{"id":11448,"date":"2019-11-20T14:00:34","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T13:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uxstudioteam.com\/?p=11448"},"modified":"2022-05-19T14:34:07","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T13:34:07","slug":"color-psychology-in-ux-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timemachine.uxstudioteam.com\/ux-blog\/color-psychology-in-ux-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Color Psychology – Brilliant Helping Hand in UX Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"How does color psychology affect users’ attitudes and behaviour? There is a master trick, which can help to build a digital product which works more effectively.<\/b> Psychological effects of color on our experience and decision-making matter, so let\u2019s see how this affects the users and what sort of principles exist when designing experiences.<\/b><\/p>\n

Color is an essential instrument in any designer\u2019s tool stack. <\/span>Studies covering<\/span><\/a> color psychology and more specifically, psychological effects of color on human behavior show that it takes 90 seconds for a customer to form an opinion about a product and 90% of the time, this opinion is influenced by colors. In spite of the fact that color is usually viewed as only an aesthetic decision of the designers, it is a core element of the emotional and cognitive impact of a design on users.<\/span><\/p>\n

Color is also the easiest element to remember when it comes to encountering new things. The concepts of color psychology can be applied in user experience design as well as marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Color Psychology and Color-Emotion Associations<\/h2>\n

Research<\/span><\/a> shows that light and color can affect our mood, sleep, heart rate, and even our well-being. An interesting example can be seen in our daily lives: blue and green light (e.g the nature and sky) encourage us to wake up in the morning. This is why many doctors and scientists recommend against using our mobile devices before going to bed as the screen\u2019s light keeps us awake and can even cause insomnia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Psychological
Source: Usertesting.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Considering that there is a vast amount of possible color mixtures that can be created, it might be difficult to determine which one will have the greatest influence on a website or app. It would be too complex to examine everything, but there are a few tricks and related trends on how color affects users\u2019 attitudes and behavior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A well-considered color palette can upgrade a design from good to great, while a mediocre or lousy color palette can lessen users\u2019 overall experience and even intervene with their ability to use a site or app properly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Colors can stimulate the emotions of many people. Check out the following color psychology figure below to see some of the impressions and themes traditionally associated with colors:<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to learn more about color meanings, and the psychology of color in advertising, check out <\/span>Canva\u2019s interactive tool<\/span> <\/a>on the meaning and symbolism of colors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Color preferences<\/h2>\n

Depending on their age, gender, and the impulsivity of their actions, users have different reactions to colors and shades. Although color preferences are not universal, there are universal differences between genders\u2019 preference in some colors over others. Also, color preferences can depend on the age. In the following sections, I will discuss color preferences depending on age, gender, and how they can be perceived differently in various cultures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Age<\/h3>\n

When marketing your business, it is necessary to know who your target audience is, in order to tailor your marketing efforts accordingly. When researching users and their demographics, age is an element that should be examined carefully. Your target audience\u2019s age influences their perception of marketing materials, especially considering that color taste and preference varies based on age.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Psychological
Source: truevaluepaint.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the book <\/span>Color Psychology and Color Therapy<\/span><\/i><\/a>, Faber Birren investigates which colors are desirable for different age groups. Considering the color psychology of blue and red, he found that blue is consistently preferable throughout life. Yellow is preferred in childhood, which preference tends to decline as we age. As people mature they favor colors of shorter wavelength (blue, green, violet) rather than colors of longer wavelength (red, orange, yellow).<\/span><\/p>\n

As the chart below shows, while most audiences like energetic and saturated colors, older people often think that garish bright colors are repulsive. So when designing a product or marketing material for older users, you should be cautious with bright colors \u2014 too vibrant can decrease the conversion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gender differences: Men vs Women<\/h2>\n

Is there a difference between genders with regard to their response to color? Although findings are ambiguous, various studies continue to indicate that men and women have varying preferences when it comes to masculine and feminine colors choices. Research on color perception indicates that men favor bright, contrasting colors, while women prefer softer shades. Both men and women like blue and green, but many women adore purple while this color repels men.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Psychological
Source: realthread.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cultural Differences in Color<\/b><\/h2>\n

Besides age and gender, one more factor that influences our color preferences is our cultural background. For instance, in most Western cultures, the color white is linked with aspiration, innocence, chastity, and hope. But in parts of Asia, white is associated with bad luck, death, and mourning.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s crucial for those involved with web and user experience design to look at the cultural connotations of the color palettes based on the relevant target audience for the website or product. For instance, designers can pay less attention to the implications the chosen palette may have in other cultures when the product is primarily targeting a particular culture. To prevent negative cultural connotations, for products that target a global audience, a balance between the colors and imagery is required.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 60-30-10 rule<\/h2>\n

The 60-30-10 rule is a theory for making color palettes that are aesthetically pleasing and adequately balanced. The purpose is that one color, usually something rather neutral makes up 60% of the palette. An additional supplementary color makes up 30% of the palette. And then a third color is used as an accent for the rest 10% of the design.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Psychology
Source: impulsecreative.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This approach makes it much simpler for designers to set up the trial and error with original or uncommon color palettes without going too much beyond the anticipated norms within a business brand or industry. Choosing a set of some uncommon hue can lift the aesthetics and design. Additionally, it can be the first move toward generating a brand palette that is much more progressive than the one of its competitors, thereby setting the brand apart, making it more distinguished and remarkable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Color psychology & visual hierarchy for UX\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

When it comes to setting a brand apart from others, the brand\u2019s choice of color is a fundamental element that reinforces both its personality and the qualities of the products or services it offers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, one of the vital roles of color in the field of marketing, user experience, and behavioral design is using it to influence where people look. If users don\u2019t look at your navigational system, your product won\u2019t be usable. In digital psychology, one of the fundamental skills you need to master is the art of controlling where your users look. In most design work, we control <\/span>user attention<\/span><\/a> by increasing and decreasing the salience<\/a> of visual design elements.<\/span><\/p>\n

Impact of color on conversion rates<\/b><\/h2>\n

Okay, let\u2019s delve into the exciting stuff, the psychology of colors in business and the colors that increase the purchase rate. In other words, the colors that sell. How can we use color theory and psychology to get people to click on a button? What colors are really going to <\/span>boost the conversion rates <\/span><\/a>and improve the bottom line?<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s always been a debate between conversion rate optimization experts, arguing whether the color red is more eye-catching color for a button, or green because that means \u201cgo.\u201d There are plenty of A\/B test results that show how a change in the color of a CTA button made a drastic impact on signups. HubSpot shared the following famous test from their early days when they were known as Performable:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The
Source: Hubspot Button Color Testing<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even though Hubspot initially estimated the green button would lead to a higher conversion rate and perform better, the red button outperformed by 21% more clicks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The bad news is that there isn\u2019t a magical color that consistently performs best for all websites. However, there are some general rules that can help you use color to your advantage. Here at <\/span>UXStudio<\/span><\/a>, we work with clients to ensure that their products and services are designed with the target audience in mind, and therefore implementing color and design elements that lead to the highest conversion rate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Questions for testing color choices<\/b><\/h2>\n

Here are a couple of test questions you can ask users when you\u2019re testing out your color choices. Although, you are not going to ask about colors explicitly but you can figure out users\u2019 perceptions of your brand and design with the following questions.<\/span><\/p>\n