . Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomuseo 

Case study on Chandigarh (no date) Scribd . Available at: https://www.scribd.com/presentation/461220332/CASE-STUDY-ON-CHANDIGARH-pptx 

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The application of color psychology in community health environment design, jicheng yang.

1 School of Design, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519087, China

Xiaoying Shen

2 Wuxi Vocational College of Science and Technology, No. 8 Xinxi Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214000, China

Associated Data

The labeled data sets used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

The topic of health has gained importance in today's society in the context of a healthy China. The success of community environmental design is intimately correlated with everyone's physical and mental health since it is the setting for people's daily lives. At present, although the facilities and equipment of the community environment in our country are improving day by day, the important role of color psychology in the community environment has been neglected. Color has always been a part of human life and a very important component of the community environment. When it comes to the design of communal environments, the color design of various areas will have variable degrees of influence on the psychological space and perspective of individuals. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the application value of color psychology in the design of community health environments using color psychology as a scientific foundation. Additionally, the paper attempts to use color psychology as a scientific basis to study the thinking of health issues in the community environment. In addition, the results of the questionnaire survey are used to perform analysis and discussion in order to investigate the regular characteristics of the various research objects, as well as their preferences and psychological needs for color. This is done with the goal of providing empirical support for the improvement of the community environment and the health of the people living in it. In the end, the results of the questionnaire survey are compiled with four different design concepts. These design principles include functionality, naturalness, beauty, and safety. And the design intention and optimization strategy from the three directions the overall building, planting, and paving in the community healthy environment are then presented. This is done in order to create a colorful and comfortable healthy environment for the community life of people and to support the development of people's physical and mental health.

1. Introduction

The growth of modern industrial cities has contributed to deterioration in the quality of the living environment in which people live, which in turn has led to a number of issues relating to public health. Residents of metropolitan communities are increasingly concentrating their attention on health concerns. The biopsychosocial medical concept suggests that the environment (both physical and social) in which an individual lives has a significant impact on both the individual's mental and physical health. Community, as the most fundamental component of urban planning, serves as an essential space carrier for the daily activities and social interactions of its members. It is not just one of the factors that contribute to issues with mental health, but it is also an essential venue for the improvement of the inhabitants' mental health [ 1 ]. According to the community environment and health relationship model proposed in literature [ 2 ], the individual characteristics of inhabitants are thought to be the primary determinants of their mental health. Both the community's social and physical environments can have an effect on the people' mental health. This is especially true of the former. To put it another way, in order to protect people's health, we need a healthy environment. It is self-evident how important the environment of the community is to the health of its residents, and it can have an effect on the health of the entire city as well as its residents.

In addition, as a result of the growth and advancement of society as a whole as well as the increase of community residents' health awareness, the aspiration and yearning of community residents for a healthy community have become increasingly acute. Therefore, in the context of a healthy China and healthy cities, the question of how to break through the current community construction, which primarily focuses on the renewal of physical spaces such as buildings, has become an urgent problem that needs to be solved. At the same time, thinking about community environmental design issues from the perspective of health and from a deeper and more comprehensive perspective is essential. At the moment, it is turning into a hot point for study in order to improve the community environment, exert community health efficiency, improve public health status, and promote well-being for the members of the community by means of environmental intervention. The planning and design of green open space will bring direct health advantages to urban residents, according to research [ 3 , 4 ], and studies have demonstrated that people's health is affected by the design of natural environments [ 3 , 4 ]. In addition, a number of studies have demonstrated that having access to green space in a community can improve people's physical, mental, and social health [ 5 ].

Therefore, to design a healthy community environment, it is necessary to deal with the relationship between people's psychology, physiology, and various spaces. Color is a very important component of the community environment. The study of color on people's psychology and behavior can help improve people's activity experience in different environments [ 6 ]. In the early days of human development, human beings realized the special charm of color, and at that time they began to use color to decorate life. The discovery of the seven-color spectrum gave humans a deeper understanding of color, and people gradually realized the influence of color on people's psychology, and color psychology was born [ 7 ]. Color psychology is a science that studies the relationship between color and people's psychology. In recent years, more and more research has been carried out in the field of color psychology, and it has been widely used in many fields, further deepening people's understanding of lifestyle and life values [ 8 , 9 ]. Literature [ 10 ] expounds the relationship between color and space from the three perspectives color, greening, and furnishings and applies relevant theories to practical projects. They hope to use color, green vegetation, and space to design a plan for an office leisure area with a “healing system” effect. Literature [ 11 ] discusses how to combine it with urban road greening design by analyzing the relevant theoretical knowledge of color psychology. According to the psychological characteristics of users and the psychological effect of color, a humanized urban road green space is designed. Literature [ 12 ] studies the application of color psychology in hospital interior design. From the perspective of color psychology, the author conducts sufficient research on color and psychology of indoor design and analyzes how to use color psychology in hospital indoor design. Literature [ 13 ] carried out space color design from the perspective of old-age care, focusing on analyzing the particularity of old-age buildings. They make full use of the theoretical basis of color psychology and color physiology and analyze various design problems of old-age buildings and indoor public spaces from the perspective of color design and then hope to use the role of color to effectively affect the psychology of the elderly.

