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The psychological meaning of colours - Purple, White and Black (Part II)

Updated: Jul 26, 2021

Welcome to Part II of our series, in out first edition we talked about Blue, Green, Red, Yellow and Orange. Now, let's look at these pigments which complete the world of colours around us.

Purple Colour interior Brandgraphy example picture
Deep purples used in interior design

Purple: Purple is born from a union of warm and cold colours, giving it the quality of both the spectrums. The colour purple is formed by mixing red and blue together, it carries the eye-catching impact of the reds, and the serenity of the blues.

A colour associated with royalty, exquisiteness, feminine grace and male aristocracy. There is no colour that has transcended the boundaries of gender like purple.


May be when they say, meditation is all about walking the "middle" path, the middle path should be coloured with purple. A purple hue conveys wisdom, something deep and spiritual. It is red and blue, but devoid of fire in reds, and the ice in blues. Something that one cannot categorise so easily, and yet the charm of purple is alluring even to the heavens above. It is used in Advertising to convey creativity, intellect and magical elements. Marketers have always used Purple for industries as varied as education to chocolate, and now, purple is especially popular in UI of varied apps to brochures of creative companies.

Image courtesy - Pantone, Colour of the year - 2018, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet

The different shades of Purple can convey very different meanings, for ex: Lavender is usually used in wellness and spa industry to communicate safety, mental well-being, a calm sense of things, while mauve shades tend to grace the brands related young girls and women centric products. The tints and shades of this colour can greatly change the meaning of the communication ranging from romance to spirituality. Purple is meant to be explored and experimented, it never fails to bedazzle the human eye.

White Colour interior Brandgraphy Advertising
An all white interior design theme

White: Sophistication, simplicity and innocence are the key features of White, it gives a feeling of spatial openness wherever it is used. White is a universal symbol of peace and harmony. In the marketplace, white is the emphasis colour for electrical and electronic goods, and features prominently in nordic design language as well as minimalistic design patterns.


It is also a natural colour of rivers, of clouds, of snow and rain. Human beings feel a very intimate connection with white, responding with slowed down heart-rates, sense of comfort and recognition of genuineness. I think when everyone imagines a soul, no matter which society they belong to, they all imagine it as white.


White is a colour that acts as a canvas and also as a great paint for products that need to communicate a high level of craftsmanship. Apple has, in fact; leveraged the emotional communication inherent in white to establish itself as a brand that favours function over form, a brand that believes in no frills. Automobile industry uses white extensively for it's reasons of natural visibility and Cosmetics use it for communicating trust. White is a symbol of supreme luxury and therefore, just like purple, it has a high status in Fashion too. And yes! all bathrooms are kept pristine white, a place known for thinking great thoughts, may be white has to be credited for that!

Black interior design Brandgraphy Advertising
A Lounge space created with black colour scheme

Black: The text you read right now is black, on a white canvas, the most functional and comfortable combination to present words in Communication Design. Just like white, it establishes functionality and craftsmanship. But apart from it's usual application for functionality in gadgets, what else does black stand for?


Black denotes luxury, professionalism and depth of character. It has an unusually dramatic effect. On one hand, it has a overpowering sense of professional greatness, on the other hand it is a staple colour for sexiness and nouveau- rich flamboyance. In fact Black, White and Red make a colour scheme that has been used to denote power through out the history of Graphic Design.


Chanel was a die hard fan of Black. A lot of nightclubs use the power of black to create a surreal environment in combination with electric pinks, reds or blues. Black and gold often form an unforgettable colour scheme to depict the ultimate luxury. At the same time, Black is also a philosopher, the opposite sister of white, enabling people to feel deeply about a subject, think Black and White Photography, a dark Theatre and the night time of all our lives! The night is black, and it forces us to behave differently and feel differently. Black is a canvas for what we cannot do in the day. To those who wait for the evenings to feel joy, black is a colour that illuminates their world.

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