When you think of the color yellow, do you think of warmth and happiness? Or do you perhaps associate it with envy and jealousy? Do you link it to death and mourning? There is no right and wrong. How you feel likely has to do with where and how you grew up as perceptions of color vary from region to region. This means a single color may have different, and even contrasting meaning around the world.
Cultures often use colors to show their values. Even religion plays a role in influencing different cultures and one’s view of a specific color. In political and historical associations, flag colors and political parties are well-known in their respective region and linguistically, we’ve all heard of regional idioms or expressions such as “green thumb,” “yellow-bellied,” “blue collar,” “silver screen,” “golden opportunity” and “red tape,” that require translating what color means in that culture.
Knowledge about colors can even help make effective decisions about branding, marketing and sales. An article titled “The bold bright truth about color theory” suggests that “People decide whether or not they like a product in 90 seconds or less. Ninety percent of that decision is based solely on color. So, a very important part of your branding must focus on color.”
When researching more about how color requires global and cultural mindset, I stumbled upon Eriksen Translations Inc., a multilingual services platform that offers translation, typesetting and multimedia localization. As part of their work, they created a guide called “Color Across Cultures” that offer deep dive into common symbolism one can find in popular colors. The following is my interpretation of their research.
Colors are what you make of them. Though they can conflict in meaning across cultures, it is evident there is no short of meanings they can evoke. This is especially important to keep in mind in design, and should be referred to when working on branding, marketing or sales.
References:
Decker, K. (2020, July 7). The bold, bright truth about color theory. 99designs. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://99designs.com/blog/tips/the-7-step-guide-to-understanding-color-theory/
Shutterstock, S. (2021, December 15). The meaning of colors in cultures around the world. The Shutterstock Blog. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/color-symbolism-and-meanings-around-the-world
Translations Inc., E. (2020). Western Europe & North America – marketing.eriksen.com. color across cultures. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://marketing.eriksen.com/acton/attachment/40548/f-f8e8e7d5-65bb-4fd6-8110-55f5b61fc71f/1/-/-/-/-/Colors%20Across%20Cultures.pdf