Colors and their variants are diverse and mean different things to different people and in varying contexts. The concept of color psychology or color symbolism explains how colors play on human subconsciousness to trigger some associations, feelings, and meanings.
It is principal to not only able to identify colors but also to understand the psychology behind them and how they represent meaning.
When designing marketing visuals such as emails, ads, packaging, collateral, social media images, website colors, and even conventional and routine usages, understanding colors and their meanings plays an essential role.
Below are the various common colors in everyday life and the conventional meaning ascribed to them over the years:
§ Red: In different contexts, it may symbolize love, passion, sexuality, danger, warning, importance, power, speed.
§ Blue: When applied to the topic discussed, this color can mean seriousness, reliability, stability, knowledge, trust.
§ Yellow: This color has long connoted to joy, sun, childhood, leisure, optimism.
§ Green: In several climes and tribes worldwide, this color connotes nature, health, relaxation.
§ Orange: The conventional meaning ascribed to this color varies per place. It includes energy, balance, enthusiasm, vitality, fun.
§ Purple: Since time immemorial, this color has denoted royalty, creativity, spirituality, nobility, sophistication.
§ Pink: This is not a recently discovered color; it predominantly means romance, tenderness, sweetness.
§ Brown: The color of the soil, nature, wholesomeness, dependability, and utility has alluded to this color.
§ Black: While in some cultures, the color depicts mourning, in some other climes, it means class, luxury, minimalism, boldness.
§ White: White enjoys a sufficient degree of universality in meaning. It may mean purity, innocence, neutrality, peace.
§ Grey: The color may subjectively mean security, modesty, and practicality.
Colors do not come with inherent meaning. They bear only those meanings ascribed to them by the residents of a locality. It suffices to say that the meaning of colors varies across cultures.
