Colour Theory 1.0
Psychologists believe that colours
affect human moods and emotions. In order to give users a psychological experience
we must have an understanding of how the mind perceives colour and how we can
best use it invoke the desired emotion we want;
RED. Physical
Positive: Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, 'fight or
flight', stimulation, masculinity, excitement.
Negative: Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain.
Being the longest wavelength, red is a powerful colour. Although not
technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer
than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Hence its effectiveness
in traffic lights the world over. Its effect is physical; it stimulates us and
raises the pulse rate, giving the impression that time is passing faster than
it is. It relates to the masculine principle and can activate the "fight
or flight" instinct. Red is strong, and very basic. Pure red is the
simplest colour, with no subtlety. It is stimulating and lively, very friendly.
At the same time, it can be perceived as demanding and aggressive.
BLUE. Intellectual.
Positive: Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty,
logic, coolness, reflection, calm.
Negative: Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness.
Blue is the colour of the mind and is essentially soothing; it affects
us mentally, rather than the physical reaction we have to red. Strong blues
will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft blues will calm the mind and aid
concentration. Consequently it is serene and mentally calming. It is the colour
of clear communication. Blue objects do not appear to be as close to us as red
ones. Time and again in research, blue is the world's favourite colour.
However, it can be perceived as cold, unemotional and unfriendly.
YELLOW. Emotional
Positive: Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength,
friendliness, creativity.
Negative: Irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety,
suicide.
The yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. In
this case the stimulus is emotional, therefore yellow is the strongest colour,
psychologically. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our self-esteem; it
is the colour of confidence and optimism. Too much of it, or the wrong tone in
relation to the other tones in a colour scheme, can cause self-esteem to
plummet, giving rise to fear and anxiety. Our "yellow streak" can
surface.
GREEN. Balance
Positive: Harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration,
reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace.
Negative: Boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation.
Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatever
and is, therefore, restful. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the
colour of balance - a more important concept than many people realise. When the
world about us contains plenty of green, this indicates the presence of water,
and little danger of famine, so we are reassured by green, on a primitive
level. Negatively, it can indicate stagnation and, incorrectly used, will be
perceived as being too bland.
VIOLET. Spiritual
Positive: Spiritual awareness, containment, vision, luxury, authenticity,
truth, quality.
Negative: Introversion, decadence, suppression, inferiority.
The shortest wavelength is violet, often described as purple. It takes
awareness to a higher level of thought, even into the realms of spiritual
values. It is highly introvertive and encourages deep contemplation, or
meditation. It has associations with royalty and usually communicates the
finest possible quality. Being the last visible wavelength before the
ultra-violet ray, it has associations with time and space and the cosmos.
Excessive use of purple can bring about too much introspection and the wrong
tone of it communicates something cheap and nasty, faster than any other
colour.
ORANGE.
Positive: Physical comfort, food, warmth, security, sensuality, passion,
abundance, fun.
Negative: Deprivation, frustration, frivolity, immaturity.
Since it is a combination of red and yellow, orange is stimulating and
reaction to it is a combination of the physical and the emotional. It focuses
our minds on issues of physical comfort - food, warmth, shelter etc. - and
sensuality. It is a 'fun' colour. Negatively, it might focus on the exact
opposite - deprivation. This is particularly likely when warm orange is used
with black. Equally, too much orange suggests frivolity and a lack of serious
intellectual values.
PINK.
Positive: Physical tranquility, nurture, warmth, femininity, love, sexuality,
survival of the species.
Negative: Inhibition, emotional claustrophobia, emasculation, physical
weakness.
Being a tint of red, pink also affects us physically, but it soothes,
rather than stimulates. (Interestingly, red is the only colour that has an
entirely separate name for its tints. Tints of blue, green, yellow, etc. are
simply called light blue, light greenetc.) Pink is a powerful colour,
psychologically. It represents the feminine principle, and survival of the
species; it is nurturing and physically soothing. Too much pink is physically
draining and can be somewhat emasculating.
GREY.
Positive: Psychological neutrality.
Negative: Lack of confidence, dampness, depression, hibernation, lack of
energy.
Pure grey is the only colour that has no direct psychological
properties. It is, however, quite suppressive. A virtual absence of colour is
depressing and when the world turns grey we are instinctively conditioned to
draw in and prepare for hibernation. Unless the precise tone is right, grey has
a dampening effect on other colours used with it. Heavy use of grey usually
indicates a lack of confidence and fear of exposure.
BLACK.
Positive: Sophistication, glamour, security, emotional safety, efficiency,
substance.
Negative: Oppression, coldness, menace, heaviness.
Black is all colours, totally absorbed. The psychological implications
of that are considerable. It creates protective barriers, as it absorbs all the
energy coming towards you, and it enshrouds the personality. Black is essentially
an absence of light, since no wavelengths are reflected and it can, therefore
be menacing; many people are afraid of the dark. Positively, it communicates
absolute clarity, with no fine nuances. It communicates sophistication and
uncompromising excellence and it works particularly well with white. Black
creates a perception of weight and seriousness.
Suggested Colour Pallets;
Suicidal
thoughts
Nightmares
Depression
Anger/Rage
Claustrophobia
Frustration
Isolation
Anxiety