To sum up, color is the main factor affecting the human senses and also affects the physiology and psychology of the human body. It will inevitably affect the effect and function of the community environment design. Therefore, in the design of community health environment, it is necessary to deeply study the principles of color psychology in order to better meet people's psychological needs. But at present, it still lacks scientific theoretical guidance for the color design in the community environment of our country. The existing research on the color design of the community environment is still immature, and there are differences in the application of color in the community environment, and a complete color system has not yet been formed. In view of this, through the research of related theories, this paper tries to design the community health environment based on color psychology. Through the effective combination of the two, the principles and strategies of community health environment design under the guidance of color psychology theory are proposed. The main research contents of this paper are as follows: first, the application value of color psychology in community health environment design is discussed; second, through the method of questionnaire survey, the regular characteristics of different research objects, their preferences and psychological needs for color are explored, so as to provide empirical reference for community environment optimization and population health; and finally, combined with the results of the questionnaire survey, the design principles and optimization strategies of community health environment under the guidance of color psychology are summarized. It is hoped that through the research of this topic, the color design in the community health environment will be enriched, and a healthy, natural, and comfortable community color space will be created, in order to create a high-quality, high-level living and leisure and entertainment environment for people, promote people's physical and mental development, and ultimately realize the beautiful vision of a healthy China.

2. Related Theory

2.1. the concept and development of color psychology.

A significant subfield of psychology and a rising academic field, color psychology is becoming increasingly popular. The primary focus of color psychology is the investigation of the impact that color has on the psyche and behavior of humans [ 14 ]. Color is capable of fully expressing a wide range of human emotions, and the combination of brightness and color is the source of all visible phenomena. Through human visual contact, color will have many different and complicated effects on people's psychology, physiology, and imagination. Additionally, people's psychological and physiological states will affect how they perceive and think about color. According to the theory of color psychology, different hues are thought to have varied effects on the psychology and emotions of people, and certain regular causal correlations are considered to exist between colors and the psychological reactions of people. In addition, in terms of its emergence and progression, color psychology has gone through a period of rapid expansion, which has been primarily driven by the advancement of economic growth. The Munsell color system in the United States [ 15 ], the Ostwald color system in Germany [ 16 ], and the PCCS (practical color coordinate system) color system in Japan [ 17 ] are the most extensively diffused and used systems in the world as far as is known about color psychology's extant theoretical systems.

Although the current research on color psychology is still immature, it has not been formally defined in the research of psychology. It is undeniable that its influence on human psychology exists objectively and is spontaneously applied to real life by human beings. For example, shopping malls use color matching to upgrade their brand, attract customers, and increase their desire to buy. The restaurant and bar use color matching to create their atmosphere and highlight the characteristics. In addition, color psychology has also been widely used in architectural design, painting, graphic design, animation, industrial design, etc. [ 18 – 20 ]. There is also color therapy in medicine, that is, using the psychological effects of color to carry out adjuvant treatment at different levels for patients [ 21 ].

2.2. The Main Theories of Color Psychology

2.2.1. color emotion.

Colors are able to communicate not just visual information but also feelings. One of the functions of color is to convey a range of feelings to people while also providing them with a striking visual impression. The field of color psychology has conducted pertinent study on the laws of people's psychological effects on color. This research has provided a scientific basis for us to assess and create colors in community health environments, thanks to the work that was done in color psychology. The human imagination and memory can be stimulated by color, which can then further raise human emotional resonance. Figure 1 provides a synopsis of the psychological qualities associated with a selection of representative colors.

Emotional characteristics of several representative colors.

2.2.2. Symbols of Colors

The sign of color is the reflection of the mental spectrum of color that is contained in a single hue. It is a reference to the unique connotation that is exhibited between a hue that is widely recognized and the items that are linked with it. On the other hand, people from different eras and walks of life have a tendency to ascribe diverse symbolic meanings to certain hues. It is possible to say that the symbolism of color not only originates from humanism with historical and cultural legacy but also exists in society as a symbolic form. This is something that can be said since it is something that can be said. Table 1 provides a common metaphorical interpretation for each color.

The common symbolic meanings of some colors.

2.2.3. Character Traits of Color

Each color is a complete individual. If anthropomorphic, they represent different characters and have their own personalities. Referring to the relevant color psychology theory, this paper summarizes the personality characteristics represented by each color, as shown in Figure 2 .

