Do Good Design

Red is the stimulating colour of fire and passion, and is connected to two of our most powerful drives: food and sex.

Blood, raw meat, apples, ripe berries are all red, and so its associations with craving and desire are deep within our consciousness.

High-status colour

Red is also about power, with its use in status and clothing ranging from the hats of Catholic cardinals to the shoes of Louis XIV and the execution dress of Mary Queen of Scots.

For the Catholic cardinals, their red pointed hats represent their willingness to “protect the faith” to the death.

For King Louis XIV, his scarlet painted heels drew attention to this legs, of which he was proud.

And in the case of Mary Queen of Scots, her black and red dress represented her impending death (black) and the courage with which she faced it (red).

Where does the status part come in?

Up until the mid-1800s when synthetic dyes were invented, brilliant red was a rare and expensive dye made from crushing beetles. It was a vital import first from Persia then later from the New World — and only the wealthy could afford it.

Browner, softer shades of red could be achieved with madder root, but true luscious red was reserved for the elite from ancient Egyptian times to well into the 19th century. Its association with status continues to this day.

Physical effects of red

The colour red isn’t just powerful because of its cultural associations. It also has a documented physical effect.

Red triggers adrenaline and raises blood pressure and pulse rate — your body “sees red”, as it were. Because colour is light, it can have physical and emotional effects on your body and red is one of the strongest.

The lightwaves that make up red are sent straight to the adrenal medulla in your brain, where they then stimulate adrenaline.

So when I say red is “stimulating”, I mean it literally.

Psychological symbolism

• passionate
• sexy
• energetic
• courageous
• aggressive
• violent

References in Nature

• fire
• blood
• raw meat
• roses
• apples, tomatoes

Contemporary Uses

• traffic lights and stop signs
• Christmas
• Valentine’s Day

When to use red

Red is good for websites related to power, sex and food as it helps stimulate appetites for all three. Many a restaurant uses red in its interiors to encourage a healthy appetite.

It’s also excellent for websites that need to make a status-conscious statement: the Oscars, for example, where the “rolling out the red carpet” is appropriate.

Red can be brash, with its red light district associations, so use the brighter tones carefully.

Next: The right shade of red to demonstrate your website’s elegance.

About Do Good Design

At Do Good, we create websites for small businesses who are passionate about what they do. We combine elegant design with punchy business tactics.

Find out the 6 ways we can build the perfect website for you.

Or get in touch to discuss your website project.

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color web design