There's little doubt that color psychology plays a role in our lives. Arttherapyblog.com has a good, basic chart of the common meanings associated with various colors. Most people dress to either project an image or to feel a certain way. Muted, darker colors in apparel convey competence, professionalism, and authority, all traits desirable in a business setting. A brighter splash of color invites attention and indicates confidence; think about the trend in "power ties" which are often red or incorporate red. Medical personnel frequently wear blue or green scrubs, cool colors and relaxing to be around.
Philosophical and therapeutic theories abound as to the relationship between color and mood in human beings. Carl Jung believed that the art produced by his patients (as well as himself), the colors and symbols they used, provided insight into their psyches and an avenue to healing. The notion of therapy through the use of color, while considered unscientific, has been popular for millennia. A holistic school of thought on chakras and energy flow relies heavily on the body's supposed interaction with frequencies of light and color.
The 12 Season Color Theory analyzes a person's natural coloring into"seasons," based on dominant and secondary characteristics, into a chart like this, to determine what colors look best in clothing and make-up:
(Borrowed from Prettyyourworld.com, with thanks.)
Consumers' response to packaging and advertising is the focus of much marketing research. One reason logos are trademarked is to protect the specific colors developed by those corporations to get their brand front and center. Next time you go shopping, be aware of how much you rely not only on the familiar brand name of your favorite products, but on the package design and color scheme.
Decorating is an expression of the mood you wish to invoke in a certain space. It is desirable to have a relaxing ambiance in your sleeping quarters, which leads many people to use cooler or neutral colors in bedrooms. Yellow is popular for kitchens; it encourages appetite and feels sunny and cheerful. Study areas often benefit from natural tones to allow concentration. Color choices, down to the particular shade within a color family, affect the sensation of warmth or coolness, coziness or openness, statement or neutrality of the room. Notice how you feel in rooms of different colors, and whether you feel the scheme makes sense for the purpose of the room.
Just for the fun of it, I took an informal poll of favorite colors last week. Of the 58 responses I got, the overall color favorite was blue, at 25.8%. Here's the breakdown by color, without respect to age or gender:
Among just males, this chart shows the line-up:
Interestingly, I did not find a strong correlation between age and color preference. It appears that females overall favor what are considered warmer shades: pink and purple are strong. Green seems to have universal appeal for both sexes, understandably as a natural, refreshing color. Males in my sample group overwhelmingly prefer blue, as well as other cool hues, over the red-family or warm tones.
My favorite color is red, and has been for as long as I can remember. It feels energetic and exhilarating to me, a bit dangerous even. Among my survey respondents, I am one of just four (two males and two females) who chose red.
What does this little study say about color preference overall? Just that it is an interesting topic, with slight gender-based trends. The beautiful thing is that color preferences and meanings are not carved in stone; every choice can be a new one. Enjoy!
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