The gold of a sunset, the dark blue of the depths of the sea, the palette of browns left by the leaves of trees in autumn or the red skin of a ripe apple show that color is not simply a visual experience. … Rather, color is rich in psychological meanings that can influence our emotions, behaviors and perceptions. Those who know the principles of color psychology They can use this knowledge to improve marketing, your emotions or dressing a certain way to show something to the world, among other things.
Colors can have a marked influence on our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. For example, colors like red and orange are often associated with energy, passion and emotionwhile cool colors like blue and green evoke feelings of calm and tranquility.
This may explain why fast food companies often use shades of red and yellow in their logos and marketing materials; These colors are known to be more stimulating and more indulgent than their cool-toned counterparts.
Following these examples, if we want to appear happy we will not resort to the color black, just as if we were calm, bright colors like orange or phosphor yellow are usually not our choice, we will instead feel comfortable with pastel tones, green, blue or white. Likewise, we associate red with powerful campaigns, danger, alerts… it will therefore not be the chosen color if we seek to show tranquility.
Psychologist Lara Ferreiro knows the psychology of color well: “When it comes to color, especially in marketing, 93% of people will buy a product by looking at it. It is even said that the subconscious already knows in a few seconds if he is going to buy it based on whether he likes the color or not. Likewise, the clothes we wear most of the time define how we feel at that moment.
The meaning of colors
Depending on who sees them and where they come from, colors can have very different symbolic and psychological meanings. As such, no chart color psychology You can summarize all the colors and their countless meanings across the world, but you can approximate and define the most common ones since there will be some that are soothed by a bright color.
– Red: passion, energy, danger and urgency. Lara Ferreiro indicates that this color is “one of my favorites because it represents heat, flame or strength, and is associated with people with a lot of stimulation and courage.”
– Blue: calm, confidence and tranquility. The psychologist points out that it is the color of stability, confidence and security, “it can also express coldness or distance, so if one day you feel that, you could dress in that color.”
– Green: growth, harmony and nature, as well as money and prosperity. This color, as Lara Ferreiro says, is associated with “environmentally friendly” people and if you wear it you will convey harmony and peace.
– White: purity, cleanliness and simplicity. “This color also defines people who are easily overwhelmed and who need space,” explains the professional.
– Black: power, sophistication and mystery. Of course, if worn at any time, it can give the impression of a sad, depressed, cold and lonely person.
– Orange: enthusiasm, warmth and creativity. It is generally used by very warm people, with a provocative side, who like challenges. These are people who need a lot of stimulation
– YELLOW: happiness, energy, optimism and positivity. There are some very superstitious people who don’t wear yellow because they feel it brings bad luck.
– Pink: romance, affection and femininity. “This color is also associated with childish or immature people, and big brands like Barbie know which audience to impress with this color,” explains Lara Ferreiro.
– Purple: luxury, spirituality and creativity. It is also associated with feminine concepts, just like pink.
“In consultation, I can get an idea of a person not only by the color of the clothes they wear, but also by their appearance. Sometimes people have come who always wear black, but add to that the fact that they have dirty hair, unwashed clothes and a hostile face, I can detect that they are suffering from a depressive state. That’s why you have to pay attention not only to the color, but also to the way you wear it and to your appearance in general,” warns Lara Ferreiro.
If among all the black there are points of color, in this case we would be talking about someone who understands fashion and has their own touch of glamor and sophistication. To do a judgment test, you need to analyze a much broader concept.