As you look around, your eye and brain work together to gather information. You notice a piece of fruit nearby and decide whether you want to eat it. You look at the sky and decide that it will not rain today. You see the words you are now reading and sort out the meaning. Actually, you are being affected by color. Really?
The color of the fruit you saw helps you to decide
its ripeness and desirability. The color of the sky and clouds helps
you to know the weather. As you read this, your
eyes are comfortable with the color contrast between the text and the
background. Yes, perhaps without noticing it, you constantly use color
to help you process information about the world around you. But color
also has an impact on your emotions.
THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF COLOR
As you walk down the aisles of a store, you are
surrounded by an array of packaging that is designed to catch your eye.
Whether you realize it or not, advertisers carefully select colors and
color combinations to appeal to your specific desires, your gender, and
your age group. Home decorators, clothing designers, and artists also
know that colors can evoke emotional response.
People may interpret colors in different ways
because of local culture and customs. For example, some people in Asia
associate red with good fortune and celebration, but in parts of Africa,
red is the color of mourning. Despite their upbringing, however, humans
share the same emotional response to certain colors. Let us consider
three colors and how they can affect you.
RED has very high visibility. Red
has often been associated with energy, war, and danger. It is an
emotionally intense color.
GREEN prompts a reaction opposite
to that of red, for it slows metabolism and produces a calming effect.
Green is a restful color and is often associated with tranquility. We
feel relaxed when we see green gardens and hillsides.
WHITE is often associated with
light, safety, and cleanness. It is also connected with the qualities of
goodness, innocence, and purity.
