Consider the psychology of colour when choosing colours for your website design, graphics, logos and other business marketing materials.
Blue
+ Trust, loyalty, dependability, logic, serenity, security
– Coldness, emotionlessness, unfriendliness, unappetizing
Note: Men tend to prefer this colour over women. It’s a popular logo colour.
- shades – loyal
- tints – respectful
- tones – social
Purple
+ Wisdom, wealth, spirituality, imagination, sophistication, royalty, superiority
– Reflection, decadence, suppression, excess, moodiness
- shades – sensitive
- tints – dignified
- tones – understanding
Note: A more feminine colour
Orange
+ Courage, confidence, warmth, creativity, friendliness, energy
– Deprivation, frustration, immaturity, ignorance, sluggishness
- Shades – adventurous
- Tints – competitive
- Tones – disaffected
Note: Commonly used for non corporate brands
Red
+ Power, passion, energy, fearlessness, excitement
– Anger, danger, warning, defiance, aggression, pain
- Shades – bold
- Tints – adventurous
- Tones – energetic
Note: Best for Calls to Action (CTAs) and physical impact
Green
+ Health, hope, freshness, life, nature, growth, prosperity
– Boredom, stagnation, envy, blandness, debilitation
- Shades – adventurous
- Tints – competitive
- Tones – disaffected
Yellow
+ Optimism, warmth, happiness, innovation, intellect, extroversion
– Irrationality, fear, caution, anxiety, frustration, cowardice
- Shades – independent
- Tints – strategic
- Tones – impulsive
Note: Often an indication of youthfulness and happiness
Black
+ Sophistication, security, power, elegance, authority, substance
– Oppression, coldness, menace, heaviness, evil, mourning
- Shades – decisive
- Tints – confidence
- Gradient – Serious
Note: Can be sleek and refined. Not used in the health industry.
White
+ Innocence, purity, cleanliness, simplicity, pristineness
– Sterile, empty, plain, cautious, distant
- Shades – decisive
- Tints – confident
- Gradient – serious
Pink
+ Imaginative, passionate, caring, creative, innovative, quirky, playful
– Reflection, decadence, suppression, excess, moodiness
- Shades – spirituality
- Tints – innovative
- Tones – practical
Note: Usually represents femininity
Gray
Professionalism, formality, conventionality, maturity, responsibility
Metallics (gold, silver, bronze)
Expensive, rare, sophistication, elegance
How to Use Colour
Choose a maximum of 3 colours: base, accent and neutral
- Base: most dominant trait
- Accent: used most after base
- Neutral: background (gray, beige, white, off white)
Colour Wheel
- Monochromatic: hues of one colour
- Analagous: colours next to each other on the wheel (orange & gold)
- Complementary: opposite on the wheel (yellow & purple)
- Triadic: 3 different sections of the wheel (green, orange, purple)
Resources
Learn more about choosing the right colours for your brand from Canva (a free design creation platform).