Color Meanings in UI Design

Red

Red is one of the most evocative colors. It’s a primary color for UI design, alongside green and blue. It attracts attention and is usually associated with strong emotions.

Red color signals:

• Love

• Passion

• Anger

• Strength

• Power

• Danger

• Energy

• Heat

• Negativity

• Confidence

Orange

Orange is the hue of encouragement and optimism. It can have a stimulating effect, particularly on the appetite.

Orange color signals:

• Positivity

• Optimism

• Sunshine

• Warmth

• Energy

• Cheer

• Flamboyance

• Adventure

• Risk

• Superficiality

Yellow

Yellow is the color of the mind and creativity. It’s illuminating and the lightest hue of the spectrum. People often associate it with the sun.

Yellow color signals:

• Creativity

• Hope

• Intellect

• Happiness

• Fun and joy

• Playfulness

• Cowardice

• Egoism

• Brightness

• Positivity

Green

Green is a primary color in UI design, alongside blue and red, that hints at nature. Green symbolizes the return to primal roots, and we often associate it with wilderness and growth.

Green color signals:

• Nature

• Purity

• Health

• Productivity

• Relaxation

• Freshness

• Fertility

• Sickness

• Immaturity

• Success

Blue

Blue is a primary color in UI design, alongside green and red. It’s the color of trust, serenity, and peace. Since it suggests loyalty and integrity, it is one of the most common brand colors.

Blue color signals:

• Serenity

• Thoughtfulness

• Enthusiasm

• Compassion

• Spirituality

• Sincerity

• Integrity

• Trust

• Wisdom

• Predictability

Purple

Purple is the color of imagination and spirituality. It is often associated with inspiring high ideals. Because of historical reasons, we often use it to denote a premium feel.

Purple color signals:

• Wealth

• Idealism

• Introspective

• Royalty

• Spirituality

• Imagination

• Fantasy

• Creativity

• Superiority

• Mysticism

Pink

Pink is one of the gentlest colors. Even though it has a great number of shades and undertones, it is most commonly known as a pale red mixed with white.

Pink color signals:

• Love

• Tenderness

• Vulnerability

• Kindness

• Calmness

• Hope

• Optimism

• Nurture

• Sweetness

• Passion

White

White is the universal symbol of purity, innocence, and serenity. It invites reflection, and it is often used as the color for decluttering. We commonly associate cleanliness with white.

White signals:

• Purity

• Elegance

• Innocence

• Freedom

• Peace

• Hope

• Creativity

• Serenity

• Cleanliness

• Faith

Grey

Grey represents neutrality and balance. As a shade between black and white, it often represents compromises. It doesn’t evoke strong emotions, and it allows other colors to stand out.

Grey signals:

• Neutrality

• Ambiguity

• Depression

• Loss

• Calmness

• Balance

• Sadness

• Elegance

• Reliability

• Indifference

Black

Black is one of the most complex colors, as there are no set-in-stone interpretations when it comes to it. It is, therefore, highly versatile.

Black signals:

• Elegance

• Mystery

• Depression

• Power

• Formality

• Death

• Evilness

• Authority

• Seductiveness

• Fear

Brown

A more serious color, brown, is often associated with stability and wisdom. On the other hand, it is one of the least favorite colors.

Brown signals:

• Seriousness

• Earth

• Reliability

• Safety

• Maturity

• Resilience

• Predictability

• Dullness

• Nature

• Passiveness

Conclusion

Colors carry meaning. When you align palette choices with the feelings above, you design with intention—not guesswork. That’s how color meanings in UI design turn screens into experiences that people trust and remember.

To learn more about color meanings in UI design, check out our blog post on Color Psychology in UX Design. We explore the topic in more detail and share useful tricks and examples to help you master color in UX design.