Character traits of color.

3. Investigation and Analysis of Community Health Environment Design Based on Color Psychology

3.1. research objects and methods, 3.1.1. research object.

During the period from March 2022 to June 2022, with the mobilization and assistance of local community staff, the random sampling method was used to recruit local community residents from 10 communities in City A as research object. Paper questionnaires were distributed to them, of which 5 communities or streets were selected in urban and suburban areas. The definition of local residents in the study is as follows: they have the household registration of the local permanent population, have lived in the community or street for 1 year or more, and are between 18 and 75 years old. After a detailed explanation of the purpose of this research study, participants completed a self-administered questionnaire anonymously on the basis of written informed consent. If they have difficulty filling it out, it would be guided by trained investigators.

3.1.2. Questionnaire Design and Survey

A set of questionnaires was designed in the study. The survey content involves the age, occupation, gender, and other basic information of the respondents, as well as their preference for color, the impact of different colors on their emotions, and their inclination to the color of the ideal community space. Through the research, three characteristics of the regular characteristics of different respondents, their preference for color, and their psychological needs for color are summarized.

3.1.3. Quality Control

After the research subjects completed the questionnaires, the trained project team members were responsible for the quality control of the questionnaires. The questionnaires with unreasonable logic, too much missing information, and too many consistent responses were eliminated. In the end, a total of 100 questionnaires were distributed and 89 valid questionnaires were collected.

3.2. Result Analysis

3.2.1. the regular characteristics of the research object.

(1) Basic Situation. A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed in this survey, and 89 valid questionnaires were collected. Among the valid questionnaires, there were 38 males and 51 females, accounting for 42.7% and 57.3% of the total, respectively, as shown in Figure 3 . Due to the random distribution of the questionnaires, the ratio of males to females was not controlled artificially. In addition, the mean age of the research objects was (45.29 ± 15.35) years old.

Male-to-female ratio among respondents.

(2) Education and Career . In terms of educational background, the percentage of high school and technical secondary school (57.3%) is the highest, and the proportion of junior high school and below is 9%, and the proportion of university and above is 33.7%, as shown in Figure 4(a) . Since the vast majority of the research subjects have not received higher education, their cognition of color is still at the level of whether they look good or not. Combining the occupational proportions in Figure 4(b) , according to the survey report, among the survey respondents, government departments, service industries, and manufacturing industries have the highest proportions.

Statistics of educational background and occupation of the respondents. (a) The percentage of educational backgrounds among survey respondents. (b) The percentage of different occupations among survey respondents.

3.2.2. Research Objects' Preferences for Color

In the questionnaire designed in this paper, there are two questions: “What is your preferred color?” and “What is your preferred color tone?” The purpose is to explore the preferences of the research objects on the hue, lightness, and purity of colors. Data statistics were carried out for the selection of different age groups, and the statistical results of the hue, lightness, and purity of the colors of different survey groups were obtained, as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 , respectively.

Statistics on hue preference of different respondents.

The choice of brightness and purity for different respondents. (a) The choice of brightness of different respondents. (b) The choice of purity of different respondents.

As shown in Figure 5 , according to statistics, in the hue selection, the number of yellow selections is the most, with a total of 65 times. Hue selection frequency in descending order is as follows: yellow > green > red > blue > orange > purple > white > black. Moreover, respondents of different age groups have different preferences for hue. Young people are more inclined towards green, blue, black, and white. Middle-aged people prefer green, blue, and yellow. The elderly prefer brighter colors such as red, orange, yellow, and green and do not like dark or dark colors such as black and white.

As shown in Figure 6(a) , among the lightness selections, the number of medium lightness selections is the largest, 45 times in total. The lightness selection frequency in descending order is as follows: medium lightness > high lightness > low lightness. Similarly, as shown in Figure 6(b) , among the color purity selections, the medium purity selection is the most frequent, with a total of 49 times. The purity selection frequency is sorted from large to small: medium purity > high purity > low purity.

3.2.3. Research Objects' Psychological Needs for Color

(1) Character Analysis . According to the survey analysis, most people tend to be low-key and restrained, as shown in Figure 7 . Therefore, in the design of community health environment, in order to relieve people's tension, anxiety, and depression, more warm, bright, and soothing colors should be used to provide people with a comfortable and relaxing activity environment.

Character statistics of respondents.

