Color Theory - Emotional Response

CGR 257

• Blue is the universally most well liked color in the world. Blue is considered trustworthy, dependable. Often fond on bank logos, considered a color that is fiscally responsible. Things you think: sad, tranquil, sky, water. This color to most people brings to mind trust, they think if its blue, then you can trust it. Working blue - older phrase meaning that its a little dirty, they would have a blue light on dancers so that it was considered blue which is a little saucy, inappropriate. 

• Red is fiery, danger, stop signs and electrical signs are in red, romance, anger, blood. It has been proven that red increases your heartbeat, makes you a little bit nervous. Its aggressive, energetic, attention grabber, passionate color, color of love. Negative feelings, danger blood, in debt. 

• Green, nature, tranquily, profit. Changed lately, turned into the color to represent the Green movement, healthy color, green plus is renewing life, healthy and fresh color. Deep green, money. Only american, our money is green, but other countries money aren't green. Used to be associated with sickly, negative sickly color, but last 10 - 15 years turned to more natural things. Lighter greens - sickly colors.

• Yellow is the sun, but Japanese color for sun is red. A positive color, optimism, light, warmth. Shades of yellow help create a thought. Great for displays, candy displays, we see yellow first, its the first color your eyes see, so it pops out. Negative connotations - urine. Seem childish, like a little kids color.

• Purple - people thinks of ravens. also colors of royalty and spirituality. Catholic church uses purple often, used to be a very expensive die to try to make, therefore it was considered a luxury color. Lavender color is nostalgic, sentimentality. Purple negative is bruise colored, some think its girly colored.

• Pink is a little girls color, flowers, Barbie. Avery feminine color, but attitudes are changing. Energetic color - especially hot pink, youthfulness, excitement. Bright pink are recommended for feminine younger audiences. Appeals to youthful audience. Pink is also cheap and sale oriented. Dusty light pink is more older grandmother color. Its sentimental coloring, for older generations. Negatives - girly color.

• Orange - cheerful, exuberant, vitality. Is combo color, yellow and red make orange. Red danger, excitement, yellow playfulness exuberance. With orange, its a mixture of both, its useful, energetic, but still childlike and youthful. Easily noticeable, tide is bright orange, draws attention. Light shade of orange, not childlike, upscale market. Peach tones is in a lot of restaurants. Orange is suppose to make you hungrier. Very contrast like color. Halloween like, darker orange and black is very halloween like. 

• Brown - dirt, chocolate, shit, warm and fuzzy, teddy bear. All in shade of brown and application. Earthy color, dirt and soil. Backpacking company is good with dirt. Very durable color. Wood, fur, natural. Still a very dirty connotation, bad for something that needs health and cleanliness. UPS is brown based - half is the brown shipping boxes, really good because it doesn't show dirt. The dark color doesn't get dirty like most, and saves them money. Brown is good for logos that are going to be outside on the road a lot. Red/Orange/Brown makes people thinks of pots, california roof tiles. Gardeners, upscale color, fancy. About or like Mexico possibly.

• Black is serious, bold, powerful, classic. Dramatic color, tragic, goth. Sophisticated color, upscale clothing companies. Associated with death, spooky color. Good contrast color. Black seems heavier, goes backwards, white is lighter and goes to the front. 

• White is a lighter color, airy, simple, clean, pure. Angles, heaven, clouds. Capture the eye like yellow. Goes along with health care because its clean and pure. Baby products are white related. A lot of young designers don't use white, it needs to be a balanced white space. Negatives with white - boring, spooky, blinding, blank piece of paper. White gets dirty so easily.