Hello everyone, welcome back to another blog post. Today I will be going over the meaning of colors! This serves as a pre cursor to the upcoming posts about color theory and eventually a style guide. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get into it! (Do you like the new transition? :D)
The Meaning of Color
Color has a multitude of different purposes and connotations, so let’s go over them, I will be splitting them up into 4 categories: Warm Colors, Cool Colors, and the Neutrals. Part 1 will be the warm colors, and cool colors, and Part 2 will be the neutrals and how colors are used harmoniously.
Warm Colors
The warm colors are red, orange, yellow, its variations and everything in between. Red and yellow are the primary colors while orange is the secondary that falls in the middle. As a whole warm colors represents heat, sunshine, fall, sunsets, and sunrises, it means everything passion and energized.
Red
Red is the color of passion and is one of the colors that stands out the most; it has energy, the kind that can inspire action and strength within us. Red has been associated with both the Devil and Cupid and can even raise blood pressure and respiration rates (it’s why it’s used to indicate stopping or other warnings). It can represent violence but love as well, making it one of the most versatile colors out there. Red is a very powerful color, and becomes overwhelming if used incorrectly, but serves as an amazing accent when done right.
Effects: Attention, Motivation, Stimulation, Caution
Positive: Courage, Desire, Confidence
Negative: Anger, Danger, Aggression
Orange
Orange is often considered to be an enthusiastic and fun color. It radiates joy and warmth and is associated with emotional strength. It is also associated with changing seasons and being creative. Since orange is also an actual fruit (that has prominent benefits, many believe it represents health and vitality. Orange is definitely a lot less “blunt” of a color; red demands attention, while orange asks for it, making it a more inviting and approachable color.
Effects: Encouragement, Stimulation, Communication
Positive: Creativity, Warmth, Positivity
Negative: Exhibitionism, Superficial, Impatient
Yellow
Yellow is the most visible color in the spectrum; it reflects light more than any other color, being the first color the human eye notices. Yellow is the color of energy and optimism. It is a cheerful color that is often associated with being happy and sunshine. Fun fact! Yellow enhances memory capacity, speeds up communication, and decision making.
However, this powerful stimulant can become overwhelming, which is why most people either love it or hate it. It is also associated with the feeling of anxiety and cowardice with terms like “yellow-bellied” which means someone is a coward and “yellow streak”, when someone lacks courage.
Effects: Clarification, Inspiration, Amusement, Energy
Positive: Creativity, Perception, Warmth
Negative: Cowardice, Deception, Egotism, Caution
Cool Colors
The cool colors include green, blue, and purple and are considered to be a lot more calm then the warm colors. They are the colors of the night, of royalty, and of nature, they are the relaxing and reserved colors of the spectrum.
Blue is the only primary color in the mix, and because of this, green tends to have some aspects of yellow, while purple can have some influence of red.
Green
When being exposed to the color green, the pituitary gland receives stimulation and aids in regulating the body’s hormones. This helps your muscles relax, making you feel eased and comforted. It also increases your blood histamine levels, leading to decreased allergy symptoms and dilated blood vessels, these effects are why being surrounded in nature can actually make you feel better. Green represents rebirth, progress, and health. It emphasizes harmony and security, and just a little bit of luck. It’s where the term “going green” for sustainability and “green thumb” for gardening come from
However, green can also represent envy, greed, as well as a lack of experience (I actually have never heard this before). This is where the terms “green with envy”, and “greenback” stem from as well.
Effects: Revitalization, Balance, Relaxation, Encouragement
Positive: Generosity, Hope, Prosperity, Luck
Negative: Judgmental, Envy, Materialism, Inexperience
Blue
When you're exposed to blue, your heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, and your breathing becomes more peaceful. Blue represents calmness and creates a sense of responsibility and trust. It is a lot less confrontative of a color and doesn’t beg for attention like the red tends to, which is why they tend to be paired together so often. Blue is loyalty and royalty and can be seen as spiritual and peaceful.
On the other hand, blue can represent depression, coldness, and predictability. It’s used for things or people that are isolated and stoic.
Effects: Protection, Calmness, Relaxation, Support
Positive: Confidence, Peace, Honesty, Reliability
Negative: Depressed, Passive, Predictable
Purple
Purple can both calm and stimulate our bodies. It cultivates creativity by awakening our senses and giving us a heightened sense of intuition and observation, purple mixes awareness and peace. If one color was to hold the only label of “royal” it would belong to purple, it carries wealth and luxury to its name. It’s associated with magic and the mysterious, but it also represents imagination and spirituality, asking us to analyze our innermost thoughts.
Negatively, purple is associated with being childish, having an unstable temperament, and being sensitive.
Effects: Enlightens, Inspires, Uplifts,
Positive: Compassion, Fantasy, Wisdom,
Negative: Sensitive, Emotional, Vigilant
Reflection
Learning about the meaning of the main 6 colors was actually a lot more information packed than I originally though it would be. I had no idea that colors could actually trigger physical reactions, so I will have to keep that in mind when I create my style guide. In my next entry I will be going over the Neutrals and how different colors are paired together.
See you all on the next post!
References:
https://www.color-meanings.com/black-color-meaning-the-color-black/
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/color-theory-for-designers-part-1-the-meaning-of-color/
https://www.color-meanings.com/
https://sensationalcolor.com/color-meaning-psychology-symbolism/
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