16 October 2021
Colour your communication––what colours really ‘mean’ to your communication’s audience
Colours are powerful communicators.
Colours in our communications can affect our moods and our understanding. Knowing what colours represent to our viewers helps us understand why fast-food chains use lively oranges, yellow, and reds, and why the cool, tranquilizing blues and greens and the earth tones of navy, burgundy and chocolate are in airlines.
Research has shown that colour can even effect the IQ scores of children.
So below I present a table of colours, with what moods they create and what symbolic messages they convey.
| Colour | Moods | Symbolic Meaning |
| Red | Hot, affectionate, angry, defiant, contrary, hostile, full of vitality, calm, tender | Happiness, lust, intimacy, love, restlessness, agitation, royalty, rage, sin, blood |
| Blue | Cool, pleasant, leisurely, distant, infinite, secure, transcendent, calm, tender | Dignity, sadness, tenderness, truth |
| Yellow | Unpleasant, exciting, hostile, cheerful, joyful, jovial | Superficial glamour, cowardice, sun, light, wisdom, masculinity, royalty (in China), age (in Greece), prostitution (in Italy), famine (in Egypt) |
| Orange | Unpleasant, exciting, disturbed, distressed, upset, defiant, contrary, hostile, stimulating | Sun, truthfulness, harvest, thoughtfulness |
| Purple | Depressed, sad, dignified, stately | Wisdom, victory, pomp, wealth, humility, tragedy |
| Green | Cool, pleasant, leisurely, in control | Security, peace, jealousy, hate, aggressiveness, calm |
| Black | Sad, intense, anxiety, fear, despondent, dejected, melancholy, unhappy | Darkness, power, mastery, protection, decay, mystery, wisdom, death, atonement |
| Brown | Sad, not tender, despondent, dejected, melancholy | Melancholy, protection, autumn, decay, humility, atonement |
| White | Joy, lightness, neutral, cold | Solemnity, purity, femininity, humility, joy, light, innocence, fidelity, cowardice |