Psychology of Colors

Interesting article I ran across on the psychology of colors. http://www.pepfx.com/articles/web_design/webdesign_colors.php

WEB DESIGN & COLORS

Brief summary of some of the emotions/feelings associated with color:

strength, boldness, excitement, determination, desire, courage
enthusiasm, cheerfulness, affordability, stimulation, creativity
attention-grabbing, comfort, liveliness, intellect, happiness, energy
durability, reliability, safety, honesty, optimism, harmony, freshness
depth, stability, professionalism, loyalty, reliability, honor, trust
power,nobility, luxury, mystery, royalty, elegance, magic
conservatism, traditionalism, intelligence, seriousness
endurance, relaxing, confident, casual, reassuring, earthy
elegance, sophistication, formality, strength, mystery
cleanliness, purity, newness, virginity, peace, innocence, simplicity

The above associations are not universal. Our personal associations, but also cultural backgrounds influence how we experience colors.

"Colors are seen as warm or cool mainly because of long-held (and often universal) associations. Yellow, orange and red are associated with the heat of sun and fire; blue, green and violet with the coolness of leaves, sea and the sky. Warm colors seem closer to the viewer than cool colors, but vivid cool colors can overwhelm light and subtle warm colors. Using warm colors for foreground and cool colors for background enhances the perception of depth."

Source: Pantone,Inc.

Color is a very powerful element in web design.

Colors make us feel a certain way, so they can and should be used to support the purpose of a website.
Red is a good accent color as it stimulates people to make quick decisions. Blue has a rather calming effect, however when combined with warm colors (yellow, red), it can result in vibrant and high-impact designs. Blue also makes time pass more quickly. Yellowstimulates mental activity and is very effective as an attention grabber. Green - as a predominant color on a website - has been known to drive people away, so in most cases, unless the website is associated with nature, it is better to use it only for website accents. Orangeis highly accepted among young people.

Color plays a major role in your web design, it is also recommended for you to be careful in choosing the right hosting provider for your website

Colors & Shopping behavior

Psychologists have suggested that color impression can account for 60% of the acceptance or rejection of a product or service. Market researchers have also determined that color affects shopping habits:

• Impulse shoppers respond best to red-orange, black and royal blue.
• Shoppers who plan and stick to budgets respond best to pink, teal, light blue and navy.
• Traditional people respond to pastel colors - pink, rose, sky blue.