What You Ought To Know About Colours And Communication

Colour is Nature’s own powerful indication system, a widespread, non-verbal language. Colour is an influential and significant communication tool, and it has a strong attachment to cultural, political, religious and social power. It is the first thing we register when we are assessing anything. Colour plays a vital role in our world; colours can influence thinking, alter actions, and generate reactions. Color adds great meaning to communication as it vitalizes the visual message, delivering an instant impression that is often universally understood. Color is a powerful medium of communication that is irreplaceable. Humans are born with a pull for exacting colors. What you feel about them will probably last throughout your lifetime. Preferences for one color over another reveals your true personality; the characteristics of your ‘self’ from within. Diverse colors denote different things in different places. It is very important for designers and branding companies to know which is which because without an awareness of the cultural significance of a particular color, you risk putting off your entire target market. Colours have a great influence on our moods, so we encase ourselves in the colors that have a positive impact on us. Red can boost your energy, yellow often makes people feel happier, and blue is proven to lower blood pressure and slow your heart rate which is why it is often associated with relaxing. Here is the tricky thing when it comes to colours; if you combine the happiness of yellow and the relaxing feel of blue you get green, a very pleasing color for many people. When you come across a traffic light it says one of three things; Red means ‘stop’, Amber means ‘ready’, and Green means ‘go’, and these signs are universally accepted. A long lasting color notion is made within a minute and thirty seconds, and it accounts for about 60 percent of two things, acceptance or rejection of an entity, place, individual, or circumstance. Because color impressions are both quickly noticed and long-held, decisions regarding color can be highly important to success. A high percentage of the information we incorporate through the senses is visual. However, color does more than just give us objective information about our world, they relate respectively to the body, the mind and emotions. There are three primary colours – red, blue, and yellow. Secondary colours are combinations of two or more primary colours.

Below are some colours and their attribution Red: is the most eye-catching and exciting color in the entire spectrum. Red is mostly associated with excitement, strength, warmth, energy. Orange: Orange is also an attention getter. Distinct from red, orange is a color that is mostly associated with fun, ambition, food, physical comfort, warmth, security, passion, abundance. Yellow: This is the official color of optimism and happiness. Maybe that’s why smiley faces are always this colour, the sun too. Studies have shown that the color yellow actually causes the release of serotonin in the brain, which is a chemical that positively stimulates your brain. Yellow is mostly associated with intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, reflection, calm, optimism, confidence, self-esteem, creativity. Green: This is the easiest color for the human eye to process. It can also be a very relaxing color for some, which is why you’ll see it used a lot to depict leisure. Green is mostly associated with growth, nature, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, harmony. Blue: The color of trust and loyalty. It has been documented to lower heart-rate, foster relaxation, and increase productivity. Blue is associated with calmness and security, intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection. White: The lightest color both visually and in psychological weight. White is the absence of all colours in their basic form. White is associated with purity, cleanliness, clarity hygiene, sterility, cleanness, simplicity, sophistication, efficiency. White is total reflection. Black: The color of elegance, power, and authority; boldly stated and seemingly unshakeable. Black is the combination of all colours in their basic form.  Black is associated with (Sophistication, glamour, security, emotional safety, efficiency, substance. Black is total absorption. Violet:  A color that has traditionally been associated with royalty and prosperity. Studies have shown that the purple actually stimulates problem solving in the human brain. It’s associated with containment, vision, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality. Grey: A solid, timeless color that communicates strength, sturdiness, and longevity. Perhaps because things that are grey have these same attributes: steel, concrete, stone. It can be a great alternative to white, and give things a modern, yet timeless, look (psychological neutrality). The psychological effect of colours in our daily lives is instantaneous. Human reaction to color is subconscious and a person is generally unaware of the enveloping and swaying effects of color.