Colour by kelseycunning

Colour A Study Into Favorites

Intro Between 10/21/2020 and 12/01/2020 I created a digital survey asking people five simple questions; age, gender, favorite color in the ROYGBIV spectrum, to find their favorite color on a sliding scale and give me a HEX code, and why they chose that specific color as their favorite. I was able to gather over 270 responses and was able to gather lots of data and was able to draw plenty of interesting insights into the topic of favorite colors.

For the question “What is your favorite color family?” these were the findings on people’s favorite in the ROYGBIV spectrum. Red was the choice of 38 respondents Orange was the choice of 16 respondents Yellow was the choice of 31 respondents Green was the choice of 54 respondents Blue was the choice of 76 respondents Indigo was the choice of 6 respondents Violet was the choice of 34 respondents Black & White was chosen by 15 respondents 4 people skipped this question

Energy & Power Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red.1 Red was the third most popular color family and had 14% of the total vote. Shades of pink were chosen in the color slider question more often than shades of red. Those pink shades were most popular with people aged 18–24.

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“I learned to accept pink as I became an adult and got more comfortable with femininity & “cute” things.” #ed2290

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If Your Favorite Color is Red... Choosing the color red shows that you are action oriented with a deep need for physical fulfillment. You have a drive and determination like no other. You are outgoing and assertive and prone to risk-taking behavior and impulsive actions. You’re also an optimist with strong opinions who is quick to judge.4

Warmth & Creativity Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. Orange represents enthusiasm, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation. To the human eye, orange is a very hot color. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest.1 Orange was the sixth most popular color family and had 6% of the total vote. Of that 6%, almost half of respondents were aged 25–34 making it one of the more popular colors in that age group.

“It fits into a 60s/70s vibe and is fun and bright for home decor. I also love wearing it because I find it to be a fun and unique color to wear.” #f47642

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“Makes me feel warm and cozy but also energized. Also represents a more vintage vibe.” #d97c27

If Your Favorite Color is Orange... A bold color for a person who is friendly and energetic. Lovers of orange seek the attention of others and are able to manage social situations because you love to be with people. While good-natured, you are often swayed by outside opinions, however, you have strong loyalties and feel good will towards most others.4

Sunshine & Happiness Yellow is the color of sunshine. It’s associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Yellow is often associated with food. Bright, pure yellow is an attention getter, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this color. When overused, yellow may have a disturbing effect; it is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is seen before other colors when placed against black; this combination is often used to issue a warning.1 Yellow was the fifth most popular color family and had 11% of the total vote. Yellow was most popular among people aged 25–34, and was only chosen by people who identify as women.

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“Makes me happy and matches my sunny disposition.” #f0d051

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If Your Favorite Color is Yellow... Yellow, the color of optimism and happiness. Sometimes you can be perceived as wacky, when in fact, you’re just finding ways to bring in the sunshine and are probably more intelligent the average person. With a vivid imagination, you have a keen sense to help the world.4

Nature & Harmony Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional relation with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic.1 Green was the second most popular color family and had 20% of the total vote. 54 people voted green as their favorite with all age ranges in this vast group.

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If Your Favorite Color is Green... Lovers of green are loyal and frank with others. Your reputation is very important and with this, in mind, you strive to be a good citizen who is reputable, moral and sensitive. You also feel deep affection for your family which fits into your need to love and be loved and feel safe and secure.4

Calm & Depth Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, and truth. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability.1 Blue was the most popular color family and had 28% of the total vote. 76 people voted blue as their favorite color. Of those 76 people, 12 men and 63 women voted it as their absolute favorite.

“I was obsessed with Cinderella when I was little...the film was gorgeous stylistically and that powder blue Cinderella color still makes me happy.” #b1e6fc

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If Your Favorite Color is Blue... Lovers of blue, much like the color, convey a sense of calm, stillness and peace. Everyone trusts you as you are prone to listen to others and make the effort to try and help them in their lives. Deliberate and introspective, in times of stress you look for gentler surroundings because you are sensitive to feelings. You’re a loyal friend who people remember for being warm and friendly.4

Wisdom & Devotion Indigo resides between violet and blue on the color wheel. Generally indigo represents our deepest thoughts and spiritual wisdom. In religion, indigo is the color associated with devotion, service, honesty and dignity. Indigo brings structure to chaos. It is a right brain color that helps us cope with stress.5 Indigo was the eighth and least popular color family and had 2% of the vote. It only had 6 people vote for it as their favorite color of the ROYGBIV spectrum.

“Ive just always found indigo blue very calming.” #0366fc

“I love Shibori and Japanese dyeing techniques and they involve indigo. A very sweet and pretty fun dyeing process.” #32334a

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If Your Favorite Color is Indigo... You need structure in life, organization is important to you and you can be quite inflexible when it comes to order in your life. You love rituals and traditions. You look to the past when planning for the future. You are conscientious and reliable, a good person to have around in a crisis.4

Royalty and Elegance Violet combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Violet is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Violet is associated with wisdom, dignity, creativity, mystery, and magic.1 Violet was the fourth most popular color family and had 12% of the vote. It was most popular with people aged 18–24 and out of the 12% who chose it as their favorite color, 14% were men making violet the second most popular color for men.

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“The dark purple is rich and warm to me. It is an easy color to mix with many others.” #a834eb

“It reminds me of my favorite flower, lilacs.” #e1baff

If Your Favorite Color is Violet... You are sensitive and compassionate, understanding and supportive, thinking of others before yourself—you are the person others come to for help—being needed motivates you but sometimes people take advantage of you. You are a gentle and free spirit. Your feelings run deep and you can be quite sensitive to hurtful comments from others, although you would never show it.4

Elegance & Perfection Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown. Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious. White is associated with light, innocence, and purity. It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and cleanliness.1 Black & White was the seventh most popular color family and had 5% of the vote. 15 people total voted for black and white most of which were in the age group of 25–34.

“Technically a shade not a color, but I always say it’s my favorite color anyways. It always looks great and it can be very dramatic when painting.” #000000

“Matches everything, chic, can be neutral or edgy.” #111111

“Feels very clean and calm...I like when white objects start to show scuffs and marks from their use, it adds a level of meaning to them that I think is pretty.” #fffcf7

If Your Favorite Color is Black... The color of luxury. Chances are that lovers of black have an artistic and sensitive personality and can be moody and sophisticated at the same time. You take privacy around the details of your life very seriously which feeds into your need to be in control.4

If Your Favorite Color is White... If your favorite color is white, your deepest need is for simplicity. So as not to depend on anyone else, you’re independent and self-reliant, relying on logic to solve every problem. You appreciate order and simple elegance and are often described as an old soul.4

Color Wheel Pro, 2002, www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html. Accessed 19 February 2021.

Empowered by Color, 2009, www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/. Accessed 19 February 2021.

Fields, R. Douglas. “Why We Prefer Certain Colors.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 1 Apr. 2011, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-new-brain/201104/why-we-prefer-certain-colors.

King, Bernadette. “What Does the Color Indigo Mean”. Building Beautiful Souls. www.buildingbeautifulsouls. com/symbols-meanings/color-psychology-symbolism-meanings/what-does-the-color-indigo-mean/.