# Color Psychology Reference

## By Sector

### Financial Services / Fintech
- **Blues** (navy, royal, midnight): Trust, stability, authority, professionalism
- **Deep greens**: Growth, money, prosperity
- **Charcoal/dark greys**: Sophistication, premium, serious
- **Gold/amber accents**: Premium, success, achievement
- Avoid: Hot pinks, neons, overly playful palettes — undermine trust signals

### Healthcare / Wellness
- **Soft blues**: Calm, clean, clinical trust
- **Greens** (sage, mint, forest): Health, nature, balance
- **Warm whites / off-whites**: Clean, open, breathing room
- **Warm neutrals**: Approachable, human, caring
- Avoid: Heavy blacks, aggressive reds — create anxiety

### Technology / SaaS
- **Electric blues, purples**: Innovation, intelligence, forward-thinking
- **Sharp accents** (electric green, cyan): Energy, speed, action
- **Dark backgrounds** (dark navy, near-black): Premium, focused, modern
- Gradient use common and acceptable
- Avoid: Overly corporate greys alone — feel dated

### Creative / Agency / Design
- More latitude — can be bold, unexpected
- Contrast-heavy palettes work well
- Consider monochromatic with one bold accent
- Can use black-heavy palettes for premium creative positioning

### Consumer / Retail
- **Warm tones** (terracotta, warm orange, coral): Approachable, energetic, fun
- **Cool tones** (slate, cool grey, navy): Premium, considered, calm
- **Bright primaries**: Accessible, friendly, value-focused
- Match palette to price positioning: warm/bright = accessible, cool/muted = premium

### Food & Beverage
- **Reds and oranges**: Appetite stimulation, warmth, energy
- **Greens**: Fresh, natural, healthy
- **Browns/earth tones**: Artisanal, craft, natural
- Avoid: Blues for food (natural appetite suppressant) unless deliberately clinical/tech-adjacent

### Education
- **Blues**: Knowledge, trust, calm
- **Greens**: Growth, learning, development
- **Bright accents**: Energy, curiosity, engagement
- Depends heavily on age of audience — younger = brighter, older = more subdued

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## Emotional Associations Quick Reference

| Color | Primary associations | Secondary associations |
|-------|---------------------|----------------------|
| Red | Energy, urgency, passion | Danger, aggression |
| Orange | Warmth, enthusiasm, creativity | Cheap (if overused) |
| Yellow | Optimism, clarity, warmth | Caution, anxiety (bright) |
| Green | Growth, health, nature | Money, envy |
| Blue | Trust, calm, authority | Cold, corporate |
| Purple | Premium, creativity, wisdom | Artificial, excessive |
| Pink | Warmth, care, approachable | Gendered (use carefully) |
| Black | Premium, power, elegance | Heavy, exclusionary |
| White | Clean, simple, open | Empty, clinical |
| Grey | Neutral, sophisticated | Boring, uncommitted |
| Brown | Earthy, natural, reliable | Dull (if dominant) |
| Gold | Premium, success, quality | Garish (if overused) |

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## Accessibility Standards

### WCAG AA Requirements (minimum for compliance)
- Normal text (< 18pt): contrast ratio ≥ 4.5:1
- Large text (≥ 18pt or 14pt bold): contrast ratio ≥ 3:1
- UI components and graphics: contrast ratio ≥ 3:1

### WCAG AAA (enhanced — aim for where possible)
- Normal text: contrast ratio ≥ 7:1
- Large text: contrast ratio ≥ 4.5:1

### Quick contrast checks
- Black (#000000) on white (#FFFFFF): 21:1 ✓
- Dark navy (#1a2744) on white: ~14:1 ✓
- Medium grey (#767676) on white: 4.54:1 ✓ (barely passes AA)
- Light grey (#aaaaaa) on white: 2.32:1 ✗ (fails)
- White on mid-blue (#0066cc): ~5.7:1 ✓

**Always flag** if a proposed text/background combination fails WCAG AA.

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## Color Combination Principles

### Complementary (opposite on color wheel)
- High contrast, vibrant, energetic
- Use sparingly — can feel aggressive at full saturation
- Works well: one dominant, one accent

### Analogous (adjacent on color wheel)
- Harmonious, cohesive, calm
- Easy to live with, less dramatic
- Good for brands wanting approachable, consistent feel

### Triadic (three equally spaced)
- Balanced but vibrant
- Requires careful proportion (60/30/10 rule)
- One dominant, one secondary, one accent

### Monochromatic (single hue, varied lightness/saturation)
- Sophisticated, focused, coherent
- Easy to extend across materials
- Add one contrasting accent to avoid monotony

### 60/30/10 Rule
- 60% primary/neutral colour (backgrounds, large areas)
- 30% secondary colour (sections, supporting elements)
- 10% accent colour (CTAs, highlights, key interactions)