(2) Sentiment Analysis . According to the analysis of the survey questionnaire, the categories that account for the biggest proportion of respondents when people feel anxious, lonely, and emotionally unstable are presented in Figure 8 as having the orange-yellow, blue-green, and red-pink color combinations. This demonstrates that various respondents have a tendency to favor warm colors when they are not in a good emotional state. The color combinations black-white and blue-purple were the ones that received the fewest votes, with only 4% and 3% of the total, respectively. This demonstrates that people are most likely to feel dejected and melancholy when exposed to any of these two hues. As a result of this, it is clear that the indoor humanistic space of the community healthy environment should select colors that are vibrant, bright, and cheerful. Green is the color that should be used for the natural outside surroundings. These hues have a calming effect on people by easing their anxious feelings. In addition, it should not use dark, intense hues like dark purple, dark coffee, dark green, dark blue, or dark gray. These colors should be avoided.

Color preferences of respondents when they are emotionally unstable.

(3) Image Analysis . As shown in Figure 9 , according to the analysis results, most of the survey respondents tend to choose a warm, soft, relaxed, safe, and happy ideal community environment, and fewer people choose a serious, rational, and stable environment. As the current pace of life is getting faster and faster, people's pressure has become greater and greater. They prefer a comfortable and natural environment and pursue the concept of tranquility, far-reaching, and natural behavior. Therefore, the color design in the community health environment should also be warm, soft, soothing, and bright.

The ideal living environment image of the respondents.

Based on the above analysis results, the design style of the interior space in the community environment can be chosen to be more natural. Log-colored wood and milky white latex paint can be used for large-area decoration, and then personalized design can be carried out in different areas according to the color preferences, emotions, and imagination of different groups of people, so as to meet the activity needs of different groups of people.

4. Community Health Environment Design Strategy Based on Color Psychology

When combined with the findings of the analyses of the previous questionnaires, as well as the theory of color psychology and the premise of adhering to the principles of aesthetics, safety, naturalness, and functionality, the design intention and optimization strategy are proposed in three aspects from the building, planting, and paving in the healthy environment of the community. These three aspects include building, planting, and paving. It is anticipated that the colors that are used in the community environment of our country will become more harmonious, comfortable, and beautiful. This will result in the creation of a community environment that is helpful to the leisure and amusement of the people.

4.1. Design Principles

4.1.1. aesthetic principles.

When it comes to the planning of healthy settings for communities, color plays an important role. It is both an artistic expression and a manifestation of the human spirit in the context of the community in which it takes place. People can have a more calm and enjoyable time participating in activities if the colors and aesthetic design elements are coordinated well. The following is a list of aesthetic criteria that should be considered when designing color schemes for community health environments: (1) constancy amidst dynamic motion. The term “unity” most often refers to the uniformity of the primary color that is shared by the color of the building facade and the color of the pavement. The shift focuses mostly on the tonal alterations that are supplemented by the color of the gaming facilities and the color of the plant landscape. To put it another way, the color design of the community health environment is one in which unity and change coexist and accommodate themselves to one another; (2) a combination of contrast and harmony. The concepts of unity and change can be best embodied by contrast and harmony. The contrast of colors has the potential to enhance the impression of contrast that exists between the colors of the various parts of the communal environment. The harmony of colors has the potential to make the colors of the various aspects of the environment appear more similar and harmonious, and it also has the potential to improve the overall impression of the color of the community's environment; and (3) a sense of symmetry and equilibrium. One of the distinguishing features of Chinese art is its emphasis on symmetry and balance. Since ancient times, this aesthetic theory has been the one that has been employed in design projects the majority of the time. People's bodies and minds can be adjusted through the use of the principle of symmetry and balance in color design in community health environments, which also helps create an atmosphere that is cozier, more relaxing, and filled with opportunities for action.

4.1.2. Security Principles

At present, the proportion of people suffering from depression, anxiety, youth myopia, obesity, and other psychological and physical diseases is increasing year by year, affecting people's physical and mental health. Creating a safe and healthy community environment is increasingly important. Although with the improvement of various facilities and equipment in the community environment in our country, it has high safety. However, there is a lack of research guidance and normative requirements for the safety of colors. Therefore, safety design principles should also be an important consideration in designing community health environments. The primary purpose of the safety principle of color design is to pay attention to the color synesthesia effect of community environment color on people and to create a healthier and more comfortable community environment. First of all, it is necessary to rationally apply color and its basic attributes to avoid color pollution in the community environment. Second, the safety of community indoor activity space should be fully considered. For example, in material selection, nonirritating, nonpolluting environmentally friendly materials are used. On the ground pavement, the complementary or contrasting relationship of colors is used to satisfy the spatial orientation. In the guidance and identification, the color system is used for safe instruction guidance and evacuation.

