Did you know that people typically make decisions within 90 seconds of initial interaction with people or products and about 62-90% of their choice is based on colors? Colors play a more important role than we may think. They dictate our driving habits, grab our attention when shopping, and even affect our emotions. There is an entire psychology of color for businesses to not only grab their customers’ attention, but also influence how they feel and what they could potentially spend. Customers also judge a product based on whether the color “matches” the brand, meaning the color fits the product being sold. While there is controversy over color psychology due to things such as a person’s specific past, geography, or culture, there are some distinct factors for colors in branding and marketing that stand tried and true.

Color Characteristics Color Psychology Blog Post
Red: Red is a very bold color, which activates your pituitary gland. Your heart rate and breathing increase, and you may find yourself a bit excited. Many fast-food chains use red to stimulate these responses in customers. The color red is often equated with aggressiveness, energy, attention-grabbing, and provocativeness. It can also display courage and strength. You’ll notice businessmen in high positions often wear red ties to command attention. If your organization is fast-paced or highly-regarded, try adding red accents to your offices or logos.
Blue: Blue is associated as a calming color, and causes your body to release those chemicals. Softer blues are recommended for bedrooms due to their calming nature while strong blues are recommended for offices because it promotes focus. This color is considered to portray intelligence, trust, and serenity. Many police officer uniforms are blue, exhibiting both calmness and trust. Much of the world is covered by blue oceans, and studies have shown that people living near the water are calmer than people who do not. if you want to instill focus in your employees, have pops of soft blues throughout the building e.g: an accent wall or maybe some furniture.
Green: Did you know that the color green is the center of visible color wavelengths? Our eyes don’t require any adjustment to see green. Therefore, green represents balance and harmony. Different shades of green represent different things as well. Darker greens symbolize wealth and money while lighter greens symbolize luck and fertility. Hospitals will often have green accents to keep patients at peace. Green also resembles nature. Many products that use all natural ingredients will use shades of green to portray their products’ natural ingredients.
Yellow: One of the happiest colors, yellow symbolizes fun and creativity. Similar to red, yellow releases serotonin, the feel good chemical, making the person happy and optimistic. It also has the ability to increase a person’s metabolism, which is why it’s found coupled with red in numerous fast-food chains. Use this color with caution though, it can be overpowering and too much of it can bring on feelings of anxiety. This color is best used cautiously to maximize benefits.
Orange: Incredibly similar to yellow, orange portrays fun and energy. There is nothing boring about this color. If you’re looking to stimulate your audience, whether it be employees or customers, orange should be your go-to color. People might feel senses of warmth, friendliness, passion, and fun. This would be the perfect color to use in an upbeat environment.
Purple: One word should come to mind when you see the color purple: royalty. Purple is most notably associated with kings and queens and everything that comes along with them, including the castle. Purple signifies prosperity, sophistication, and wisdom. Kings and queens are rulers of their kingdoms so they must know a thing or two. Careful though, too much of this color in a very general setting can give an air of fakeness or having a façade.
Color Characteristics Color Psychology Blog Post

Do your logos and color choices reflect the environment you’re in? Do you have a fast-paced environment but have a lot of dull colors? Spruce up your office environment based on these color suggestions.

Need some workspace color consultation? Give Workspace Digital a call and our proven experts can walk you through the process.

Get Started Here

Workspace Digital Author

Author Workspace Digital Author

More posts by Workspace Digital Author

Join the discussion One Comment

  • I had no idea that people typically make decisions within 90 seconds of initial interaction with people or products and about 62%-90% of their choice is based on colors. I am researching color psychology for a class and I am very interested in learning more. I will be sure to keep this idea in mind as I continue researching.

Leave a Reply

Call 630-779-9733 today!