Colors exert a significant influence on mood.. This is what psychological studies on the subject conclude, and that is that colors affect the way we perceive the environment. Color psychology also gives colors meanings and characteristics.
Beyond the instinctive response, there is also a lot of subjectivity and symbolism in the matter. What is certain is that there is an attribution about the meaning of colors that depends on culture. Each color has a symbolic charge with its history, and to a greater or lesser extent everyone infers its meaning.
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Color psychology: meanings and characteristics of colors.
Colors are very important for many economic sectors related to the image.. Company logos, interior decoration or clothing design are influenced by color psychology. This field knows what each color means, symbolizes, transmits and provokes.
It is for this reason that everything related to design, advertising, architecture, fashion or marketing takes colors into great consideration. Color psychology takes into account the meanings and characteristics of colors. Depending on the context these meanings may change, but in general they are well established.
1. Red
The color red is used in marketing and advertising to attract attention.. It is undoubtedly an intense color that stands out, so it is widely used when it is required to highlight some attribute of a product.
Within the psychology of color, the meaning of red is linked to love, passion and intensity. It can also be a bit aggressive in certain contexts, so in logos it is used in combination with more neutral tones. It favors impulse purchases and exalts the emotion associated with possession.
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2. Blue
Blue represents fidelity, purity and stability.. For this reason, blue is also one of the most used colors in logos. It is especially used in companies that want to transmit serenity, stability and formality. The psychology of color gives meanings linked to characteristics related to wisdom.
In addition, it is a spiritual color, especially in softer tones. On the other hand, it has been proven that blue helps to suppress appetite, so it is not recommended to use it much in food or restaurants. It also conveys tranquility, and in combination with white or green, it reinforces harmony and peace.
3. Green
Green transmits renewal and is also related to nature and ecology.. If an opaque green is used, it can also represent money and economic fortune. It is also associated with freshness, so it is widely used in logos of new brands.
In interior design, green is used in spaces where tranquility is desired. On the other hand, in marketing it is used to highlight the ecological and sustainable. Another meaning of green is that of rebirth and hope, so wearing green in difficult times can be helpful.
4. Orange
The color orange is considered a color linked to optimism.. This color has several meanings, all associated with energy, enthusiasm and joy. It is also related to appetite, so it is widely used in food labeling and logos of companies in the food industry.
A high shade of orange can be aggressive, and if it is too intense it does not have the desired effect in some cases. In advertising it is generally used to motivate the purchase, so it is a favorite in this field.
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5. Yellow
Yellow represents youth, creativity and optimism. It is a color that is used for dynamic, active, cheerful spaces that have to do with young people. In clothing it is a very striking color that shows confidence, creativity and enthusiasm.
It is also linked to summer, as it is the color most associated with the sun. On the other hand, it is also culturally linked to bad luck. This is because an actor once died wearing a yellow suit.
6. White
White is one of the colors with the most meanings.. For color psychology there are meanings linked to characteristics related to peace, spirituality, innocence, peace, tranquility and perfection.
White is also used to give a feeling of spaciousness in architectural spaces. It transmits more light and is also a symbol of honesty and neatness. In marketing it is used to transmit harmony, peace, transparency and spirituality.
7. Black
The color black conveys elegance but also mourning and mystery.. It is a color that also has many and diverse meanings. In some areas it symbolizes power, authoritarianism or firmness. On a practical level, it is also used to balance a very intense color such as yellow or orange.
Logos and companies, as well as the fashion world, use it to convey elegance. It should be used carefully so as not to convey the opposite message, as it is closely related to death and the occult.
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8. Pink
Pink is related to tenderness, although it can also have a childish connotation.. It is a color widely used in marketing when you want to evoke childhood and tender emotions.
Culturally it is also associated with femininity, friendship and pure love. Gentleness and delicacy are associated with this color, which is widely used in clothing or accessories to convey self-care.
9. Gray
Gray is a color that represents tenacity, but also other attributes.. The meaning and characteristics given to it from the psychology of color are associated with elegance, peace, tranquility and formality. For these reasons it is a color that is widely used in large companies.
In the world of design it is widely used to convey this message of stability and formality. However, in advertising it is used very sparingly, as it can convey a message of boredom and opacity.
10. Purple
Purple is a color with a wide range of meanings.. Depending on the tone and the elements that accompany it, purple symbolizes spirituality, sophistication, elegance, calm and mystery. It is also associated with wisdom.
In architectural spaces it is generally not recommended, as it can saturate a space. However, it can give a lot of vitality in certain contexts or combined with other colors. On the other hand, it has been widely used to promote products related to feminine care and cosmetics.
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