4.1.3. Naturalness Principles

In the color design of community health environment, special attention should be paid to the principle of naturalness of color design. The beauty of many natural landscapes cannot be described in words but can only be experienced personally. By designing large areas of lawns, sloping land, flowers and trees, etc., the number and area ratios of natural landscape colors in community landscape colors are increased, so that people can fully contact nature, so as to cultivate people's sentiments and relax their mood. Studies have shown that, compared with artificial colors commonly used in buildings and pavements, plant landscape colors are more diverse and have seasonal changes. Therefore, the natural principle of community healthy environment design is to change the original design mode, enrich the natural plant landscape in the community, and strengthen greening. In addition, the color elements of different landscapes in the community environment should be matched with each other, while increasing the application of natural colors in building facades, paving, and game facilities.

4.1.4. Functional Principles

Community health environment not only includes outdoor sports and fitness, children's games, and other places but also has many other functions, such as indoor games and entertainment, gathering and distributing activities, sports, and reading and learning. Different functional areas have different requirements for color design. At the same time, color can affect the warmth, light and shade, and volume of a space. Therefore, in the design of community health environment, it is necessary to adhere to the functional principle, make full use of the characteristics of color to serve the space function, and make the color and the space where it is in harmony and unity.

4.2. Specific Strategies

4.2.1. optimal design of overall architectural color.

The architectural color design of community activity venues is the guidance and representative of the overall culture and style of the community and is the main form of displaying community creative design. At present, the architectural color design styles of common community activity venues in China include colorful, simple, and blank. The choice of building color in the community can be summarized into three parts: background color, theme color, and key color. The background color generally chooses a uniform tone, with a soft combination of hue, saturation, and lightness, which is mainly used in the ceiling, floor, wall, and other large space finishes. The theme color is the main color of each functional area, and different areas should choose different hues based on the visual and psychological states of different groups of people. The key color has the role of embellishment and emphasis in the collocation. Most of them use color combinations with very large contrast and strong contrast. It is generally used in forms that require people to pay special attention to identification, and it plays the role of finishing touch in the space.

4.2.2. Optimal Design of Plant Material Color

The colors in nature are the most abundant, and the design of the plant landscape should conform to the principle of color complementarity. Plants exist in nature. They not only purify the air and adjust humidity but also beautify the environment where they are located. In addition, plants can interact with people, while green and yellow plants are beneficial to people's eye health and relieve visual fatigue. Therefore, appropriately increasing the green area in the community environment can make the indoor and outdoor look more dynamic. It can also reduce people's sense of loneliness and loss and bring people closer to nature. Different colors of plants can also cause different feelings. For example, green itself has a calming effect, so many hospitals also use green plants as the embellishment of the environment. Red flowers can make people feel more enthusiastic, while white flowers make people feel elegant. Yellow flowers can make old people feel good. Therefore, the ecological and interesting nature of the community environment can be enhanced by creating a unique natural landscape.

4.2.3. Optimal Design of Paving Color

When people play games, the first environmental information received in the brain is the color of the pavement. Therefore, the pavement color design in the community environment is very important. It can be said that the design of pavement color is the key to the overall color of the community environment. It has the integration of various landscape elements. The design of pavement color can increase the activity of the space through the color tone and transition the overall color matching of the landscape, so as to connect different spaces in the community environment. For example, when selecting the sign material for the community indoor environment, through the unique sign material and the reasonable matching of colors, the softness and cleanliness of the space can be fully displayed.

As mentioned above, the color optimization design of each component in the community environment should ultimately form the consistency of color application. By combining the principles of color psychology and the color design principles of community health environment, and integrating the overall architecture, plant materials, and pavement elements in the community environment, a color optimization strategy for the community health environment is proposed to improve the monotony and proportion incongruity of colors in the current community environment. Through the selection and matching of colors, the activity space is more clearly defined, the environment of the community is improved, and a new type of community health environment with high appearance, high level, and comprehensive benefits is created.

5. Conclusion

A community environment that meets health demands is an essential demand of modern community development in the context of healthy China, and it is also an unavoidable trend of future community development. Color is inextricably linked to people's daily lives. Color can be reflected as a language in the human neurological system, activating and influencing people's thoughts and feelings. Color, in other words, is directly linked to people's psychological feelings. As a result, when color is used in community environment design, the color design of different activity spaces will have distinct effects on people's psychology, physiology, and mood. Simultaneously, as color psychology research advances, we become more conscious of the critical function that color plays in people's daily lives. As a result, the focus of this research is on how to combine color psychology with community health environment design to better meet the physical and mental health needs of different groups of color, in order to create a color-comfortable and warm community environment and improve residents' health. This study begins with color psychology, then integrates people's life and spiritual demands, and then successfully blends color psychology with community health environment design to produce a more comfortable and acceptable community activity space. The community environment may not only meet people's everyday requirements, but also their spiritual wants, as well as holistically improve their bodily and mental health.

