Color associations and color preferences. Color as an indicator of style and aesthetic orientation of society. Colors that increase sales and attract new customers Green color in sales

“Black is too mournful,” said Ostap, “green is also not suitable: it is the color of collapsed hope. Pink is vulgar, blue is trite, red is too loyal. We'll have to paint the Antelope yellow. It will be bright, but beautiful.” “The Golden Calf”, I. Ilf and E. Petrov.

Each of us, like a great strategist, has his own cipher hidden in flowers. Each color gives a conditional signal to our subconscious and awakens a response emotion in it. Under the influence of different colors, we even feel and think differently.

The use of color psychology in business allows you to create a comfortable environment for negotiating, increase employee productivity and increase customer activity in the store.

Our eye recognizes 1.5 million shades, and colors are perceived even by the skin. We don't just see color, we feel it. According to psychologists, we “absorb” 80% of the color nervous system and only 20% - vision.

Scientists in Vienna conducted an interesting study: the participants of the experiment, blindfolded, alternately entered the rooms, the walls of which were painted in different colors. In the red-walled room, their pulse quickened; in the yellow-walled room, their pulse returned sharply to normal, while in the blue-walled room, it dropped noticeably. M. Cooper, A. Matthews “The language of color”.

Color activation

The mood and atmosphere in the interior largely depend on what color scheme (warm or cold) is chosen for its design. Warm colors (shades of red, orange, and yellow) are energizing and stimulating, which is why they are used to warm up shoppers and increase productivity in the office.

Holt-Renfrew store, Canada

Under the influence of cold colors (shades of blue, blue and purple), on the contrary, people's activity is noticeably reduced, their movements slow down, they feel more calm and relaxed.

In a warm range, red is the strongest color. Under the influence of this color, all the functions of our body are activated: breathing accelerates, muscles tense up, and the heartbeat quickens.

Red accents in the interior of the store stimulate customers and increase impulse (unplanned) purchases. Also, this color stimulates appetite and improves digestion, and therefore is ideal for cafes and restaurants.

The Sweeterie, USA

Much less red is suitable for office space. Despite the fact that it increases efficiency, it quickly tires and provokes irascibility and aggression.

Orange color along with red causes a surge of energy and improves appetite. But it works better as an accent color rather than a base color. Its overabundance in space is annoying. But the combination of orange with blue hues gives a feeling of looseness and freedom. This color scheme is suitable for sports stores.

Pastel shades of orange are associated with health, beauty, golden tanning and relaxation, which is why they are so often used in women's shops and beauty salons.

EarthBar organic food store, USA

Yellow is the first color to be caught by the eye. It stimulates vision and evokes a joyful mood, and therefore attracts attention better than other colors. It can be used to announce promotions and special offers. In addition, the text on a yellow background is the most convenient for perception.

Bright and warm colors attract middle-class people. And buyers associate the combination of yellow and red with affordable prices. Therefore, this color scheme is often used by discount stores and fast food establishments.

Yellow revitalizes the imagination, encourages acceptance of new ideas, and is associated with something interesting. And in combination with green or blue, it is great for decorating the workspace of designers, copywriters and advertisers.

Office of the architectural bureau Selgas Cano Architecture, Spain

The presence of yellow in the interior activates thinking and helps to come to a compromise - it can be used as an accent color in an office space. The main thing is not to overdo it: an excess of yellow causes greed and discontent.

The influence of warm colors is such that in a room painted in warm colors, the temperature is perceived to be 3-5 degrees higher than in one where cold colors are used.

And thanks to this “warming” effect, the warm colors of a cafe or shop can become a competitive advantage in the cold season. For the same reason, bright and warm colors work well in frozen food aisles.

Bright and saturated colors are very popular with children: up to 7 years old, they most often choose shades of red, yellow and orange. After 7 years, other colors are added to their color preferences.

