Colour Me… What?
October 30th, 2008
Colours are at first glance such simple things. We all have our favourites and each colour makes each of us feel in different ways. Most of us are aware that science has shown us colours have the power to affect our emotions. But what most of us may not be aware of is that the effect any given colour has can change depending on the culture of the person viewing it.
When you are having a web design built for you and are asked the question “What colours do you have in mind?” your first instinct will probably be to list of the colours you find attractive. But in this case your first instinct may not be the right one. You need to carefully consider your target audience. Depending on their cultural background a given colour may have the exact opposite effect than you wanted to create.
Not convinced? Consider just three colours red, yellow and green:
The colour red:
To the Chinese red can represent: Good luck and celebration
In India red can represent: Purity
In South Africa: red is a colour of mourning
In Russia: red represents Communism
In many Eastern cultures red is worn by brides
In western cultures red symbolises excitement, danger, love, and passion
The colour yellow
To the Chinese yellow indicates nourishment
In Egypt yellow is a colour associated with mourning
In India yellow is closely associated with business and merchants
In Japan yellow is a colour of courage
While in the West yellow symbolises cowardice and danger but also hope.
The colour green
In China: Green is associated with unfaithful spouses and exorcism
In India: Green is closely associated with Islam
In the West green is a colour of spring, rebirth and new birth
So who is your target audience? Pick the colours that appeal to them
and your website will be more likely to reach your intended audience.
You can find some other excellent resources on understanding the symbolism of colour by following the links below: