I have often remarked on the importance of words for a designer; how they can effect the perception of a product and how they can be used to support and encourage an idea.  What is equally amazing though is the sheer power that colour can have on a person, and on how we literally see the world.

Most designers are vaguely familiar with colour theory.  Each colour automatically evokes an emotional (and sometimes physical) response.  The colour blue for example is a natural appetite suppresser (have you ever wondered why you never see any blue packaging in the supermarket?) whilst orange causes the body to release more oxygen to the brain; therefore actually helping you think.

The combination of colours can also effect emotion.  Bright colours put together make us feel uncomfortable; hence why fast food chains often have garishly coloured interiors to make us move along faster.  Darker colours that complement each other make us feel safer; coffee houses being a case and point with their brown and dark red walls inviting us to stay.

All of this though seems slightly insignificant when you consider yourself and your own emotions.  Sure, colours can cause emotion, but what colours are you to begin with?  This became the topic of a fascinating discussion between me and a drama student from Central, where they have their own form of colour theory.  It is all based upon the stages of life and how you control your own energy, and though I shall try to explain it here I am guaranteed not to do the entire explanation justice.

When you are born you are the colour red.  Everything is changing so rapidly that life is almost an explosion.  There is so much chaos and emotional upheaval that it is hard to know where you are.  As you become a child though you go through orange and become yellow.  Yellow is full of boundless energy.  You don’t care what people think, you are just enjoying yourself and experimenting with the world.  Never stopping, just using all of the energy that yellow brings.

At some point though you become aware of everyone else, and suddenly there is an element of self-consciousness.  You become green.  You are smooth, you still have energy, but you are in more control of this energy.  This is the student, the young person.  You are cool and comfortable with yourself, whilst still understanding your place.  This naturally brings you onto the blue stage in your life.  Here you have a purpose.  You may be working; you have goals that you want to achieve.  You take life a lot more seriously, but can still have that element of fun when you want to.

As life continues, you reach dark blue and then purple, where you have taken life seriously for a long time.  Here you start to look towards the end, concerned more about what will come after you than what is still to come for you personally.  You are self-sufficient, and are in a position of power in your life.  There is however still the spark of energy in purple, remembering what you once were.  Finally though you come to be the colour white.  Here you release everything, both in body and in mind.

What is best about this analogy is how easy it is to apply to the world.  Try to think about yourself and where you fit on the colour wheel.  Better yet, go and sit in one of those dark brown and red walled coffee houses and people watch.  You will be amazed by how easy it is to see someone’s colour.

Perhaps colour is not just something that causes emotion, but emotion itself.  All of our responses are affected by the colours that surround us, but maybe we choose these colours based upon our own personal outlook.  Please, comment your thoughts on this and tell me where you would place yourself on the colour chart.