Fantasy World Kids Store, Kuwait

The influence of green can be different depending on which shades prevail in it. So, if blue dominates in green, then it calms and relaxes, and if yellow, it excites. Green is considered a neutral color and can be used with both warm and cool colors.

Yellow-green creates an impression of well-being and optimism. Juicy green is associated with natural freshness, renewal and youth, and therefore is ideal for inexpensive cafes and department stores offering fruits and vegetables.

A deep emerald hue speaks of luxury and is suitable for expensive shops, solid offices and reception areas. In addition, the green color does not cause eye fatigue and reduces pain, which has made it popular in the field of medical services.

Relaxation with color

According to the psychology of color, cool colors (blues, blues, and purples) and their shades work best to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere in a space. Influenced by cool colors, shoppers spend more time in front of the windows, choose longer, and worry less about spending.

The use of a cold range of colors is justified in expensive stores, as well as where there may be queues.

Fort Lauderdale Showroom, USA

Blue color evokes a feeling of well-being and is associated with constancy. It promotes trusting communication and good assimilation of information. The favorable effect of this color can be used in the design of the meeting room.

In an office space, blue works best in combination with yellow. This color combination increases concentration and activates mental activity.

Blue colour On the contrary, it is completely unsuitable for working environment. It scatters attention, reduces efficiency, reduces visual acuity and is rightfully considered best solution for the rest room. It is also not suitable for the interior of a cafe or restaurant: under the influence of this color, appetite disappears, and the space seems empty and cold.

Office Google, Switzerland

Intense shades of purple also reduce activity, suppress appetite and are more suitable for meditation than for doing business. And the combination of purple and orange leads to sad thoughts about the frailty of life.

For most shops and offices, a room in bright colors is a win-win option. Light colors increase space and emphasize details, and in the store, this color scheme focuses the attention of buyers on the product.

A light gray color is well suited for organizing stable work. True, the gray office walls are not conducive to staying in them for a long time. Therefore, monotonous gray should be enlivened with bright colors.

As for black, it is best used as an accent that emphasizes the main colors. Despite all its attractiveness and sophistication, this color creates a feeling of isolation and lack of air, especially in rooms where the ceiling or walls are painted black.

White Gallery, Rome

Brown is not as formal as black and feels more natural. This color inspires strength, trust and confidence, associated with reliability and durability. It is great for antique shops and shops selling "colonial" goods (coffee, tea, spices, chocolate).

Office of the creative agency Red Keds, Russia

Despite the fact that brown inspires calmness, its excess in the interior can evoke gloomy thoughts, and therefore it needs bright color accents. In the workspace, dark shades of brown are tiring and reduce performance.

Oksana Gafaiti,
author site and Trades.site

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Bright price tags

Man is a rational being. And this forte is our weakness. Our mind can be controlled. Whatever, it's easy enough.

Small details affect the human subconscious. It's the little ones that we usually don't pay attention to. And thanks to these nuances, you can quietly provoke the purchase of certain goods.
There are a lot of things that influence the buyer's choice. Musical accompaniment, aromas hovering in the air, the brightness of the lamps and the color scheme that accompanies the consumer at every step. What does the color begin to play his violin on the street.

Advertising and signboard. Everyone knows that the larger and brighter these attributes, the greater the chance that they will be noticed. And that means they will go to this place. Next, the color scheme inside the room. The color of the walls, floors, and furnishings of your space will determine how the customer will feel. If he is comfortable, then the shopping process will be delayed.

Don't forget the price tags. Bright colored badges will attract much more attention than black and white ones, but this does not apply to stylish and expensive goods, it is just the opposite.
It is important that the product does not merge with the wall. If you have a new collection of shoes in a marine style, then blue-blue colors will look advantageous on a white or slightly greenish background.

Now directly about the role of color in sales

First, the color must be appropriate. No tricks will work on the client if the color scheme is illogical. For example, it is quite logical to use the green color for advertising or designing dietary supplements or medicines.

