Blue and Black or White and Red

So how do people perceive your website?

The stir of recent controversy about an ugly dress over social media makes it very clear that people see colors differently and colors invoke psychological responses.

Photo courtesy of wired.com

Why does it look different?

To touch on the science aspect, colors give off different wavelengths and light enters through the lens in your eye. Color is interpreted by the pigments causing different neurons to fire. A human eye compensates for daylight when interpreting colors. If you have low lighting you are going to see colors differently than if you have bright or direct light sources. This photo has a very bright background which changes the white balance and causes a blue to fade and appear white and the black reflects a brighter color also- in this case what may look gold.

Color Is a Big Deal

Unlike the mystery of the dress color it’s not a secret that color affects how we think and feel. Many comments made across social media were negative and referenced going to get their eyes checked, feeling sick, and people were debating the color they saw. As internet marketers, web developers and designers we study and test color psychology. It is very clear that confusion has a negative impact. You want the message in your website to be clear. It is important that your site colors are congruent with the message and target audience. The less thought required by viewers while on your site the better.

The Power of Colors

Certain colors mean different things and can invoke certain feelings and emotions. Understand your brand, your message and use colors to enhance the message. Power, elegance, sophistication, death, mystery, unhappiness are psychological responses of Black. Blue portrays trust, security, technology, cleanliness, and order.

It doesn’t matter if you see white and gold or blue and black, the important take away from this is how people were affected by the color and confusion of seeing different colors than someone else. Eliminate confusion and clarify your message. Or confuse everyone, stir up controversy and go viral.