The Psychology of Colour in UI/UX Design
The part colour play in UI/UX Design
Have you ever thought about it?
Why are warning signals in red?
Why do you go when the lights turn green?
The colour does have something to do with our mind that makes all the difference. The same colour psychology applies to UI/UX design as well.
Colours do play an important role in making a powerful impression. If we talk about popular brands — the colour combos they have to make their brands unique & eye-catching — Facebook uses blue and white, Ikea uses blue and yellow, Colgate & Coca-Cola use red and white, Starbucks use green and white, and McDonald’s uses red and yellow. These brands have indeed made an impact, and the colour combos on the logo share the larger slice of the pie in the brands being so successful.
And yes, did you notice one more thing in common?
Something binds these companies together; it’s definitely the colours! Most of these brands have their primary colours as blue, white, red, yellow or green.
So, let’s examine what colour psychology is in UI UX design services & how it affects users’ minds.
Colour Psychology in UI UX design services
The psychology of colour in UI UX design is an essential tool in designing the UI UX components like CTAs, buttons, drop-down menus, navigation bars, etc., in any application or website. All these components in any application or website are crucial in leading users to purchase their services. And this is where UI UX designers make use of colours because colours are the easiest form of elements that can influence or have an effect on a person’s psychology. Well, now you know why seeing greenery has a peaceful effect on our minds.
Similarly, the same colour psychology is applied in designing the mobile app/website. For example, any app asking you to purchase their services will have a green button. Different colours have different impacts on our brains, and here is where colour psychology is used in UI UX design services to grab the user’s attention with a rich, colourful app experience & ultimately lead users to buy the products & drive conversions.
Case analysis also reported that “Psychologists have suggested that colour impression can account for up to 60% of the acceptance or rejection of a product or service” (2, Roach). Colour does affect how a customer feels about the product. The human mind is conditioned to arouse different emotions by seeing different colours, both negative & positive emotions. Consequently, UI/UX designers use different colour combos to offer users a rich, positive experience that helps make the app successful.
Moving on, let’s look into colour psychology and how different colours arouse different emotions & moods in a customer.
Colour Psychology – the different connotations of different colours
Here’s a list of the most common colours used by brands & companies & what impact it has on customers and human beings in general. These colours are proven to have a positive effect on the human mind & will up the entire look and feel of your app.
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Red
Red symbolises passion, urgency, and high energy; it also has tints of love and romance. Red, being a warm colour, stimulates strong reactions among customers. It is eye catchy & is a colour that will stand out. In the UI/UX of any application, Red will signify an urgency; it is used to show some kind of alert or warn someone of the hanging danger. Red might also define power & courage but be careful while using red because too much red is also not good.
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Orange
Orange is also a warm colour, and it radiates youthful energy. It is a vibrant colour and usually resonates with socialising activity and warmth. It is an undertone of red and yellow.
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Yellow
Yellow is a bright colour, with many shades like sunny yellow, lime yellow, etc. Using yellow in app designs relates to something impending task that requires attention.
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Pink
A feminine colour, pink is a soft, warm hue. This colour best goes with brands that want to promote love, care and joy. Brands specifically focusing on childcare, women, or one surrounding calmness or hope are more likely to use pink as their primary colour.
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Blue
Blue is a cool colour. It is associated with serenity due to its resemblance to the sky and water. Blue is very popular with brands that want to showcase confidence & professionalism. Moreover, it is also highly connected with trust. Besides, people having colour blindness don’t have much problem seeing the Blue colour. However, blue is often associated with Monday blues, so be careful.
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Green
A colour that nature also loves. Green resonates with the calmness of mind, tranquillity and even refreshing people. It has the brand’s go-to colour for CTAs that leads to conversions. Green colour even radiates healthy life and thus is also used by mental health apps to calm & give refreshing feelings to users.
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Purple
Purple resonates with magic & mystery. Purple has different connotations in different locations. For example, in America & Africa, it can proffer negative emotions of being a coloured person. However, in general, purple colour also denotes royalty & wealth.
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Grey
Grey is a neutral colour; thus, when it comes to UI/UX designing, it is often used as a background colour.
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Silver
A colour that is related to elegance. Silver colours give a sense of innovation & modernity. It is known for its sleekness and is distinguished as an elegant, glamorous colour.
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Brown
Brown is a down-to-earth colour resembling feelings of a certain kind of warmth connected to nature. Brands selling chocolate products usually use brown to show resemblance; it is a natural & neutral hue.
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White & Black
Regarding UI/UX design services, white and black are primarily used in fonts and backgrounds. They are background colours yet provide a classy, powerful look. It can rarely be the case that an app or website is without black or white colour.
How do brands use colour psychology for conversion?
If you remember MCD’s logo, and the golden arches, you know what we are discussing. Agree or disagree, all companies and brands want to stand out, and with colour psychology, there stands a greater chance.
Colour psychology is often applied to logos, with brands incorporating creative designs with preferred colour combinations. UI/UX designers usually create a colour palette for apps and ensure that they only use those colours in the app, which makes them look professional & stand out.
The 60-30-10 rule is also popular among designers, with established UI/UX designers using the primary colour at a 60% ratio, the secondary colour at a 30% ratio and a tone colour at a 10% ratio. These practices are best known by expert designers.
Colour psychology is a powerful concept that has led many brands to success. Different colours certainly have different profound effects, so it’s best to use hues that radiate positive feelings among the customers.
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To wrap up
Why is it that it becomes appealing to us when we see nature – bright, beautiful with colourful flowers embedded in green, the sky blue. The human mind is accustomed to look at bright, beautiful things. And that’s why the earth is so colourful. An app can also be like a spread Earth radiating positive feelings with different hues that resemble your brand. Colour psychology in UI/UX design is a great way to connect with your target audience, positively impact them & lead them to try your services. Discussing with your UI/UX experts and developing a colour schema that resonates with your audience is always advisable.
Well, best of luck as you embark on your colourful journey!
Author Bio
Ciaran Stone
Ciaran Stone is the CEO of Square Root Solutions, – An well-known mobile app development company that helps businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups transmute their app development ideas into actual mobile applications. In his spare time, Ciaran likes to write an article on different aspects of app development.