It is illogical to use the decoration of the hall, showcases and pillows for products in a gold hue in a jewelry store. Products simply merge with the background.

Clown coloring is not appropriate in the funeral parlor, but black and gray in the children's department.

According to experts, people with lower salaries prefer everything colored with rich colors. And buyers with more income choose more calm, pastel colors.

In boutiques with expensive clothes, the client will feel comfortable among peach, beige and milky tones. Such shades create the illusion of calmness. Time stops and the person "freezes". For him, the time spent in the store increases, which means that more goods are purchased.
Don't ignore the contingent of your store. If you are presenting classic shoes for a business woman, then the surrounding colors and price tags should be calm pastel colors. And clothes for teenagers will be successful among neon or saturated walls.

Colors such as yellow, red, orange and their tonalities excite the appetite and make a person take action. Experts advise yellow color for new products, it attracts attention in the first place. Brown color has a beneficial effect on business people. It evokes a sense of stability.

Pink and orange are best used in areas related to the family. Shops for lovers children's World, marriage agencies, clothes for mothers and children, children's shoes. They evoke a romantic and cheerful mood in clients.

Cold tones, on the contrary, soothe and pacify. For example, blue is a good color for a uniform. Then the consultant will not annoy the buyer with his presence.

There are many weaknesses at the pinnacle of evolution. And it would be foolish not to take advantage of it. And buyers should think carefully about their choice. And do not rush at the bright packaging and the price tag, but carefully study the quality of the goods.

Successful business and correct purchases!

Sergei Berdachuk
Customer Acquisition Expert


The color scheme in which the store is designed has a strong influence on the visitor in the process of choosing a product and making a purchase…

The psychology of the buyer is one of the most controversial, controversial and interesting points in marketing. It only takes a minute and a half for consumers to make the final choice in favor of a particular product. And to your surprise, in 60-90% of cases, color becomes the decisive factor for it. Color is what controls the emotions of customers and shapes their attitude towards products. Just think about it, 85% of buyers are repelled when choosing a product precisely from its color, and 65% will not make a purchase until the position they are interested in appears in the right palette ...

The influence of the psychology of color on consumers is so strong that with a good combination of circumstances, almost any shade can become a selling color. You need to understand that there are no single algorithms, the influence of colors on purchasing activity depends on a lot of factors, including the characteristics of the target audience. Skilled.co will talk about the colors of sales.

Consumer differences

The whole essence of the psychology of color in marketing comes down to the formation of the correct emotional reaction in the head of the consumer. But it won't work for everyone. For example, those who are prone to impulsive purchases are perfectly influenced by the orange-black combination, which is why they are used in sales. Pale red and pink are considered massive, so they can often be found in clothing stores. Navy blue, in particular, is considered a color that inspires confidence, which is why it is used in places where there are buyers who are limited in their budget.

Gender differences deserve special attention. As it turned out, blue and light green are 2 colors that both women and men like. Similarly, both sexes dislike orange and brown the most. Purple is one of the most preferred colors for women, while men dislike it the most. The situation is similar with black. But this should be taken into account only in gender-oriented products, in terms of the emotions evoked, almost every color can be successful.

Emotions of flowers

Traditionally, red is considered the most emotional color, it causes courage and admiration among consumers, increasing the pulse. Therefore, it is preferred to be used for mass-market brands such as food, fast food, sportswear and beverage brands. Blue, as we have already said, is the color of trust and calmness, which makes it the most popular on the Internet and the most popular among medical and financial companies. Green is a typically natural color that evokes harmony and allows relaxation, which is why it is commonly used in food and agricultural brands, energy and finance.

Oddly enough, orange is considered the best selling color - causing self-confidence, it calls for action better than others. Paired with black, it's great for selling luxury goods, as black continues to symbolize strength and power. Unlike silver / white, which speaks of the purity and perfection of the product. Yellow is usually considered the most cheerful - causing joy and symbolizing energy, it is often used. energy companies, although it is often associated with food. What can not be said about purple, associated with greatness, money and untold wealth.