Although this research has achieved phased results, there are still some problems that need to be further improved and optimized. First, at the theoretical level, this paper simply analyzes the role of color psychology in community health environments. However, there are many elements involved in the construction of a healthy community environment. In the future, we can learn from domestic and foreign research experience and consider factors such as walkable space, natural environment, public service facilities, and the needs of special groups as important content of the construction of a healthy community environment. Second, at the research level, the questionnaire survey employs the random sampling method to recruit research subjects in the community. Moreover, the recruited research subjects ignored the special needs of children and adolescents, and the sample representation was insufficient. In view of this, the follow-up research can consider designing more complex scales, introducing indicators such as health variables, and conducting more in-depth research on different populations and different types of communities. Therefore, combined with more targeted research conclusions, it provides more accurate strategies for the design and optimization of community health environment and constantly enriches and improves the practice cases and basic theories of healthy community building under the “Healthy China” strategy.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Beijing Normal University.

Data Availability

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Color in Health Care: How Mindful Design Can Improve Clinical Spaces

Color is a key component of any professional branding or design endeavor, and the use of color in health care settings is no exception. Although color psychology has the potential to affect patient experiences and outcomes, it remains relatively underexplored relative to its extensive use in marketing. 1 As research consistently demonstrates the profound impact of color on consumer behavior, there is a compelling case for applying these insights to patient floors, waiting rooms, and physician branding.

Decision-making regarding the use of specific colors in health care spaces appears to be largely based on general psychological research and well-established color theory used in art and design. However, the results of several recent studies suggest that the strategic use of color may enhance the patient experience in health care settings.

For example, a study published in 2023 in the Health Environments Research and Design Journal (HERD) examined the utility of strategic color changes to improve wayfinding in the redesign of an emergency department in Sweden. 2 In this study, common patient areas were painted solid neutral colors (gray/beige), while patient-restricted areas were painted red or other colors that contrasted with the neutral patient areas and floors were given a darker shade near the walls to highlight the boundaries of rooms. Based on participant responses on self-report questionnaires that were created and validated by the investigators, the new design was associated with an increased perception of awareness, orientation, and safety among patients and family members compared to the previous design. 2  

In addition to improving navigation in a hospital setting, a 2022 prospective, randomized controlled trial by Eminovic et al investigated the effect of incorporating a range of lighter colors (as selected by an art theorist) as well as art containing the same colors into hospital rooms of patients recovering from total hip or knee arthroplasty. Relative to patients in the control group who had rooms with no additional color, patients in lighter-colored rooms showed significantly higher scores on assessments of postoperative quality of life. 3

Beyond the actual shades of color in health care settings, investigators have also examined how tones and saturation affect clinical settings. Research published in HERD in January 2024 also evaluated the use of color in health care by examining how ambulatory waiting room characteristics affected the emotions of 1114 women aged 18 to 35 years in the United States. Investigators found that patients prefer rooms with neutral color saturation relative to high or low saturation spaces – regardless of color. 4

Further, results of a 2020 study of nursing home residents in Spain revealed that individuals exhibit a preference for warm colors (especially yellow) in activity rooms and a preference for cooler colors (especially green) in bedrooms. Using virtual reality and heart rate variability assessment, the researchers also found that warm colors were associated with higher levels of arousal relative to cool colors. The greatest arousal based on heart rate variability was observed in the yellow activity room, and the lowest arousal was observed in the blue activity room. 5

Despite its success in commercial environments, the deliberate use of color in health care remains surprisingly limited, offering a unique opportunity to harness these principles for more empathetic and effective medical spaces. Although additional research using rigorous methodology is needed before color strategies in health care spaces can be considered evidence-based, the aesthetic and practical effects of the intentional use of color remain important considerations in these settings. By strategically incorporating color psychology into health care settings, designers can potentially increase patient comfort, reduce anxiety , and improve overall satisfaction.

To further explore this topic, Psychiatry Advisor interviewed Michelle Lewis , a color psychology expert who specializes in design, marketing, and behavioral color research.

How and when did you get into this work, and what has the experience been like so far?

Lewis: My start in color psychology began in my youth, as my parents were in the film industry. The emotional impact of a story presented in a visual medium was a huge focus, and color was a crucial component of the film’s production design. As I moved my work online and worked more in the branding and marketing space, I saw firsthand how injecting color affected an audience’s perception and emotions regarding physical and digital products and services.

However, I didn’t yet have enough of a knowledge base to understand why, so I decided that I needed to study color throughout history, culture, art, religion, medicine, and more to comprehend how it would interact with people physically, mentally, and emotionally today across the world.

In pouring over research materials, books, studies, and experiments for a solid 6 months, I started to see common threads between what I call the primary 8 communication colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and magenta. I ultimately wrote a book, Color Secrets : Learning the One Universal Language We Were Never Taught , that encapsulated all of my research. 6 Through experimenting with clients and students, it became clear to me that color was truly a universal language that made a major impact when used intentionally.

