Mark E. Buckley

Psychology of Color

Creating a pleasing and aesthetic layout for your web site can be challenging. An over abundance of graphics can lead to a congested, claustrophobic feeling. A very plain looking site can lead to bordedom.

One key consideration is what colors should be used on your site. Colors can be assigned to your fonts, your borders, and the backgrounds of each individual element of your site. Your choice of graphics wil also affect the appeal of your site.

Your primary goal should be to keep your content legible. Dark fonts on a light background are the easiest to read. For your navigation area or other areas with lists or bullets you can use a light font on a dark background.

Colors also carry a psychological effect that we are often not aware of. Advertisers tend to use certain colors to promote certain products because they understand the underlying psychology of colors. Be aware that these effects vary from culture to culture.

Black can bring a sense of power but can also indicate a negative or evil presence.

White can allude to purity and cleanliness.

Red is emotionally intense. It is often used to indicate danger or threat.

Blue can be calming but also cold. Shades of blue are often used on corporate and professional sites.

Green is refreshing and natural. It sits in the middle of the RGB scale and can effect a feeling of balance.

Yellow is a sunny positive color. It can be used to highlight areas of interest.

Purple can be romantic. It is often used in small doses to offset green colored areas.

Brown is a great natural earth tone. It can be used with green to create a natural feeling. It is also used to offset a site that is primarily blue.

Advertisements that are promoting food tend to use green, brown, red, and orange. See if you notice this then next time you flip through a magazine.

Advertisements that are promoting financial services tend to use various shades of blues. These non earth tones seem to impart a professional and secure feeling.

Beyond the colors chosen you must consider the brightness of the color, the lightness of the color, the darkness of the color, or using a subdued, more gray, color.

Kid related sites often use the primary colors for their graphics and fonts. Sites targetted to women tend to use lighter colors and pastels. Sites targetting men tend to use dark and bright colors. Many advertisements have started to use more grayish, subdued colors.