We’ve covered red, we’ve covered orange, now let’s spin the color wheel and lighten up a bit by discussing the color yellow. With Spring just around the corner, we can expect longer days, more sunlight, and trees with branches full of blossoming flowers. Needless to say, sunnier days are ahead of us; and what better way to welcome the end of Winter than by celebrating the brightest color on the spectrum. Yellow is the color of sunshine, and as such lends a warm, bright, and energetic tone in any design in which it appears.

Color theory states that yellow brings about feelings of cheerfulness, freshness, and alertness. It also is an attention grabber, which is why so many street signs and cabs are yellow. Picture a warm sunny day in a field of yellow flowers. You can’t help but feel happier, right? Yellow is seen as a very lighthearted and childish color, which makes it the perfect color to promote children’s products.

Conversely, it also suggests caution and warning, and can produce feelings of decay, sickness, and jealousy. Yellow has also been associated with cowardice (i.e. “yellow belly”). So be careful not to overuse yellow in your design. However, when the appropriate amount of yellow is successfully applied to a design, it can be a powerful way to grab a viewer’s attention, because yellow is seen before all other colors, especially when combined with black. Just look at all the logos using yellow below if you don’t believe us.

Did all this yellow make you mellow?

Stay tuned to see what we have to say about yellow and usability in next week’s post.