Andy Crofford, creator of the infographic here, called it The Psychology of Color. He also called it “Must See for Web Designers.” I think it’s also must-see for entrepreneurs, managers, and business owners (small here, but you can click it to go to the source, in full size).
One of the things I’m proud of is knowing what I don’t know. As a business owner, while the business grew up with graphics, and packaging, and websites, I tried to get the best and most knowledgeable people I could afford, and then to listen to them. It often made me uncomfortable to be asked about colors. My answer:
I’m a business planner most of the time, a software entrepreneur some times, and a coder occasionally too. But I’m not a designer. You should know. Make it work.
Still, I always liked the idea that colors have predictable attributes and that designers understood that. Take, for example, what Andy says about the color red. In case you can’t read it here, is says “Use minimally in its purest form as an accent to draw attention to critical elements … for depicting designs that portray power or passion.”
And here below, the same for the color blue. The large chart has the complete color scale shown here on the right. It’s fascinating. And good to know. Not that I recommend second-guessing the designers (heaven forbid), but at least to be able to make more sense out of it.
No, I have no intention of second-guessing the designers or the color scheme. But it’s still a fascinating layout and explanation.