ARTICLE SUMMARY: Why is color in design so important? The proper use and understanding of color will improve your designs and conversion rates.

When designing for the global marketplace it is important to take into account the cultural use of colors. For instance, in the West black has always associated with funerals, in Arabic countries the color is white while some countries in the Orient purple is the color of mourning.

“Colour Psychology Quick Reference Cards” by Colin Shanley goes into some of the many contributory factors involved in associating colors and meanings

  • Cumulative Life Experience
  • Tribalism and War
  • Religion

He also talks of cultural divisions and how in the ever increasing global economy is flattening those differences at a rapid rate, and in the digital world it is flattening even more.

Colin Shanley also provides you with some ready-reference infographics of the main traits and associations for the 11 colours of the Basic Colour Terms (BCT), covering:

  • Warm colours (red, orange, yellow)
  • Cool colours (green, blue, purple)
  • Neutral colours (pink, brown, white, grey, black)

When it comes to design and color there is no such thing as to much information.

Let us know what your think in the comments.