Colour psychology for web design: 14 examples

Colour Psychology
(Image credit: Getty Images)

An effective use of colour psychology for web design can appeal to users and invoke particular emotions, potentially keeping people on the site and increasing the chances of a conversion. While poetry can make people swoon and a shocking image can enrage people into action, a clever use of colour can be equally as powerful.

Colour psychology suggests that using particular colours in web design can generate particulate responses in the viewer. This means that a savvy web designer (or any visual professional) will be well-versed in the effect of each individual colour, plus how and when to use each. You can learn some of the broader principles behind this in our jargon-free guide to colour theory and our piece on the best colour tools for web designers is a great guide for time-saving tools, but in this article, we'll provide a quick reference guide on the emotional nuances of 12 colours.

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Jerry was a content strategist at wireframing and prototyping app UXPin, where he developed in-app and online content. Sadly, he passed away in April 2018.
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