Colour affects us more than we think

“They affect us more than you might think. We think more clearly and are more relaxed and happier in an environment where we perceive the colours to be attractive. An effect that most of us are completely unaware of,” says Bertil Hultén, senior lecturer in the Department of Marketing at Linnaeus University.

The way in which colour is perceived is extremely complex. Take black, for example. It’s the colour of sorrow. Or the colour of style. Or the colour of power. It all depends on the context. A churchyard, a fashion shop, a boardroom. But to say that it’s the context that determines how colour is perceived is like scraping the Arctic ice sheet with a butter knife.
How colours are interpreted varies from person to person, as each individual bases his or her interpretation on previous experiences, such as the memory of green summer meadows or slushy brown snow. Cultural heritage also has every bit as much influence on how co- lour is interpreted. It means that the perception of colours differs enormously in all corners of the world. In the USA red indicates danger, but in France it can symbolise aristocracy, while in India it represents life and in China it means happiness.
“The biggest differences are between Europe and South East Asia. Colours there mean something else, especially in Chinese culture,” says Bertil Hultén.

Relaxing effect

Despite the complexity surrounding colour, there are many people down the years who have ascribed specific properties to the various colours. Such as red being associated with blood, making it a warning colour. Or blue symbolising the sky, being calming. Many assertions are open to interpretation and depend on factors including context. Red, for example, can also be associated with special bargain prices and doesn’t necessarily need to be a warning signal. But there are also research results indicating that some assertions are true and that colours do actually have a physical effect on people.
“Yellow and above all green colours have the greatest relaxing effect.All over the USA and in Europe, waiting rooms are painted in shades of light green. This colour, combined with music, makes patients far more relaxed. This has been illustrated in studies where pulse, blood pressure and heart rates were investigated. Even if you don’t feel it yourself, you are affected,” says Bertil Hultén.

Calming – and energising

The calming effect of yellow can be explained by the colour’s association with the sun, which is usually depicted as simply yellow, and this having a calming effect. At the same time, others say that yellow generates energy and should therefore be used in premises where people think intensively. However, Bertil Hultén doesn’t consider that the fact that one colour is said to be calming and energising at the same time is a contradiction.
“The reasoning is the same for both, that the sun warms the earth. There are surveys showing that most people associate yellow with calm emotions, which is our interpretation nowadays.The other interpretation, of energy, is older. But you can interpret it in both ways.”

Colour is communication

Colour doesn’t need to be used on hospital walls to affect people. It works in the same way when it’s used on websites and printed documents.
“Colour is a fundamental method of communicating. If you do it consciously and emphasise one, two or three colours, you’re showing how the brand should be perceived, which provides a direct indication of a brand identity,” says Bertil Hultén.
He finds that many people make random colour choices, and believes that there is good reason to wonder how many product managers and CEOs are actually aware of the effect and communication power of colours.
They should link colour to a bigger context, to form and design, to atmosphere and setting.
“There’s an interaction between colour and the overall context.There’s a logic in what you expect of a colour in a given context. A company’s colours must correspond with the products and services on offer and at the same time say something about what the company stands for.”

Warm companies and warm colours

By way of example he mentions blue, which signals seriousness, and green, which has long been used as a logotype colour by companies in the agricultural sector or companies with a distinct environmental profile.The essence of his reasoning is that a company that stands for something warm must use warm colours. And a firm that stands for something cold must quite simply have a cold colour.
“Major banks that handle vast amounts of money want to appear warm, but if you ask the general public they’ll say that the banks are ice cold. So they should use colder colours.”
It’s also worth bearing in mind that research shows that the darker and deeper a colour is, the better it attracts people. Navy blue, for example, is more interesting to look at and is perceived more quickly by the eye than light blue.
“You must think about which shade you want to use for the brand. It’s an important choice that affects how you’re perceived.”

But can you make the right or wrong choice when the perception of colour is so individual?

“Of course you can. Every brand has its customers,and the company probably has a specific target group. If you know your customer base, it’s not particularly difficult to identify the best basis on which to meet their expectations.”