A Brief Introduction to Colour

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Colour: Red

Positive: Passion, strength, energy, love, sex, excitement, speed, heat, leadership, masculinity.

Negative: Danger, fire, blood, war, anger, revolution, radicalism, aggression, stop, domination.

Comments: Red is an emotionally intense colour and stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. When worn, red may not help people in negotiations or confrontations, hence the term “power dressing”.

Colour: Blue

Positive: Ocean, sky, stability, peace, unity, harmony, tranquillity, calmness, coldness, confidence, water, ice, loyalty, conservatism, dependability, cleanliness, technology, winter.

Negative: Depression, coldness, obscenity, conservatism, technology, ice, winter.

Comments: Blue is one of the most popular colours. Peaceful and tranquil, it causes the body to produce calming chemicals. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to interviews as it symbolizes loyalty. Blue also denotes a primary concern for self. Blue is often related to finance, safety and security.

Colour: Green

Positive: Nature, spring, fertility, youth, environment, wealth, money, good luck, vigour, generosity, grass.

Negative: Inexperience, envy, misfortune, jealousy, money, illness, greed.

Comments: Green symbolises nature and is a calming and refreshing colour. Dark green is masculine, conservative and implies wealth. Green expresses itself psychologically as the will in operation, perseverance and tenacity.

Colour: Yellow

Postive: Sunlight, joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, wealth (gold), summer, hope.

Negative: Cowardice, illness (quarantine), hazards, dishonesty, avarice.

Comments: Represents spontaneity and corresponds to exhilaration, originality, expectancy and the desire to be active. Yellow is an attention-getter. More people lose their tempers in yellow rooms and babies are less likely to sleep well in a yellow room. Yellow enhances concentration.

Colour: Purple or Violet

Positive: Elegance, sensuality, spirituality, creativity, wealth, royalty, nobility, ceremony, mystery, wisdom, enlightenment.

Negative: Cruelty, arrogance, mourning, profanity, exaggeration, confusion.

Comments: A mixture of red & blue, a fusion between subject and object.

Colour: Orange

Positive: Energy, balance, heat, enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness.

Negative: Warning, danger, fire.

Colour: White

Positive: Reverence, purity, snow, peace, innocence, cleanliness, simplicity, security, humility, marriage, sterility, winter.

Negative: Coldness, sterility, clinical, surrender, cowardice, fearfulness, winter.

Comments: Symbolises purity and innocence. Related to modern and spacious design lots of white space.

Colour: Black

Positive: Power, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, style.

Negative: Evil, death, fear, anonymity, anger, sadness, remorse, mourning, unhappiness, mystery.

Comments: Colour of authority and power.

Each of these colours and their meanings should be viewed in relation to each other. You should also bear in mind the subject matter. For example, a corporate identity for a Spanish holiday/hotel/villa may use yellows, oranges and reds. This combination would evoke feelings of warmth and energy, and give the impression of a lively, exciting holiday. It would not necessarily evoke feelings of danger, war or aggression.

What does your corporate colour say about your company? Are you projecting the right image? Speak to us about updating, revising or advising on the use of colour in your branding.