Colour Symbolism - associations

Colour can be separated into two associations; psychological and cultural. Good design requires the knowledge and awareness of how and why colours communicate meaning. Some meanings are obvious such as red, which conveys passion and blood but some are less universal and will only relate to certain audiences and be more complex. Colours in nature are omnipresent and recognised across the world, for example blue will be associated with the sky and a feeling of calmness, another example is the fact that green is the colour of vegetation.

Colour in the context of psychology generates a different level of meaning, this occurs from cultural and contemporary subjects. Because of this colours may differ from their natural associations such as green instead of being natural can be linked to good luck or even extra terrestrials, money or greed, all of which have nothing to do with plants.