Colors and its impact on us - part 1

 Look around. What do you see? What is common to the eyes of one person in the park and another in their room? One thing that everyone will see everywhere. There cannot be a place where THAT does not exist. 

The correct answer is – colors. 

Colors impact us in the way they are existing in nature. Colors hold the power to influence our subconscious mind. They also help in understanding the psychology of others depending on their choice of colors. We have diverse color choices for our clothes, decor, daily utilities, luxury items. The marketing strategy of companies is also based on study of colors to have maximum bearing on the customers through the choice of colors for logo, branding, packaging and sales. Colors affect in more ways than we can contemplate. 

 For e.g.- red color is associated with fire and danger and blood, and hence it delivers the same feelings in us. Blue is available in the form of water and sky and has more than 80% coverage on earth, that is why it has calming effect on us. Green is the form of nature which is relaxing for the eyes.

Some colors have developed cultural meaning overtime and are adopted by society to represent something particular. Red color means good luck in China but is color of mourning in South Africa. Black is color of mourning in western countries while white is in Asian countries. Blue color is associated with boys while pink represents feminity. 

If you have seen the movie- Inside Out, you will be aware that every mood was given a color. Green for envy, red for anger and so on. Our mood is directly associated with the colors around us. 

Let see the influence of colors on us:

1. Mood- sad, happy or energetic
2. How we look and feel
3. Physiology that is our heart rate, bp, pulse, respiration etc.
4. Psychological- productivity, behavior, appetite
5. Memory- diagrams in school books are now more colorful and hence easy to remember.
6. Concentration and decision-making power
7. Perception about people
8. Thinking
9. Way we react
10. Confidence

Results may sometimes vary according to age, gender and culture. But the impact of color does not change. Making slight changes to a particular shade can change its affect. For example, navy blue is considered loyal while bright blue is energetic and light blue can be calming and peaceful. Combinations of different colors also has the same power.

We will now study about some basic colors, their impact and influence on us.

Red

 Red is the color which denotes wide range of emotions and feelings. It is high in energy, represents passion and aggression, also depicting emotions of love, power and boldness. It symbolizes strength and confidence too. Uniform of sports teams and athletes has red shades to give them energy to perform. 

It is an attractive color used for showing warning signals. It denotes danger and blood.

Besides these, it also Stimulates appetite. Most food joints will have red chairs, trays, table covers etc. Most food company have red color in their logo. 

It makes women look attractive. Men wearing red reflect power and dominance.

Special tip: Good color to be worn for first date for women. 

Some Brands with red color logos:  Burger King, Domino's, Haldiram’s, Coca Cola, Netflix, YouTube, Canon.

White:

White symbolizes simplicity and minimalism. It is a color of perfection and new beginnings.

It is Associated with purity and hence the wedding dress of brides in western culture is this color. 

It is associated with peace and spirituality hence worn during sad events in many countries. 

Doctors wear white coat to reflect hygiene, focus and impartiality.

 It creates perception of space, white walls, curtains and decor can make the room look bigger. 

It has all the colors of the rainbow but looks colorless to us, therefore too much of it can be sterile. It may be unpleasant at times but provides great base and combination with other colors. 

Brands: Apple is a great example of using white as modern aesthetics. Other examples are Chanel, Tesla, Mini Cooper, Cartoon Network.

Blue:

Directly associated with sky and the sea, this color has a variety of emotions attached to it. It directly brings calmness and serenity. it is the color of intelligence and depth. It conveys responsibility and confidence. 

On the other hand, this color also represents sadness, emotional distance and doubt. 

This color suppresses appetite; hence nature does not provide a lot of blue color food too. 

Workspace: it is connected with trustworthiness and reliability, influences behavior and increases productivity.

Since this color inspires feeling of loyalty, it is good color to be worn on First date for men

When we say we are feeling blue, it means pulse rate going down (relaxing and reducing stress). 

In some countries, inmates are sent to blue room and some hospital have blue uniforms, all because the color provides soothing effect to our body and mind. 

Brands: for many corporate, blue is the popular choice: Dell, General Motors, Am Ex, Oral B, PayPal.

For social media also Facebook, Twitter, Skype reflecting dependability and communication.

Pink:

As we see the color pink, we automatically imagine little girls and cute outfits and toys. This color is directly related with cuteness and tenderness. It is a shade of red mixed with white, so it reduces the aggressive effect of red and makes it more romantic. 

This color reflects playful romance and approach-ability. This color is subtle and feminine making it a good choice for breast cancer awareness and other women products. It tones down anger and therefore many countries have pink prison walls.

Brands: Victoria secret, Barbie, Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins, lg, Johnson and Jonson, Cosmopolitan

Purple:

The mysterious color of purple is a combination of ardent red and peaceful blue. The darker shade represents luxury and royalty while lighter shades associate more with spirituality and inner feelings. It encourages creativity and imagination.

 This color was most expensive to make and hence only the riches could afford in earlier times. In ancient Rome, no one except the royals can wear purple was a rule formed by Julia Caesar and Augustus Caesar. Queen Elizabeth 1 also banned anyone except the royal family to wear it. 

Wrap your gifts in purple color to make it look richer and high value. 

Purple is the color of sadness and mourning in Thailand. But Thai airways use it as their uniform color, only for international audience. 

Brands: Thai Airways, Cadbury, Yahoo, FedEx

Yellow

The first look at this bright color immediately makes us feel connected with the sunshine, its energy and warmth. The color of happiness and hope is also symbolizing confidence and intellect. A bright color to wear but reflects friendliness and cheerfulness. 

It is smile inducing color: simply associate with the stress reliever balls or the smileys.

It must be worn with other colors because too much can irritate the eyes. 

It is the most visible even in dark circumstances and hence used a caution signs, street signs, police tapes and engineer helmets. 

Brands: Subway, Lipton, Maggi, Lays, Pokémon, National geographic channel.

Orange

The combination of passionate red and happy yellow gives this enthusiastic and exciting color.

This color energizes brain and uplifts mood; therefore, you will find it at most gym decor and gym clothing. 

A striking color, it is generally used to attract attention, such as an invitation to subscribe, or join.

The darker tones reflect energy and encouragement, while subtle colors are vibrant yet sweet.

Known as the color of youth and the color of extroverts, it is fresh, healthy, conversational, expresses adventure and freedom. 

Brands: Fanta, Nickelodeon, JBL, Gulf, Harley Davidson

Second part with more colors and their information will be coming next.

Comment your favorite color and know about it better.