This work has led to collaborations with clients who want to blend color psychology with their expertise to clearly communicate with their target audience in a more emotional and supportive way. I’ve also had the honor of working with neurodivergent children as well as adults with chronic fatigue and multiple sclerosis to support them with color, aiding in increased feelings of well-being. It’s been incredibly powerful and rewarding work that branches into so many aspects of life.

What are some ways in which color is used intentionally in the design of certain spaces and in branding in health care settings? 

Lewis: The power of color psychology has been a relatively untapped resource for most health care organizations due to the lack of knowledge of its efficacy in a strictly scientific modality. However, even this year, an increasing number of spaces are becoming aware of and starting to strategically use color in their facilities. The ability to link specific colors – and even the undertones of certain colors – to clearly communicate and influence a patient’s physical and emotional states is hugely significant.

We typically see the most intentional use of color in children’s health care settings with an assortment of rainbow colors. This is to help children feel more comfortable and to elicit emotions of joy, growth, and positivity. Some great examples of this approach are the New Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital and the Bendigo Hospital in Australia.

The biggest issue with the use of color in health care is intentionality. For example, because red may increase heart rate, blood pressure, and pupil dilation, this is a color to avoid in most health care settings, as it may cause higher levels of stress, especially in cases of physical, emotional, or mental trauma. 7-9 This is why the color red has been tied to emergency services, especially since red is the color we first recognize and respond to with attention and alertness. 10

However, the color blue measurably reduces heart rate and blood pressure, so it can be used in many health care spaces to bring feelings of calm and stress reduction. 7,8 We also see blue used within most health care logos, hospitals, and treatment facilities.

According to my research, the 8 colors I have listed are the only ones that create a measurable response in the body. White, black, gray, and brown are great to use in support of the eight primary communication colors, but by themselves do not evoke a measurable response.

What is the basis, in terms of research and otherwise, for some of the specific color choices? How do the color choices vary across settings – in pediatric vs general settings, for example, or between mental health and other health care settings?

Lewis: To begin putting the color pieces together for a health care space, the best research study I recommend starting with is Sarah Babin’s “Color Theory: The Effects of Color in Medical Environments.” This paper provides a great foundation to color study in the medical field and how to approach the conversation of color decisions. 11

For example, within the study, she discovered that 49.1% of participants preferred cooler colors, while 29.1% favored warmer colors. What’s interesting about this finding is that cooler colors can evoke a much more calming reaction, especially when they are given a gray undertone. Within a health care setting, the use of cool colors could be prioritized before even deciding on the specific colors. Then, it’s possible to niche into the specific medical setting to determine the exact shades to use.

In a mental health space, for example, I would avoid reds and yellows entirely, as they may cause too much of a physiological reaction. Even though many people associate yellow with happiness, this color would have to be given white or gray undertones to dilute the potential effects of stress on the nervous system. I also would also avoid using darker blues, as they could cause patients to retreat too deeply into their own thoughts.

In more general health care settings, there are certain “safe” colors that usually cause a much more predictable, positive reaction. In my experience, these are often cool-toned blues, teals, and greens. Blue is more mentally stimulating while inducing a calming reaction to the heart rate and blood pressure. 7,8 Green tends to be stabilizing, encouraging balance of body and mind.

For pediatric health care settings, the undertone of the chosen colors is key. Most children respond positively to white-tinted colors, which means they have a white undertone. Think of pastels – they feel and look brighter, lighter, and happier.

It’s interesting to note that some colors may cause certain reactions that could be helpful to experiment with. For example, it would be interesting to test red in the room of a child struggling with blood circulation, as red is known to increase blood flow, or to utilize orange in a room for a child who struggles with insomnia, as it may help to improve sleep. 12  

I think the most important takeaway is to understand that color is participatory. It can change per person and per setting, as its basis is light. Because light is made of frequency, it can permeate the cellular makeup of the body. And, as light can alter from wave to particle with the presence of a person – as proven by the double-slit experiment – we have to respect color’s ability to respond to us. 13

What does the consultation and implementation process involve when a provider or health system engages the services of a color psychologist?

Lewis: When consulting with a color psychologist, it starts with a lot of questions that are best answered by the practitioner and potentially some of their top clients who can give real-time feedback while building the visuals of the site.

When creating a medical setting, certain considerations must be taken into account. Here are some questions I like to ask as a color psychologist working in a new space:

• What feeling do I want to evoke in this space?
• What emotional state is the client experiencing before they walk through the doors?
• What cultural ties to color exist in this area?
• What colors could help trigger the desired emotional state we are creating?
• Does the color experience need to change from the waiting room to the treatment room, etc?

These considerations are all very helpful when creating a color experience in a physical space.

