Color
Each culture has slightly different associations with colors. We tend to assume everyone sees colors the same way as we do, but some cultures have very different ideas about color. Black, for example, is associated with death in most cultures, but in Japan symbolizes nobility and experience. Green, on the other hand, is typically associated with things like life, luck, fertility, and wealth, but in Malaysia is linked instead to danger. In China, white is the color of death and mourning in addition to the typical purity.
If you are creating a localized website or culturally customized content for a specific country, it is always best to get appropriate professional feedback on your choice of colors.
There is more than the simple choice of colors. Different cultures have different tastes. What works well in one country may have disastrous results in another country - even if the colors are "right".
However, outside of the marketing world, these associations can simply be interesting. Even within cultures, colors can have extremely ambiguous meanings. Common Japanese phrases associate blue with outsiders, anxiety, vegatables, and brothels. Our associations with color are varied and perpetually changing, which is what makes them so appealing.
Comments
Cassie- This is an
Cassie-
This is an interesting lesson in psychology, and how our cultural associations with everyday symbols can be so different. Also, i think it is a lesson for me to remember that the world isn't exactly how I perceive it. Not everybody thinks and sees things as I do. I liked how sometimes what we commonly associate a color with is opposite of what other cultures see. For example, "Black, for example, is associated with death in most cultures, but in Japan symbolizes nobility and experience." Knowing this will help me understand other cultures a little better, and see the colors a little differently. Thanks for your post!
Jess
Cassie - Your post was
Cassie -
Your post was very interesting, and it made me contemplate the way in which our society tends to view colors, as well as the way in which I view colors. Many people, I'm sure, do not really consider the way in which other cultures may interpret color usage, which, like you said, can ruin ambitions of advertisements and other goals. I also agree with what Jess commented about your post. It is interesting to consider what type of psychological effects colors have on individuals alone and within society. I really thought that your last line summed up the importance of considering colors and their effects on people because many do not consider colors to even have any sort of importance within varying cultures. "Our associations with color are varied and perpetually changing, which is what makes them so appealing." Thanks for writing a post on such a unique topic.