Color Psychology In Design
Tweet Chat With Mitchelle Chibundu
She Code Africa: Welcome, kindly introduce yourself, tell us more about the work you do and what fuels your passion.
Mitchelle: Thanks for having me! My name is Mitchelle Chibundu, I work as a Product Designer @theflutterwave
She Code Africa: How would you describe. colour psychology?
Mitchelle: Color Psychology is a branch of psychology that studies the influence of color on human mood and behavior. Colors speak as powerful as a language. People can get attached to a product or brand for a simple reason as the color that represents it.
She Code Africa: How can this be applied to design
Mitchelle: 4 ways color psychology can be applied in design are:
- Applying the 60 — 30 — 10 rule:
This rule helps to balance designs by combining the colors in the proportion of 60 — 30 — 10.
In the screen below, white is the dominant color, purple is the secondary color, and yellow is the accent color
As soon as our eyes perceive color, they connect with the brain and send signals that influence our moods and behaviors.
2. Using contrasts: Contrast can evoke certain emotional responses from users. Colors on opposite sides of the color wheel can generate the strongest contrasts, which can draw users’ attention.
3. White doesn’t always have to be #ffffff and black doesn’t have to be #00000
My fave black hex is #33333, it has this soft matte feel to it and I really like it. For white, you’ll still catch me using #fffff (🙈) but #f2f4f8 is another immaculate color.
4. Awareness of cultural differences:
Each culture has its own beliefs, so before choosing colors to use, you need to make sure that they’ll be interpreted the way you mean. Pay attention to how different cultures perceive color, so you’re not misunderstood.
She Code Africa: Are there colors that evoke certain emotions in us?
Mitchelle: Certainly there are.
She Code Africa: Can you list some of these colors and the possible emotions they spark in us?
Mitchelle: Red is usually associated with love or aggressive feelings, depending on the context.
Orange is an enthusiastic color.
Yellow is a color of happiness and joy.
Green brings a feeling of calmness, balance, and renewal.
Blue is a color of trust, that’s why we see a lot of brands incorporate it into their identity.
Purple is a color that associates with royalty, ambition, mystery, and spirituality. It’s also my favorite color.
Here’s an image showing the emotions we feel as a result of the interaction between two emotions.
She Code Africa: In your opinion what role does color psychology play in design?
Mitchelle: Color in design is very subjective, what causes a reaction in one person may cause a very different reaction in someone else.
When designers understand the psychology of color, it helps them attract attention, organize content, emphasize elements, and evoke the desired emotions their users experience when interacting with their products.
She Code Africa: How can designers use color psychology to better understand what color work best for brands/users?
Mitchelle: For choosing brand color, the designers can start with answering these questions:
- Tone: Is my brand playful or serious?
- Value: Is my brand luxurious or affordable
- Time: Is my brand modern or classic?
- Age: Is my brand youthful or mature?
- Energy: Is my brand calm or excited?
The answers will give an idea of the brand personality and it can be used in choosing a befitting color.
She Code Africa: Do you think color preferences go along with gender differences?
Yes, like many other things, I think the construct of gender also influences color preferences. For instance, in many homes, as soon as the sex of a child is known, a set of colors are used to decorate the child and their environment.
It’s usually pink for girls and blue for boys. This type of conditioning can eventually influence a person’s preferences.
She Code Africa: People often make this statement; “everything is cool with black” what is your take on that?
Mitchelle: Black is an easy color, it’s a sensation and a vibe. It can be traditional, modern, serious and even playful. Not a lot of color have this range of diversity, and I respect that!
She Code Africa: The questions and responses have been super insightful. After picking a secondary color, is there a rule you follow for choosing an accent color??
Mitchelle: I usually pick colours that complement the secondary color.
She Code Africa: Great!I understand that colours opposite the color wheel usually compliment each other, but some just don’t look great. So is there a tool or a method you use to figure out what color compliments and also looks great?
Tools like: http://coolors.co and http://color.adobe.com are helpful!
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