Why Colour And Cultural Considerations Are Integral To Web Design (Part 1)

These days, colour and the way it is viewed by different cultures is of huge significance for the web design industry; something that they were not concerned with in previous years. This is because the websites created here, in Australia, can be viewed by people living in the United States, or in England or even in a less technologically advanced country, like China. And, as each of these countries has their own culture, it is becoming increasingly important to avoid offending viewers whenever possible.

Red
Whilst the colour red is universally recognized as the colour of the Chinese New Year (and is said to represent luck, good fortune and prosperity), most cultures will also have their own views when it is used in website design. In Western cultures, for example, it is the colour of passion, excitement and, when coupled with green, Christmas. In Eastern and Asian cultures, red is often worn by brides on their wedding day because of its associations with luck, purity, happiness and life. In Latin America, on the other hand, red is coupled with white to create religious themes and the Middle East views the colour as one of evil.

Orange
The only universal interpretation for orange is that it is a colour often associated with religion; it is the colour of gluttony according to Christianity, for example. In the Middle East, orange is seen as the colour of mourning and loss, which is in deep contrast to other cultures, such as Latin America, that see it as being sunny and the colour of the earth in web design. Some Eastern and Asian cultures (especially Indian) see orange as being sacred and associate it with courage and love. In the world’s Western cultures, on the other hand, it is the colour of autumn, warmth and even royalty, as well as being associated with Halloween.

Yellow
There are not many universal interpretations of the colour yellow, except that its gold variations are associated with wealth. The Western interpretation of the colour being bright, cheery, warm and summery is the one that is generally accepted across of the world. The views of the Middle East tend to mirror those of Western cultures in terms of yellow and web design. In Eastern and Asian cultures, the ruling class often wears yellow because it is considered sacred and imperial. Latin America, in a complete turn around, associates the colour with death and mourning.

In parts two and three, the cultural views of many of the other colours that are commonly used in web design (including: blue, green, pink, black and even white) will be explored. It is hoped that, with a greater understanding of how these colours are viewed around the world, cultural sensitivity can be widely practiced.