Color symbolism: Meaning of colors III - The colors orange and brown

The significance of the colors orange and brown in Western Europe and USA:

The color orange

• Orange combines the energy of red with the happiness of yellow. Usually, the color symbolizes joy, sunshine, the tropics, enthusiasm, fascination, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement and inspiration.
• For the human eye, orange is a very hot color. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red.
• As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and also stimulates the appetite.
• Orange is the color of autumn and harvest and symbolizes strength and endurance.
• Design and Advertising
  Orange has very high visibility and is therefore used to attract attention and highlight the main elements of a design. The color orange is particularly suitable for the advertising of food and toys.
• Color gradiations
  Dark orange represents deceit and mistrust.
  Red orange is associated with desire, sexual passion, pleasure, dominance, aggression and drive.
  Gold is associated with illumination, wisdom, wealth and high quality and evokes the feeling of prestige.

The color brown

• Brown represents health, authenticity, down-to-earthness, steadfastness, simplicity, convenience and reliability.
• Brown is a warm neutral color that can stimulate the appetite.
• Color gradiations
  Red brown is associated with autumn and harvest.

Get to know more about the colors red and yellow.

Color symbolism: Meaning of colors II – The color yellow

In a post about the color red, you will also get to know more about color symbolism in general.

The meaning of the color yellow in Eastern Europe and the U.S.:

• Yellow is the color of the sun and is associated with joy, happiness, intellect, energy, honor and loyalty.
• The color yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, generates muscle energy and stimulates mental activity.
• Pure yellow is an eye catcher, which is the reason that cabs are painted yellow. Often, yellow on a black background is used as a warning.
• Design and advertising
  With yellow, certain parts of a design can be highlighted.
  Yellow is used to produce positive and friendly feelings.
  Especially when advertising children's and leisure products, the color yellow is used.
  For advertising more prestigious, expensive products for men, yellow should not be used, as men rather see the color yellow as "childish".
  Also when advertising products, where safety and stability are important, you should avoid the color yellow, as it is considered unstable and sponatenously.
• Color gradiations
  Color gradiations of the color yellow do not look very appealing, as the color loses its serenity and starts to look dirty.
  Dull yellow stands for warning, jealousy, illness and decline.
  Light yellow is associated with freshness, joy and intellect.

Color symbolism: Meaning of colors I - The color red

Designer have to deal with colors a lot. Most of the time, the clients do not even know. Color can improve a design or it can destroy it.

Colors have different effects. Depending on the country and the cultural background there is a different color symbolism. The color symbolism mentioned here only applies to Western Europe and the U.S. only. Not every color has the same meaning in every culture.

Different color combinations can also have different meanings. In addition, there are different shades and hues for every color - whose meaning can also vary a lot.

The color red

• Red is the color of blood and also fire. This, it is associated with danger, war, energy, strength, power, passion, love, desire and determination.
• The color red is an emotional intense color: It enhances the breathing rate, the human metabolism, as well as the blood pressure.
• Red has a high visibility, which is why traffic lights, stop signs and fire extinguishers are painted red. Red is also used to show courage and is found in many national flags.
  
• Design and advertising
  Red emphasizes texts and pictures. It is often used as an accent color, in order to inspire people to make a quick decision. Red is the perfect color for "Buy now" or "Click here" buttons on advertising banners on the Internet or on websites.
  In advertising, red is often used to evoke erotic feelings, for example with red lips or red nails.
  Since red is associated with energy, the color is often found in advertising for sports, cars, games or energy drinks.
• Color gradiations
  
  • Light red is associated with sexuality, passion, empathy, love and joy.
  • Dark red stands for anger, rage, willpower, spite, courage, desire and leadership.
  • Pink is associated with romance, friendship, love and passivity.

For more information on the color red go to SensationalColor or Wikipedia.