It should be taken into account that this is only general characteristics colors - the emotional reactions evoked will depend on the category of their use, and on individual characteristics product.

Conversion color

According to market research, 93% of consumers believe that the main factor influencing their purchase decision is visual evaluation. In fact, they look at the color. Similarly, visual perception affects the opinion about Internet resources. And if the aesthetic design seems unacceptable to users, more than half of them will simply never return to the site. Thus, the refusal to make purchases can be caused not only by the shortcomings of the product, but also by the poor design of the resource on which it is sold.

Even individual elements, in particular, buttons for performing targeted actions, have a huge impact. It is believed that green, orange and red are the three most successful colors for these buttons, but only when they stand out against the general background of the site. The successful use of button colors alone can increase your overall conversion rate by 9%! Most importantly, there are many successful examples of such an application.

In particular, Beamax made comparative analysis clicks on CTA buttons. So, the number of clicks on the standard blue button was 53% lower than on the red one. A similar result was obtained by the company Dmix - their conversion increased by 34% by changing the color of the button to red. At the same time, Unbounce considers the best option large orange button, so that each use of color is purely individual.

More information in the infographic from Skilled.co.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Analysis of customer preferences

After a conversation with the owner of the apartment, the following preferences and assumptions for the redevelopment of the apartment and stylistic directions were revealed: the entrance-living area should be freed from the bathroom and the corresponding partitions, which will make it possible to increase the entrance and kitchen areas, which, moreover, will allow transforming the kitchen area in the kitchen-studio, such a decision was made due to the rather large number of residents who no longer have to huddle in a small kitchenette. The living area will include not only a recreation area, but also a work area. In the recreation area there will be a TV or a home cinema, where, as it turned out, the head of the family will spend time with great pleasure after a hard day, surrounded by a loving family. Further, from the living room, the hostess assumes getting into the corridor through which you can get:

1) Parents' room. Kindred harmony of colors, calm pastel colors are preferred. The room will be equipped with a bed, bedside tables, as well as the owners expressed a desire to allocate space for wardrobe space instead of cabinet furniture.

2) Children's room. Two children of seven and seventeen years old will live in the room. Since the age difference is quite large, it is necessary to assume the conditional division of the room into 2 zones, but the room is small, therefore, the room assumes maximum functionality.

3) Bathroom and bathroom. The obligatory remark of customers is the presence of a warm floor, and the rejection of cold shades. (Appendix B)

Features and benefits of redevelopment

When successfully implemented, redevelopment can have quite a lot of advantages. Firstly, there are practically unlimited possibilities for erecting and demolishing partitions, creating arches, etc. Secondly, choose a layout suitable for individual ideas about a comfortable apartment. Thirdly, it is an increase in the desired functioning space.

Although it must be remembered that the regulations apply, that for the usual redevelopment of a typical apartment, when combining apartments, it is impossible to change the functional purpose of the premises, such as moving the kitchen to the living room.

When planning to combine apartments, you should take into account in advance that building codes it is forbidden to dismantle the load-bearing wall, as this will lead to emergency. Therefore, the maximum that is possible when combining two apartments is an opening in it. The location of this opening will be determined by the specialists of the organization that develops a technical report on the state of the structures and the possibility of redevelopment.

Modern trends in the interior

An interior design project is a flight of thoughts and ideas, embodied and designed by a skilled hand of a specialist into a real document.

The term "interior design" originated around the middle of the twentieth century, but the first concepts of interior design were developed in ancient times and used to create interior decoration palaces, temples and houses of the local nobility, and with the growth of the well-being of the population, they became widespread. Since its inception, interior design has meant working not only on the decoration of the room, but also on its ergonomics. With the advent of assembly line assembly and industrial production, interior design has become widespread. First of all, the room should not overload the room with unnecessary things, everything should look moderate. No need to pile a thousand details into one room - it will look tasteless. Of course, you can’t do without various decorative details, but you need to know when to stop.

