Colours in Design

Everyone knows that colours mean certain things - red means stop, green means go etc. But when taking on a branding project, it is important to remember that certain colours can evoke certain emotions.


You won't see many fast food restaurants using the colour brown, or engineering companies using hot pink!


Here is a list of colours and an idea of what they might convey:


Orange: warmth, enthusiasm, health, creativity

Red: love, passion, desire, energy, heat, power

Pink: femininity, sweetness, romance, passiveness

Yellow: happiness, joy, remembrance, intelligence

Blue: calmness, cleanliness, trust, stability, loyalty, wisdom

Green: growth, health, environment, harmony, freshness

Purple: regality, nobility, preciousness, romance, mystery

Brown: earthiness, wholesomeness, simplicity, stability, masculinity

White: purity, innocence, softness, elegance

Black: conservatism, mystery, sophistication

Gold: luxury, tradition

Silver: sleekness, glamour

Of course this doesn't mean you should limit yourself. Sometimes a company that wants to stand out may use a colour that is completely different from their competitors.

Also, there are many different tones and hues. Take blue - for me, a slate blue calls to mind tradition, stability, quality and hardwearing; totally different to cyan which says fresh, young, active and new.

In the end, you need to go with your instincts and what looks good, but maybe the list will inspire you!