What’s your favorite color? Does it change with your mood, or does it stay constant? Have you ever wondered why that color is your favorite? Your favorite color can say a lot about you. If you prefer red, then you might be very confident, whereas if you favor blue, you might be very relaxed. Color can mean a lot of things, and it can affect your emotions directly. That’s why, as designers and web developers, we have to use them carefully.
Color Between the Lines
Color’s one of the first things people notice on a website. When looking at a site, there are many variables that make a company seem trustworthy. One of the biggest ones is the way a website makes a visitor feel, and that’s where the psychology of color comes in. Since color directly affects emotions, web designers and developers can use colors to help drive a particular feeling.
First, think about what kind of feeling you want people to have when they visit your website. If you want people to feel safe and calm, consider green. The color green signifies tranquility and has been thought to relieve stress, which is actually why actors and actresses sit in a green room before they go out on stage. Maybe you want to express a sense of urgency on your website. If that were the case, use the color red. Red has been known to invoke energy out of people, and it can signify importance and confidence. Next time you look at a website that has the color red on it, notice how quickly it draws your attention.
Let’s look at some sites that use color very effectively. Take Publix as an example. They use the color green all over their site. Green can stimulate a lot of different feelings. It is known for symbolizing freshness, which is how they want to portray their food. It can also make people feel relaxed, which is how they want their customers to feel while shopping. If you notice, Publix also uses a lot of white space. The color white shows purity and symbolizes successfulness, which are all inherently positive emotions.
Another great site is BMC Switzerland. They use a lot of white, black, and greys; with an accent color of red. Again, white can show purity and trust, and they use it correctly. But let’s focus on the use of blacks and reds. Blacks signify power and elegance, which is the way they want their brand to be perceived. It can also show luxury, which is how they want visitors to perceive their bikes. Now with the use of red as an accent color — red can spur a lot of different emotions, from excitement to anger. Red can be assertive, daring, and determined. It’s a very strong color, and the way BMC Switzerland uses it as an accent color is very wise. Not too much, but enough to show that their bikes mean business.
Emphasize with Color
Color does so much more for your website than just making it look pretty; it can help drive certain emotions and help a company express how consumers view them. So before you go and design your next website, think about your company and the way you want your customers to feel — then use color to convey that emotion.
About the Author
Kyle Wilson is a recent University of Central Florida graduate and a part of the web development team here at On Target. When he is not pumping out websites, Kyle likes to hang out with friends, skateboard, and play guitar.
On Target Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency located in Orlando, Florida. Through branding, web design, content creation, and social media, we get brands found and talked about online. To learn how we can help your brand grow and thrive, call 407-830-4550 or fill out our contact form. Thanks for reading and sharing!