Interior design styles began to emerge a long time ago, they are considered historical styles, there are also new, modern styles that were invented, invented not so long ago. Almost every country has its own interior style. For example, English style, Scandinavian, Egyptian, Italian or Mediterranean, Indian, African style, Japanese and Chinese styles. There are others that originated in specific countries, only they did not receive the same name as the country. This is the baroque style, modernism, country, Provence, classicism, minimalism, techno. Each of the styles has its own requirements, characteristics that must be observed, otherwise you will not get the result you would like. In some styles, a large number of accessories, decorative items are acceptable, while in others they are taken to a minimum or not used at all.

When creating the design of your living room, you need to add your own special flavor so that you feel comfortable while in this room. You don't need to cover the walls with all the paintings and photographs that you have in your house, choose a couple of things that you like the most, and then everything will look harmonious. For many centuries, the subject-spatial environment of man was man-made, all the objects that surrounded him were the result of painstaking and long-term work of craftsmen.

Everything changed by the beginning of the 19th century. - industrially manufactured consumer goods began to appear. The object-spatial environment has ceased to be man-made, the manufacture of many household items has become possible by machine. Machine labor in terms of productivity is many times greater than the labor of an artisan, but at the same time, new problem- the individuality and exclusivity of manufactured items disappeared.

The industrial rise led to the disruption of the unhurried centuries-old rhythm in the development of the subject-spatial environment of man. New items emerged that had not yet taken root in the culture, which gave rise to the problem of their adaptation to the tastes of consumers, and interest in the psychology of the buyer arose. In addition, rapid changes in the subject-spatial environment have led to the fact that it becomes necessary not only to adapt to the tastes of the consumer, but also to predict tastes. Awareness of these problems caused by the transition from handicraft to industrial production, led to the emergence of an unknown profession of a designer. Each design specialist has their own individual approach to artistic design - the method by which the designer obtains the necessary information to create a design object.

Modern trends in interior styles meet all desires and requirements modern people, ranging from simple and laconic interiors to luxurious and ceremonial ones.

Trend 1: Scandinavian Style

United by the common name "Scandinavian style", the interior features of the houses of Norway, Sweden and Finland take root quite firmly in our East Slavic latitudes. Somewhat harsh, but more often cozy and utilitarian, the Scandinavian style is the perfect embodiment of the concepts of simplicity, individuality and environmental friendliness. It implies plain walls of barely visible pastel shades, minimal window decor, an abundance of light wood and other natural materials, plenty of storage space - closed cabinets and niches, as well as open shelves, a small number of bright accessories. This interior trend 2015 is also characterized by the presence of upholstered furniture- only the most comfortable and anatomical, ideally - frameless. For all its restraint, it is a living style that can be supplemented and developed endlessly. (Appendix B Fig. B-1)

Trend 2: Industrial style loft

This style came to us from America in the 90s of the twentieth century, and since then its popularity has only increased. The industrial spirit gravitates towards spacious rooms, high ceilings and large windows. In an apartment and in a residential building, you can recreate its artificial version, the general style. In your arsenal: decorative brick, aged or rough-finished wood, dull metal with a touch of rust, photo wallpaper or other coatings that mimic concrete. Communications and other "insides" of the house can not be hidden. But with the decor, it is important not to go overboard, since the industrial style is largely associated with minimalism. A few monochrome photographs, an old advertising sign, graffiti on the wall, a couple of "utilitarian" pieces of iron - this will be enough in a small room. And most importantly - this is a free style that does not require large financial investments. (Appendix B Figure B-2)

Trend 3: Ecodesign

Ecodesign is more popular than ever. More and more people are tired of the noise of the big city and, trying to somehow reunite their habitat with natural conditions, prefer natural materials. Phytodesign, vertical gardening and home mini-gardens are becoming a trending trend. (Appendix B Figure B-3)

