Colour psychology is a real noggin’ scratcher at the best of times. But what I discovered about black colour psychology and the weight of objects, and the effect they have on customer behaviour is downright freaky.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this article about black colour psychology and weight:
What psychology says about colours is remarkable.
I find it remarkable that something as simple as the colour, saturation and brightness of an object can have such a significant impact on our thoughts and actions.
Similarly, what we do in our day-to-day lives either restricts or enhances our ability to determine how bright or how dark an object is.
Colour psychology has become a bit of a hot topic in web design, marketing and conversion rate optimisation.
We’re gradually beginning to understand the psychology of colours and their significant role in marketing campaigns and web design.
Something as simple as the colour of a background can influence our moods, emotions, and behaviours. This means more people convert for less (a lower cost per acquisition).
However, in my experience, most designers and marketers only take into consideration the basics of colour psychology.
For example, warm colours like red, orange, and yellow can create a sense of excitement and energy, while cool colours like blue and green can evoke a feeling of calmness and relaxation.
However, this basic analysis only scratches the surface of colour psychology and how it can be used to influence how users perceive and interact with various marketing efforts and products.
So in this article, we’re going to dive headfirst into the colour psychology of light and dark colours.
Dark colours make products feel more durable.
The brightness of a product and how it can influence the perception of its durability is a whacky and thought-provoking part of colour psychology.
It’s safe to say that we humans are a little odd when we’re around colours and we go from strange to weird when we compare bright-coloured products to dark products.
According to Hagtvedt’s (2020) research paper, Dark is durable, light is user-friendly: The impact of color lightness on two product attribute judgments, finds that the colour of a product and its packaging can influence the perceived value and quality of the product.
For example, Hagtvedt’s research suggests that the perception of durability is not based solely on objective factors such as the material of the product or the design of its packaging, but also on subjective factors such as the use of colour.
However, the perception of durability and heaviness applies to far more than physical products.
Take the GoGoChimp website as an example: the dark backgrounds of our landing pages and blog help to convey to visitors the quality and craftsmanship of our services.
The colour psychology of black and white isn’t new.
The idea that “heaviness implies importance” is not a new one, and recent research has shown that this perception holds true even in seemingly mundane situations.
In a study conducted by Ackerman, Nocera, and Bargh in 2010 about haptic sensations, outlines how customers feel that information is more important when it is presented on a heavy clipboard. This suggests that physical weight can influence what we think is important.
What black colour psychology and weight means for web design and marketing.
A fun hypothesis for why mobile devices have a lower conversion rate on a website than desktop devices may be that the weight of the device has a profound influence on what visitors feel about the product or service being offered.
Brands could then use Google Analytics to study what mobile devices users access their website with and the relationship between the physical weight of the device and their conversion rates.
However black colour psychology and weight can also be applied to the world of marketing and advertising as consumers may be more likely to purchase a product with dark packaging or presented with a dark background. This is because they may think that it is more substantial, durable and valuable than what it is.
Similarly, the colour psychology of dark colours influences what customers think about reviews and testimonials.
If a product review is presented on a dark background, it may be perceived as having more weight or importance than a review on a lighter background.
So there we have it: dark colour psychology and weight to influence more people to buy you stuff.