Color works magic by communicating with our emotions.
Color inspires, energizes, soothes, and enlivens.
Cool Color Scheme
Nature's fresh, spring shades of blue, green, and purple are known as cool colors.
These serene hues calm and soothe and appear to recede.
Of all hues, green is considered the most neutral color in terms of temperature.
Colors And Mood
You can use colors to change your mood.
Experts now suggest that we feel color, rather than see it.
Scientists, doctors and mental health professionals have been studying the correlation between color and mood for years.
Many now believe that colors cannot only cause emotional reactions, but can also correct mood and well being.
The sun-drenched shades of red, yellow, and orange are warm, cheery, and intimate.
Colors behave in three basic ways: active, passive and neutral.
ACTIVE
Active colors are warm colors, including yellow, orange and red.
These colors inspire positiveness and exude confidence from extroverts.
Warm colors can also inspire conversation and upbeat attitudes.
Yellows and golden colors unleash creative activity.
PASSIVE COLORS
Cool colors pacify and restore.
Bedrooms, private areas and bathrooms are great places for blues, greens and purples.
NEUTRAL COLORS
Think of neutralizing colors as "uncolors." Beiges, grays, whites and taupes do not activate or pacify.
Instead, they work together with the other colors to bridge rooms and provide transition.
NEUTRAL COLORS
Neutral colors, such as pale gray, taupe and beige, send a restful message to your brain.
It's not a coincidence that most doctor's offices, coffee shops, spas and mental health centers decorate in neutrals.
Neutral colors can actually "destress" individuals.
BRIGHT, WARM COLORS
To create a feeling of warmth and coziness in a room, use bright, warm colors like yellows, oranges and reds. These colors make good choices for rooms that appear cool due to limited, natural sunlight. Mixing several different shades of warm colors evokes positive, cheerful reactions.
YELLOWS
Yellow color schemes add cheeriness to dull rooms. Therapists often use colors with the yellow scheme to boost mood. You can achieve the same effect by adding yellows to rooms which are not associated with happy thoughts, such as kitchens and laundry rooms. Yellows can also be used to increase energy.
COOL COLORS
In rooms where there's plenty of sunshine, cool colors can provide a calming ambience. Sage greens and sky blues are perfect for bedrooms, playrooms and activity areas. Other cool colors, such as blues and greens, can evoke quiet moods and even sadness. For this reason, cool colors aren't generally used in large areas.
PRIMARY COLORS
Let your playful side come out by painting with the primary colors. Young, playful moods are brought to the surface with primary colors. Children's bedrooms are a great area to use primary colors in.
REDS
Red is a power color, often used to invigorate your environment. Red is also said to stimulate and symbolize passion. Remember that red hot date dress?
COLORS BY MOOD
Here's a quick rundown of individual colors and the moods they support.
PINK-soothes, promotes affection.
YELLOW-cheers, increases energy, expands the size of a room.
WHITE-purifies, unifies, enlivens other colors.
BLACK-authoritative, shows discipline, encourages independence.
ORANGE-cheers, stimulates appetite and conversation.
RED-empowering
GREEN-balances, refreshes
PURPLE-comforts, creates mystery
BLUE-relaxes, cools
Mixing different shades of beige will add a classy feel
The World Wide Web is awash with sterile design solutions. Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Dell, Microsoft, and countless others are virtually indistinguishable from each other (similar layout, similar color scheme). Though one might say that this uniformity makes web browsing easier by virtue of a standardized interface, the reality is such sites create mundane experiences for their users and fail to make a positive connection with their audience.
One easily remedied cause of such drab design is color. Perhaps no other design element has as much influence on how we feel in a space (a website, a home, etc.) as color. Colors can instantaneously change our moods and alter our opinions. They can make us comfortable, put us in a state of awe, or get us excited. In the case of interface design, color combinations found in nature are especially useful. From complex web applications to informative “brochure-ware” sites, naturally occurring color combinations have the potential to distinguish (by helping create a more memorable website), guide (by allowing users to focus on interactions), engage (by making page layouts comfortable and more inviting), and inspire (by offering new ideas for color selection).
Distinguish
As we go through our lives, we quickly forget about events that are routine and mundane. We tend to save our memories for unique experiences or events with which we had an emotional attachment. It’s no different as we go through the web. When all websites look the same, it’s quite easy to drop them into the “been there, seen that” bin. And once you consider how fast we move through websites, it’s probably even easier.
Therefore, any opportunities websites have to be distinct shouldn’t be squandered. If your site stands out, chances are web users might give it more time or thought when they arrive. They might even remember it and come back. There’s probablybly no better opportunity to make a favorable impression than with color. People have an immediate response to color: they get excited, they get happy, or they get bored.
A unique palette based on colors found in nature can get you out of the World Wide Web color rut (Fig 1) and help create a more memorable website. For example, the naturally occurring color combination (Fig 2) used in this website mock-up (Fig 3) is a stark contrast to the more “standard” version (Fig 4) of the same site. The soft colors are subtle enough to work as background, yet distinct enough to separate the four main information areas of the site.