Trend 4: Minimalism

If you remove unnecessary decor from the room, then you will focus on the functional and the most necessary. The style is perfect for a person who values ​​his time. A calm atmosphere will help create free space. Sunlight will penetrate through the overall windows, the absence of partitions contributes to the feeling of complete freedom. Color palette usually filled with white and black, their shades look chic with the color of wood, glass and stone. The use of white color allows you to visually enlarge the space. For decoration, natural materials are taken, because the style is considered environmentally friendly. The basis of minimalism is simplicity. The style is distinguished by the presence of rectangular shapes. There are no smooth outlines and curves. Minimalism does not allow the use of different accessories. Here one picture on the wall in a thin frame looks gorgeous. A component of style is a sense of proportion. (Appendix B Figure B-4)

Trend 5: Hi-tech

Metal and glass, a bit of plastic, straight lines, simplicity and rigor of design, no floral wallpaper, complex finishes and wood. Here are the basic principles of the right high-tech interior. Tables should be with round or strictly rectangular glass tops. Chairs should have metal backs and legs, coffee tables should be on wheels, shelving should be simple shapes with glass shelves.

High-tech style will look good in large rooms, divided by safety glass doors and partitions into functional areas. Such transparent doors in an aluminum frame can significantly save space. (Appendix B Figure B-5)

Color is one of the most powerful tools in a designer's toolkit. With it, you can attract attention, create a certain mood, influence emotions, perception and behavior.

Did you know that among the reasons that motivate buyers to purchase a certain product, 90% falls on the share of color? Or that magazine ads in color get 26% more attention than black-and-white ads?

The conclusion is obvious: using the right color will help to achieve success. But then a natural question arises: how to choose the right color? To answer it, you will have to analyze several important aspects:

  • color associations
  • differences in color perception between men and women
  • color vision problems.

Not only does color help provide more objective information about a product, it can also provide a powerful psychological impact. The same colors can act differently - in particular, it depends on the nationality and place of residence of the person. Let us dwell on the color associations of people in the Western world.

Red color in psychology: danger, importance, passion

Red is the color of fire and blood. One of the most powerful colors in terms of impact, which is associated with love and war at the same time. The well-known expression to see red (literally translated from English “look at red”) means to get angry, lose your temper.

This color has a strong emotional impact. It can raise blood pressure or increase breathing rate.

Red is energetic and impulsive. It is associated with speed and strength. That is why Netflix and YouTube use it as their dominant color.

It is well known about the power of red to attract attention. In design, it is often used as a powerful color accent. Like red carpets at an awards show, red can be used to highlight important details on the site page.

Orange color in psychology: confidence, energy, optimism

Orange is a very energetic color - like red, it excites, but to a lesser extent. It has an energetic aura, but without the aggressiveness inherent in red. Can create a happy atmosphere.


On the homepage of Hipmunk, a flight search engine, the orange search button immediately grabs attention.

Like red, orange can grab attention, so it can be used to highlight important details like a call-to-action (CTA) button. Some people think it's too much simple solution, however, many applications and sites often use this “cheap” technique in a good way.

Yellow color in psychology: sun, happiness, attention

Oddly enough, yellow is associated with both joy and anxiety at the same time. It is often used to focus attention. Warning signs are an example. Yellow may be associated with danger, but to a lesser extent than red.


Yellow color immediately attracts attention when contrasted with black. The watch brand Breitling used this property when developing its official website.

The combination of yellow and black works especially well. A striking example of this is a New York taxi.

Green color in psychology: nature, development, success

Green is naturally associated with nature. It is associated with vitality and growth, since most of the plants on earth are green.


Green call to action button.

In design, this color is often used to create balance and harmony. However, to achieve balance, designers should consider color saturation.

Saturated green shades attract attention due to their energetic stimulating effect. That is why they are often used for the call to action button.

