Colours and shapes: how do they affect how you feel?

Have you ever entered a yellow room and immediately felt a bit more cheerful? Or have you ever felt calm and relaxed just by seeing the blue of a beach or ocean- even if it is from a distance? Picasso. Colour is, without a doubt, a very important communication tool which can be used to influence mood, signal action or even sometimes influence physiological reactions. In a basic sense, colour psychology refers to the psychological influence of colour in dictating people’s emotional reactions. Of course, there is a lot of subjective influence involved in colour psychology, where everyone perceives colour differently; but there have been some widely accepted interpretations of colour as well.

It’s not just colour, interestingly, shapes can have an effect on emotions as well. Shapes are everywhere, in every small thing around us. Since we are surrounded by shapes of all different types and sizes on the daily, our brain is wired to understand and remember shapes ALL. THE. TIME! It’s no wonder then that they have a greater impact on subconscious than we believe. Shapes like squares, circles and triangles actually have a deeper meaning to them that we know; that is why they are carefully selected and used in the designs for a company logo, since they have an impact on what the brand hopes to portray.

Discussed below are few colours and shapes, and the emotions that they hope to induce.

Colours

Colours are heavily impactful, they have the power to make anything look expensive or cheap, natural or artificial. The way we feel about a colour differs even with a change in the shade, hue or tint. It is important to keep in mind a certain colour does not have just one symbolic meaning. Red doesn’t only mean negative and green doesn’t only mean positive. Interpretations and meanings derived from colours depend on a variety of factors like culture, age, gender, social environment.

Ever wondered why so many fast-food joints have red in their logo? Burger King, McDonald’s, KFC, and many others. That is because red can stimulate one’s appetite. Red has a stimulating effect on our body and mind and can influence pulse and blood pressure. It’s no wonder that red is used to signify aggression and agitation. It resembles a high level of energy and excitement. On the flip side, red is known for passion, love and warmth.

Ever heard the saying green with envy? Green does not just signify positivity, but can also be associated with money, greed and envy. At the same time, green also signifies nature, life and growth. Green promotes feelings of relaxedness and freshness. Blue is usually associated with feelings of calmness and serenity, given that nowhere there is as much blue in the sea or sky. If you have ever been near the sea or have been under a beautiful blue sky, there is that feeling of tranquillity and security that passes through, no matter how fleeting.

It’s no wonder that Black is the favourite colour of many, given that it signifies boldness and strength. On the flip side, it also signifies feelings of loss, death and sadness. The link between black and negativity is deeply rooted in English as well, negative connotations like ‘black sheep (of family),’ black market,’ ‘blackmail,’ are all widely used. But at the same time, when it comes to branding, black is widely used as is shows sophistication and glamour. Yellow gives that warm, fuzzy feeling and strongly symbolizes optimism and happiness. It’s no wonder that most of our emojis are yellow in colour since it encourages communication.

Shapes

Ever noticed that in most animations, the villain has a very pointy nose and sharp edges? That is because triangles can be interpreted as being defiant and powerful, and its no wonder that our brain somewhat automatically judges a character or person with a pointy nose to be edgy, powerful or mischievous. Triangles are also associated with pyramids, which are associated with great strength and power.

Circles are linked with feelings of friendliness and thus the friendly characters in most animations are circular in nature, that is, without sharp edges. Most of the emojis we use are circular in nature too, thus encouraging communication. Circles also promote feelings of security and wholeness, given the circle of life and association with our planet.

Rectangles and squares are usually associated with feelings of stability and strong, mainly because most of the furniture around us are rectangular or square-shaped. They also resemble balance and professionalism and make us feel contained and safe.

Most shapes and colours go hand in hand. There exist many combinations of shapes and colours in our subconscious. For example, if we see a yellow circle- we immediately associate it with the sun. Take the below image for example:

It is just a triangle on top of a square. But we immediately, subconsciously combine them to form a larger element that we are familiar with.

To conclude, the above listed are just a few examples of how different colours and shapes can affect emotions. You need not be a brand or designer to be able to use the right colours and shapes to promote certain emotions. Be it for your Instagram posts or when you are choosing the colour and accessories for your home, the emotions that you hope to induce ought to be chosen wisely.

References

Dave, N. (2019). Understanding the psychology behind logo designs colors and shapes. Pro Designs. Retrieved from: https://www.prodesigns.com/blog/understanding-the-psychology-behind-logo-design-colors-and-shapes

Postema, R. (2020). The psychology behind shapes and colours. UX Collective. Retrieved from: https://uxdesign.cc/the-psychology-behind-shapes-and-colors-17dd93ce08a2

Other Important Articles

• How Colors Affect Our Brain and Mood
• Depression: A Colour Blind World
• Types of Basic Emotions