Red Means Rage: Why Color Matters
As you work on your next design project, you’ll obviously be thinking about how the colors blend and work with any shapes or other visual elements you’re using. Perhaps how the right hue will draw the eye even as the absence of color in some places pushes the viewer away. Or maybe you’re wondering if the shade of Prince Purple will give your creation an unintended feeling of aloofness.
This detailed color chart from Cary Joliffe Graphic Arts suggests links between color and the emotions that they reflect and elicit in an audience.
Per the chart’s mission statement:
“When used properly, color theory is one of the most powerful tools a designer can wield. Colors are a form of non-verbal communication that can speak volumes in a fraction of a second. They can instantly set a mood, convey an emotion, invoke a physiological reaction, or inspire people to take action.”
"The Psychology of Color" by Carey Jolliffe
I’m curious – have any studies been done on ethnocentricism in color? I’d suggest out of hand that these values reflect theories about color based on Western art, but I’m curious if a color chart from, say, Sub-Saharan Africa or East Asia would yield different results.
[Source: Cary Joliffe via JVNK]