Blue color in psychology: comfort, relaxation, trust

Blue is the color of the sea and sky. One of the most significant and frequently used colors in user interface design. At the same time, the visual perception of design developments will largely depend on the correct choice of shade:

  • Light blue is associated with coolness, freedom and tranquility. Calmness can develop into trust, which is why this shade is often used in banks.
  • Dark blue shades are great for projects where stability and reliability are very important.

Blue is often associated with stability.

Purple color in psychology: luxury, spirituality, creativity

Natural purple is rarely found in nature, so it has a special role to play in design.

Historically associated with royalty, purple is still associated with luxury today. It subtly hints at the high quality of the product or site (even if it is not).


Purple is considered the color of happiness by most young people.

Interestingly, 75% of children prefer purple to all other shades.

Black color in psychology: strength, grace, sophistication

Black is the strongest of all colors. It immediately attracts attention, which is why it is most often used for texts and accents.


The black “Get started” button is one of the first things you notice when you visit the Squarespace website.

When used as a dominant color - for example, to create a background - black can evoke original associations. With it, it is easier to achieve a sense of sophistication and mystery in the design.

White color in psychology: health, purity, chastity

White color often associated with purity, purity and virtue. Using the association of white with health or innovation, you can emphasize the safety of a promoted product from the field of medicine or high technology.


White areas create space around design elements, helping to emphasize or separate them from each other.

In design, white excels at shading its surrounding colors, making it popular as a secondary color. Correct use white margin is a powerful design tool. Consider, for example, the Google search page. White color gives more expressiveness to other shades.

Grey: formality, neutrality, professionalism

Gray is a symbol of neutrality. It is easy to combine with other colors. As the main background, gray creates a sense of formality, which is not always a bad thing. Like white, a gray background sets off other colors well.


Gray is usually paired with brighter color accents. On the Dropbox site, gray is used to highlight call-to-action buttons.

gender and color

While there are no certain norms, which colors are considered purely feminine and which are masculine. There are only the results of studies conducted over the past eight decades that allow some generalizations to be made. And although the data is mixed, one conclusion is undeniable: men and women have different color preferences.


Most Favorite Colors
Least favorite colors
  • Blue is the most popular color for both men and women. At the same time, men are much more likely than women to use variations on the theme of blue.
  • The most unpopular colors for men and women are brown, orange and yellow. Gray is the least favorite color for women and purple for men.
  • When it comes to shades and tones, men tend to prefer bold colors while women are more likely to opt for softer shades.
  • Most people think that pink is the color adored by all women, but this is not true. The number of his fans is a small percentage. Thus, although pink is associated with femininity in color psychology, it is not at all attractive to all women.

Color in marketing and business

The role of color in branding

When developing a brand philosophy, color takes center stage among other factors. Every color that we see directly or indirectly implies something, and this helps to influence the perception of one or another trademark. Some colors go beyond individual brands to symbolize entire industries, such as blue for tourism business, green for healthy eating, red for fast food.

There are no hard and fast rules for choosing colors during development corporate identity. Some use color shades that are familiar to their industry, while others, on the contrary, prefer to go against tradition, believing that this helps to attract attention more effectively. For example, Virgin America decided to change the traditional concept when developing their website and application. And although it may not be quite what users expect from the airline's website, it nevertheless attracts attention.


There isn't even a hint of blue in the Virgin America iOS app.

Thus, an unexpected color choice can be an effective technique that will help attract users to your company.

Color and Conversion Rate Optimization

How can you use your knowledge of color theory and psychology to encourage people to click a button? The choice of color for the call to action (CTA) button is one of the oldest aspects of the Conversion vs. Optimization controversy. For every one who claims that red is the best color for a button because it attracts the most attention, there is an opponent who is sure that the best choice- green, because it is associated with safety and encourages action.

HubSpot presented the results of the marketing research(A/B tests), which show how the choice of color for the call to action button affects the number of registered users.


