Perception of Colour in the interface: Why do we see it differently?

Introduction

Humankind's existence revolves around colour. It defines how we perceive the world and how we feel on a subconscious level. We are surrounded by a variety of colours every single day. The objects in your immediate environment may surprise you with their variety of colours and tones if you look at them more closely. Colours have a big influence on our behavior and emotions, even though people might not notice how colourful everyday objects are. Colour is fundamental to artistic expression and has the ability to elicit visceral reactions.

Since the very beginning, when the first pigments were taken from the earth, artists have experimented with colour. Whether it be artist's pigments, ceramic glazes, or textile dyes, the production of colours and their natural or synthetic makeup have changed over time, but colour's inherent emotional power has not. It appeals to all of our senses: intellectually, emotionally, and visually. When people look at the colour red, their hearts beat faster, which causes more adrenaline to be released into their bloodstream.

Colour Psychology: A Practical Application

You can discover more about how colour therapy functions and how our reactions to light and colour may differ. As an illustration,

• the colour white is universally associated with such concepts as purity, innocence, cleanliness, a sense of space, neutrality, and (in some cultures and societies), mourning.
• Furthermore, the colour black stands for authority, power, strength, evil, intelligence, thinning/slimming, death or mourning (in some parts of the world), intensity, and life.

Remember that various hues or shades may signify very different things. Additionally, the context of the colour and even its surroundings can have an impact.

The Psychology of Colour in Marketing and Advertising

People are frequently stimulated by colour to feel hungry, to associate a positive or negative tone, to build trust, to feel calm or energized, and in a variety of other ways. It is common knowledge that marketing and advertising make use of colour psychology. The fact that some businesses have heavily invested in this kind of research and that many more have implemented it into their advertising demonstrates their level of belief in the theories behind colour psychology.

Colour in Science: What It Means

The way an object absorbs and reflects wavelengths affects how colour is perceived. Only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, from about 400 nm to 700 nm, is visible to humans, but their reactions are sufficient to enable them to perceive millions of colours.

The trichromatic theory, also known as Young-Helmholtz after the scientists who created it, is based on this. The fact that it was only confirmed in the 1960s means that the knowledge of wavelengths and colours at this level of specificity is only 60 years old.

The light/dark (or white/black), red/green, and blue/yellow receptor complexes, according to the opponent process theory, all have opposing functions. The complexity of how people perceive colour is better understood when the two theories are combined.

"Colour is in the eye and mind of the beholder," they say

Each colour has its own language. The word “hue” is used to describe colours such as red, blue, or green. Therefore, one might claim that "red is a great colour to use for this website." The purity of a colour is described by its chroma. A color's chroma, which describes the brightness of the colour, is decreased when black, white, or gray are added to it.

Colours can be classified into two broad categories: warm colours and cool colours. Red, orange, and yellow are considered warm colours, with orange serving as the most neutral of these. Warm colours are frequently linked to fervor, vigor, enthusiasm, and excitement. These are also the colours of fire. Red, for instance, is frequently connected to rage and danger (consider how many warning signs are red), but in nations like China, red is a symbol of prosperity. When compared to warm colours, cool colours are more subdued and are frequently seen in scenes from nature, on water, and at night. The only primary color in this spectrum is blue, while secondary colors like purple and green take on the characteristics of warm colours..

The rainbow is a spectrum that never ends in terms of physicality. Within the visible spectrum, the wavelengths of light smoothly transition between two ends. There are no boundaries or sharp breaks. Within that range, the human eye is capable of discriminating much more than seven colours. According to our culture, the seven colour categories that comprise the rainbow are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. That’s historical and cultural..

A graphic designer's use of color

The use of colour as a tool for communication is effective and universal. Colour is possibly the most important and influential component of a visual design. Researchers in psychology and marketing have shown how colour can affect our feelings and perceptions. Colour schemes are frequently used to draw the viewer's attention to specific elements of a design or to arouse a desired mood or emotion.

To achieve harmony, balance, and consistency, designers use color sparingly. The subtle but important role colour plays in how viewers will perceive and feel about a marketing message or brand should never be ignored by graphic designers or marketers. Which shades of colour should you use in your designs? How can color affect our perceptions and feelings? How can you make better, more compelling designs that appeal to your target audience using this knowledge?

Conclusion

The impact of colour combinations on an observer depends not only on the effects of the individual colours, but also on how harmoniously they are combined and how the pattern is put together. For centuries, artists and designers have studied the effects of colour and have come up with a wide range of theories about how to use colour. These theories are numerous and diverse, proving that there are no set rules that apply to everyone and that each person's experience determines how they perceive colour. Knowing the theory of color can make a huge difference in how you use color when choosing colors. This can make it simple to create branded graphics, especially when using design templates that allow you to change the colours.