RED
Passionate, aggressive, important
As a dominating colour, red adds gravity and heightened awareness – quite literally, as the colour increases blood circulation, breathing rates, and metabolism.
Red can take on a variety of meanings, associated with both love and war, but the unifying factor in all meanings is a sense of importance. Think of the red carpet.
ORANGE
Playful, energetic, cheap
Sharing red's energising aspects, but to a safer degree, orange is a good way to add excitement to a site without severity. It is generally playful, and some claim it creates haste and plays on impulse. It can even signify health, suggesting vitality and vibrance.
YELLOW
Happy, friendly, warning
Yellow is a strange colour: it is often associated with happiness, but also activates the anxiety centre of the brain. Like red and orange, it's able to stimulate and revitalise – it's the colour of warning signs and taxis – but use bright yellow sparingly because of the potential negative connotations.
Lighter shades play on the happiness aspects, reminding users of summer and the sun. Darker shades, including gold, add more weight and give a sense of antiquity.
GREEN
Natural, stable, prosperous
Green mostly represents the environment and outdoors, for obvious reasons, making it the clear choice to suggest nature and an organic quality.
BLUE
Serene, trustworthy, inviting
It is the colour of trust. Blue is the colour of calm and serenity, and as such inspires security and a feeling of safety.
PURPLE
Luxurious, mysterious, romantic
Long associated with royalty, purple creates an air of luxury, even decadence.
Lighter shades of purple – especially lavender – bring to mind spring and romance. Darker shades add more mystery, and can even symbolise creativity. Darkening the shade will also turn the romantic elements more sensual.
PINK
Feminine, young, innocent
Its links with childhood and with sugary treats give pink a sweet, sometimes innocent appeal. It is also traditionally used with love and romantic themes, alongside red and light purple.
BROWN
Earthy, sturdy, rustic
As the colour associated with the earth and trees, brown can add an outdoorsy feel, maximised by a pairing with green.
BLACK
Powerful, sophisticated, edgy
Much like purple, black adds an air of sophistication and elegance, and also mystery, though with much bolder confidence.
WHITE
Clean, virtuous, healthy
As a primary colour, though, white gives off an impression that is both clean and chaste.
GREY
Neutral, formal, gloomy
grey is rich with individual characteristics. It is the colour of formality, so sites aiming to look traditional or professional tend to favour it. It can also give a depressing vibe, as it's the colour of gloomy, rainy days.
BEIGE
Accentuates surrounding colours