But before you go applying “prairie tones” to your design, remember your color selections need to be appropriate for your audience. Because color communicates so effectively, it’s important to make sure that it says the right thing.
GuideColors found in nature are often less saturated and more pleasing to the eye than their artificial counterparts. As a result, they allow users to focus on interactions, and not be distracted by overly bright hues. When you attempt to focus on the information in a layout with very saturated hues (Fig 4), your eye consistently returns to the bright colors (in this example, to the blue bar at the top). In contrast, the blues and yellows in the alternate layout (Fig 3) create a balance that allows the images, navigation, and content to come forward. (This is especially useful for pages that have lots of content.) The strongest visual elements are the most useful ones: navigation menus and featured content, not background colors. Perhaps this occurs because of our familiarity with nature’s color combinations. We are used to backdrops composed of blues, yellows, and grays because we see them every day.
This phenomenon becomes especially important in web-based applications where users can interact with an online service for hours or days at a time. Having a palette that does not fight for a user’s attention allows them to focus on their work and on important information. Of course, color isn’t all you need to create a great web experience; structure, interaction, layout, and more need to work together to create usable and useful websites and applications. But color is an important part of the equation and shouldn’t be ignored.
“ “Nature’s colors are familiar and have a widely accepted harmony.”
—Edward Tufte, 1989 ” EngageColor combinations found in nature are especially useful for addressing another design consideration: emotional response. Usability is vital for easily getting users from Point A to Point B, but it takes personality to create enjoyable experiences that people want to repeat and share.
Consider the following two versions of a transaction form. One (Fig 5) uses a palette that is bleak and intimidating. The other makes use of a naturally occurring color palette and is more approachable because of its warmer, more inviting colors. For the clericals who must repeatedly use this online program, a less intimidating interface can engage them and provide a more comfortable setting within which they can work.
Inspire
Color combinations found in nature also provide a wealth of inspiration. The diversity of the natural world continually offers new ideas and approaches to color selection. For instance, the colors used to encourage tourism in the city of Dublin are not the orange, green, and white of the Irish flag you might expect. Instead, they come from a naturally occurring color combination on the Irish coast. This combination is both lively and attractive, making Dublin seem fun and expansive. It’s a shame this color scheme was not carried through to the Dublin website, which is much less vibrant and engaging.
All that said, naturally occurring color combinations are not a silver bullet. Sometimes, you might want to inspire “shock and awe” in your audience. In which case, colors that never occur together in nature (and therefore seem uncomfortable) could be your best bet. Other times, your favorite shade of corporate blue could be just what your audience is looking for. But when it comes to extended or complex interactions and unique ideas, color combinations found in nature are a valuable weapon to have in your arsenal.
We do react to colour, and scientists have ascertained that each colour transmits a unique message to the brain which impacts our moods in different ways. Consider the list of colours below and consider how your own clothes and decor can enhance particular moods.
Red.
Red is a stimulating and energizing colour. It also enhances self-assurance; what woman in a fiery red dress doesn't exude confidence. Red will produce an illusion of fantasy. It can promote opposition in others ( you have been warned) If you want to be attention-getting, feel powerful and dominate - wear red. The colour also symbolizes love. It is a hot and passionate color. Red is said to increase the appetite, so you may want to keep it out of the dining room unless you're having a dinner party. In the bedroom, red light helps sexual activity, and could lead to active nights.
Yellow.
To wear yellow will rejuvenate and balance the mind. It wipes out the feeling of heaviness and oppression. Yellow is a sunny and reflective and is a pensive colour. It will lift ones mood to be positive and optimistic.
Orange
This is also the colour of love. It is perhaps a little less serious and a little more fun. Wear it to lift your love life. Orange is a very high energy colour imparting boldness and distinction. Is about being different. Like red and yellow, orange is stimulating. It is an antidepressant and also stimulates the mind. Anyone with a desire to sharpen and add focus and purpose to their life can do with a little orange. ( It is potent, do not add too much)
Green
Green is relaxing and tranquil to the eyes. It reduces stress and brings a feeling of tranquility. It presents natural healing and balance. Wear it to inspire harmony in others and restore your energy. It is the second most popular color. Green is symbolic of faithfulness and unity and hope. It is quick to help others even at their own expense. It represents dependability and tactfulness.
Pink
The colour pink is trendy. It's a girly color and is a symbol of innocence and beauty. Pink has a soothing effect. It also speaks of pure love. It is a romantic color, while red is hot and passionate. It also is bright, vibrant, a strong and healthy color.
Blue
Blue relaxes muscles, lowers blood pressure and was found to have a calming effect on hyperactive children. The color blue isn't exactly a weight loss program; it simply causes a slight psychological change that makes people feel less hungry. Blue is also regarded to be effective for increasing wisdom energy. It is the color of peace, tranquility and is excellent in increasing spiritual meditation and healing.
Purple
Purple balances the mind, brings serenity and combats fear. It's connected with psychic powers and helps wake up that aspect. Its also the colour that speaks of royalty. Purple stands out in a crowd.