It is no secret that colours evoke responses from people, because of their meanings, their underlying connotations. This of course, can reflect the success or failure of a product or service.
Colour symbology does however mean different things to many different cultures, so it is important to take this into account when designing for a client. Put the time in choosing the right colours, experiment with colour combinations, but remember to take into consideration the client and how they may feel about colours. For example, if doing work for someone in China, take into account that white represents death and mourning to them.
Here are some positive and negative associations that different societies may give to a colour :
Red
Positive : Power, Passion, Importance, Energy, Excitement, Love, Heat, Enthusiasm
Negative : Rage, Emergency, Anger, Aggression, Battle, Immorality, Cruelty
Orange
Positive : Happiness, Joy, Sunshine, Cheerfulness, Creativity, Invigoration, Uniqueness, Energy, Vibrancy, Sociability, Activity
Negative : Ignorance, Deceit, Loudness
Yellow
Positive : Happiness, Joy, Intelligence, Brightness, Energy, Optimism, Radiance, Idealism, Youth
Negative : Caution, Criticism, Laziness, Jealousy, Cowardice
Green
Positive : Nature, Growth, Harmony, Safe, Health, Fertility, Money, Healing, Success, Honesty, Youth
Negative : Greed, Jealousy, Inexperience, Poison, Nausea, Corrosion
Blue
Positive : Peaceful, Calm, Stability, Expertise, Trust, Dependability, Knowledge, Coolness, Masculinity, Contemplation, Justice, Tranquility
Negative : Depression, Coldness, Passiveness, Detachment
Purple
Positive : Royalty, Sophistication, Luxury, Wealth, Creativity, Spirituality, Feminine, Wisdom, Imagination, Rank, Nobility, Mysticism
Negative : Gloominess, Sadness, Exaggeration, Excess, Madness, Cruelt
Black
Positive : Elegance, Power, Sophistication, Depth, Formality, Solitude, Dignity
Negative : Death, Secrecy, Unkown, Grief, Mourning, Sorrow, Mourning, Emptiness, Evil
White
Positive : Purity, Innocence, Cleanliness, Safety, Perfection, Marriage, Virtue, Simplicity, Truth
Negative : Distant, Cold, Fragility, Isolation
Gray
Positive : Balance, Security, Reliability, Modesty, Intelligence, Wisdom
Negative : Lack of commitment, Uncertainty, Moodiness, Cloudiness, Boredom, Indecision, Sadness