Once a foundation is laid in terms of color direction, the color psychologist or designer will create mood boards of potential “looks” of color within the space. The practitioner will choose the favorite look, and then more detailed mockups will be created.

The next step is bringing the design to life at the site. Walkthroughs are done by the practitioner, staff, and past clients to see reactions and get feedback. If needed, additions and adjustments are made before the space receives final approval.

Since color psychology is a newer field, [decision makers at health care facilities] may connect with an interior designer and request that they either subcontract a color psychologist or receive color training from one.

What would you recommend to health care providers and systems interested in using color intentionally their facilities?

Lewis: I would say, with the strongest passion possible, to please utilize this underused tool in your facility. Color can be the most powerful way to make someone feel something. To not focus on color when creating a space that patients, practitioners, and staff will spend an abundant amount of time in is like leaving a crucial tool on the table unused.

For example, even including pops of yellow for employees who spend most of the day sitting may provide a needed burst of energy. Or, for certain offices, there could be a “resting room” where employees can reset their vision with the color green and enjoy a well-earned break from fluorescent lighting.

The gray matter in our brain responds incredibly quickly to new knowledge about color, so start digging into the available resources to learn more. 14 I recommend that people exercise caution when exploring information about color psychology. Random internet searching will lead down a rabbit hole of opinions that are usually unresearched. Focus on the National Institutes of Health studies, academic papers, and books written on the subject with extensive bibliographies. 

As you explore, you can start imaging the places at your facility that may be positively impacted by color – whether it’s your advertising, website, waiting room, patient room, or even exit space. Pick one and start there!

My honor is simply sharing my research on color in every way possible. One of the biggest needs, as a former ill child myself, is leaning on color’s ability to assist in feeling while healing. We are electromagnetic beings, so the introduction of color in any way throughout a treatment or healing journey can be powerful, as the body always responds. As we inject more color strategically into health care spaces, I believe we will see revolutionary results. 

References:

• Tofle RB, Schwartz B, Yoon SY, Max-Royale A. Color In Healthcare Environments—A Research Report. Coalition for Health Environments Research (CHER). 2004. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://www.healthdesign.org/system/files/color_in_hc_environ_0.pdf
• Lindahl J, Thulesius H, Wijk H, Edvardsson D, Elmqvist C. The perceived support from light and color before and after an evidence-based design intervention in an emergency department environment: a quasi-experimental study . HERD . 2023;16(2):109-124. doi:10.1177/19375867221150215
• Eminovic S, Vincze G, Fink A, et al. Positive effect of colors and art in patient rooms on patient recovery after total hip or knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial . Wien Klin Wochenschr . 2022;134(5-6):221-226. doi:10.1007/s00508-021-01936-6
• Huber A, Bailey R. Designing worthy waiting spaces: a cross-cultural study of waiting room features and their impact on women’s affective states . HERD . 2024;17(1):112-126. doi:10.1177/19375867231204979
• Torres A, Serra J, Llopis J, Delcampo A. Color preference cool versus warm in nursing homes depends on the expected activity for interior spaces .  Front Archit Res.  2020;9(4):739–750. doi:10.1016/j.foar.2020.06.002
• Lewis M. Color Secrets: Learning the One Universal Language We Were Never Taught . Color Cured. 2022.
• Oh J, Lee H, Park H. Effects on heart rate variability of stress level responses to the properties of indoor environmental colors: a preliminary study . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2021;18(17):9136. doi:10.3390/ijerph18179136
• Buechner VL, Maier MA. Not always a matter of context: direct effects of red on arousal but context-dependent moderations on valence . PeerJ . 2016;4:e2515. doi:10.7717/peerj.2515
• Wardhani IK, Boehler CN, Mathôt S. The influence of pupil responses on subjective brightness perception . Perception . 2022;51(6):370-387. doi:10.1177/03010066221094757
• Kuniecki M, Pilarczyk J, Wichary S. The color red attracts attention in an emotional context. An ERP study . Front Hum Neurosci . 2015;9:212. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2015.00212
• Babin, Sarah E. Color theory: the effects of color in medical environments. Thesis . University of Southern Mississippi; 2013. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1173&context=honors_theses
• Shechter A, Quispe KA, Mizhquiri Barbecho JS, Slater C, Falzon L. Interventions to reduce short-wavelength (“blue”) light exposure at night and their effects on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis . Sleep Adv . 2020;1(1):zpaa002. doi:10.1093/sleepadvances/zpaa002
• Dobrijevic D. The double-slit experiment: is light a wave or a particle? Space . Published March 23, 2022. Accessed July 31, 2024.
• Kwok V, Niu Z, Kay P, et al. Learning new color names produces rapid increase in gray matter in the intact adult human cortex . Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A . 2011;108(16):6686-6688. doi:10.1073/pnas.1103217108

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