Color Psychology in Web Design

It is no secret that the psychology of color is widely used in numerous aspects of our life. The scientists state that colors evoke emotions that can result in mismatched, positive, or negative feelings, leading to fluctuations in our mood, and behavior. From brand logo design to the color palette used on grocery items, color is a vital component that creates a strong first impression and conveys a specific message to customers.

As you’ve already known, there are numerous factors determining the success of a website. For most companies, conversion rates are the most significant indicator that the site performs well. But did you know user interaction (and thus conversion) is largely impacted by the colors of your brand? Can you imagine that the proper use of color psychology improves UX design? In this article, we have decided to talk about the role of color psychology in web design in terms of impacting the emotions and attitudes of people and conveying key messages.

Read also: HOW TO CREATE EMOTIONAL UI DESIGN
 

What Is Color Psychology?

Color psychology refers to the complex study of how colors define the human perception of the world. The thing is that there are physiological reactions in our minds closely associated with certain colors. They can tap into our subconscious mind and generate optimal responses, hindering/hurting any effort. For this reason, the psychology of color has been widely used to serve various purposes, such as stimulating/calming actions or provoking a positive reaction (impacting the way people feel in a certain environment). In the web design and development industry, color psychology can help drive engagements, increase sales, and improve marketing strategy. Understanding its principles is crucial for any digital effort.

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What Colors Mean?

Definitely, the emotional associations with colors may vary depending on numerous factors, such as personal experience, preferences, and cultural background. What we have collected below are some of the typical feelings, attitudes, and values associated with common colors in web design. So what colors mean to users? Let’s find out:

  • Orange

Orange is associated with fire. It gives off a sense of warm welcoming while fostering a sense of urgency. This color works great to catch the eye in marketing materials and ads, or as an accent in a neutral palette. That is why it is best used for notifications, reminders, call-to-actions, and so on.

  • Green

This color is typically associated with nature, environment, and relaxation. It is easy on the eyes and calls to mind the wellness, healthy foods, and outdoor activities. Green projects decisiveness and creates the sense that everything will be better with your service/product. This makes it perfect for brands that sell outdoor products or advocate for environmental changes that support healthy lifestyles.

  • Yellow

Yellow is associated with the Sun. This sunny color makes your site look friendly, welcoming, and approachable, cheering up your users, and making them feel warm and optimistic. That is why this color is perfect for travel, wellness, and parenting sites.

  • Black

In many cultures, black is associated with death and darkness. At the same time, this color has earned a reputation for glamour, sleekness, elegance, and style in the industry of advertising. Black plays well with vivid colors that create a sharp contrast with other elements on the page and emphasizes the elite, unique sense of your product/brand. That is why this color is a great fit for luxury and elite website design.

  • White

White is associated with purity, virtue, and innocence (in the Western tradition). It represents cleanliness and hygiene, which explains its wide use in healthcare and clinic web design. In addition, it fosters a feeling of trustworthiness and honesty, which makes is a great option for news websites.

  • Blue

Blue is typically associated with security, safety, trust, intelligence, credibility, and dependability. Along with green, users find this color to be relaxing and soothing. This makes blue perfect for businesses that want to convey a high level of trust, such as financial sector, cybersecurity, banking, and insurance. 

  • Red

Red is associated with violence, danger, jealousy, but also fire and passion. It grabs the user’s eye, conveying a sense of urgency, and making the viewer eager to complete the interaction. This color is highly stimulating which makes it perfect for driving sales in ecommerce. 

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Colors to Avoid

Although brown does work well in some cases (evoking a sense of the environment in web design), this color is typically disliked by the male population. It is thought to promote aggressive behavior and ruggedness. When building web design for female users in the U.S., it is important to keep in mind that orange is women’s least favorite color. In contrast, purple is a pretty good bet as it is typically liked by women but disliked by the male population. At the same time, it is much more vital that all colors you use to create harmony and are viewable on all devices. So pretty much any color choice depends on the context.
 

Practical Uses of Color Psychology in Web Design

The psychology of color in web design is not a science. Usually, it is impacted by societal considerations and personal perceptions, such as gender, culture, or religion. When considering color psychology in design, it is crucial that you evaluate all of the colors and how they will work together. It is important to understand the demographics of your audience so that you do not pick a color that causes a negative reaction from your users. Once you understand how each color conveys attitudes, emotions, and values, you can use it in your web design to increase your conversions.

Read also: HOW TO INCREASE YOUR ECOMMERCE SALES WITH MOBILE DESIGN

Key Takeaways

Colors are a vital part of any web design and crucial aspect of the overall brand image. They should always add value to the brand story, and match your brand’s personality. At Loonar Studios, we know how to play with colors to create a state-of-art web design that will make the strongest first impression on your customers. Want to learn more about color psychology in web design and try out color pairings? Contact us right now!