A/B testing is the most effective and commonly used marketing research method.

Although the green button was originally supposed to perform better, test results showed that the red button received 21% more clicks. That being said, HubSpot warned its users that the results of the test are somewhat subjective - perhaps the audience preferred red because it was the only saturated color on the site's page.

By itself, the color of a button does not affect its absolute effectiveness - what works well on one site may be ineffective on another. The claim that one color converts better than another is false, because there is no universal best color. However, there are still some rules based on practical experience that help you effectively use color to your advantage. One of them is the use of a psychological principle known as the “isolation effect”. According to this principle, people better remember an object that stands out from the rest “like an eyesore”.

For example, if there is a lot of green in the design of your site or application, users will most likely not pay attention to the green button, despite the fact that A / B test data confirmed its effectiveness in another company.


Evernote Web Service. Their “It’s Free” call to action button is buried because it blends in with the background. It gets lost on the page and users don't notice it.

Sometimes you need to change the visual hierarchy of colors on a page to make your call to action button stand out. Contrast plays a very important role - if the color of the button does not attract the attention of a potential client, then there will be no registrations / sales.


A call to action (CTA) button really grabs the attention of users when it contrasts in color with the rest of the page elements.

Color and Usability

Design isn’t just about looking pretty, it’s also about functionality and usability—arguably the two most important principles for any UX designer to work with.

Color is a tool that helps guide the eye to the right objects. Right choice color in interface design not only attracts users, but also improves the efficiency of the user interface.

Color limit

When using different colors in the design, you should strive for balance. The more colors you use, the harder it is to balance. Using too many colors is a common developer mistake. Perhaps they are trying in this way to have the maximum impact on users and convey to them as much information as possible, but this can greatly confuse people visiting the site.


Whatever color shades you use, too many colors create an unfortunate visual effect.

Interior designers adhere to simple rule 60–30–10, which works well for website development as well. This timeless technique will help you find a balanced color scheme: 60% dominant color, 30% secondary color and 10% accent color. This ratio guarantees color balance and a comfortable transition of the gaze from one object to another.


The formula 60% + 30% + 10% is the key to the balance of the colors used.

Availability of color perception

People perceive colors in different ways. Approximately 8% of all men and 0.5% of all women are colorblind to some degree. The combination of red with green suffers most from the violation of color perception. The only way to avoid problems is to try not to use this color combination.

Many colorblind people find it difficult to distinguish between red and green.

Let's take a common situation as an example. Have you ever received a message about incorrectly filling out a form - something like "Fields marked in red are required"? Although for users with normal vision, this is not big problem, people who are colorblind, such a message can be upsetting.


Website developers use only two colors for the form filling operation: red and green. But colorblind people do not distinguish between the fields highlighted by these colors.

As stated in the W3C recommendations, colors should not be used as the sole visual tool for the following purposes: conveying information, inciting action and response, highlighting a visual element. Following these recommendations, website developers should pay attention to some points: the error response message should be more informative, for example, this: “Address Email you entered is not available"; or maybe add an icon next to the field to fill in to grab the user's attention.


Additional visual cues and built-in error checking help highlight an incorrectly filled field.

Are there several ways to help test your user interface for accessibility?

  • The WebAIM service will help with checking color combinations.
  • Using the graphic editor Adobe Photoshop will help you to correct images using Color Universal Design. This will ensure the availability of graphic information for people with impaired color perception, including color blindness.

Conclusion

We've looked at several color-related factors that can affect how your site or app's user interface works. But we never managed to answer the question: “How to find the right color?”. But you may have already guessed that there is no “best” color for conversion at all. One color does not do much. The most important thing is what colors you choose and how you combine them with each other.

If your goal is to increase your conversion rate, then you need to seriously analyze the information: what users really need, what language or style of speech is most accessible to them, what way they prefer to buy products. A well-designed website is a website that satisfies users.

If you have something to add on the topic, feel free. Leave comments!

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