JESS3 designed and animated this infographic for there lecture at Stevenson University for AIGA Baltimore in Feb 2010.

Colours play a very important role when it comes to website design, they are the most important element of a web design to convey emotion. Colour Psychology is one of more complex elements in design psychology, something we will not go into in too much depth, but we will give you an idea of some of the concepts involved. Colours have a huge impact on how visitors will perceive your website. You have to ensure that the colours that have been selected for your website design that re-enforce the message you are trying to portray. Below are the basic meanings behind colours, I would also note that colour combination and the different uses of shades, hues and tones will have a huge impact on the meanings, this is simply a brief overview.

Red: The colour draws attention and keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element. Passionate, Firery, Strong Confident and can represent both love and anger, the colour can effect people both mentally and physically, through increased enthusiasm, entourages actions and confidence and can stimulate energy.

Orange: With the combination of both Red and Yellow they share similar attributes, and is associated with energy, warmth, its calmer than red and much more cheerful. This fun and flamboyant colour radiates warmth and energy, it has been said to stimulate activity, appetite and encourage socialisation.

Yellow: A warm and happy colour, Can represent both joy, optimism and enlightenment. Shades of the golden yellow carry promises of a positive future, and is said to spark creative thought.It is said that yellow stimulates the nervous system, activates memory and encourages communication.

Green: Signifies nature, growth, eco-friendlyness, and renewal. It can occasionally mean inexperience, but can also be associated with envy or jealousy. Green can be a pervasive colour in the natural world, and an ideal use as a backdrop as we are used to seeing this colour everywhere in nature. Natural greens from forest to lime are seen as tranquil and refreshing colours, they can also be seen as colours of peace and ecology. However the ‘institutional’ side to green has often been associated with illness or government issues. The colour green is said to alleviate depression nervousness and anxiety as well as offer a sense of renewal self control and harmony.

Blue: Cool and calming, strong connection with corporate images and business. This is a very popular colour by many people, as has it has such a influence on our lives being the colour of the sky and sea, it involves feelings of rest and relaxation, the colour blue has been proven to work with the body producing calming chemicals, however not all blues are calming, electric or brilliant blues can become more dramatic and dynamic an engaging colour that expresses exhilaration.

Purple: Long associations with wealth and royalty, its also a spiritual colour and is thought to be very creative. The colour has embodied the balance of both stimulation from red and the calm from blue, This dichotomy can cause unrest unless the undertone has been clearly defined and then at which point the purple takes on the characteristics of its undertone. Purple is able to be uplifting as well as calming.

Brown: A earthly colour, representing stability and reliability. It has links to nature and all things organic, the colour allows for approachability and has connections to the earth, and gives feelings of wholesomeness.

Grey: Not so much a colour as a tone, grey is a neutral and balanced stance, which can be both conservative and sophisticated. This timeless shade is practical and solid, although has links with loss and depression.

Black: It has many meaning and is very dependent on usage, it can be conservative or edgy, traditional or modern, it can be mysterious as well as sexy. This authoritative and powerful colour can evoke strong emotions and overuse can be overwhelming, its a classic colour and doesn’t change with time, the colour effects people with a mysterious ability to evoke a sense of potential and possibility.

White: Associated closely with innocence and purity. This very clean colour often represented through doctor coats, bridal dresses and the white picket fence surrounding a happy and safe home, the colour aids mental clarity, and invokes purification.

With changes to the way in which digital devices have empowered the end user by allowing for easy custom development of applications with a cash incentive for developers (Thank you Steve Jobs!) people have been able to create these revolutionary applications, I have stumbled upon one this morning, which is called Square up and accepts credit card payments from anyone and all you need is a mobile phone.

Start accepting cash and card payments with Square. No contracts, monthly fees, or hidden costs. Effortlessly manage the money you take with an easy and intuitive interface. Accept payment cards on any device with an audio input jack, including your mobile phone. After signing up for Square, provide your address on the web and we’ll send your free card reader and Square sticker.

The best part about this service is that it doesn’t have any monthly fees are the transaction fees are a reasonable 2.75 – 3.5% + 15c per transaction.

Shifted Pixels has just taken on some Search Engine Optimisation work with Deane’s Management which offers a wide variety of Perisher Accommodation right in the heart of the snowfields.

They offer three different accommodation options from budget student accommodation to luxury private chalets the perfect On Snow Accommodation for any winter holiday. As we are coming right into the snow season and we just received our first snow for the season. It’s easy to book your ski accommodation right now on the phone. Simply call Deane’s on (02) 9979 7955 or visit there snow accommodation perisher website and leave your winter holiday accommodation bookings up to Deane’s so you can enjoy your ski holiday relaxing.

Online shopping has been highlighted as one of the top 10 growth industries for 2010, with an expected increase of 4.7%, and a revenue of $20 billion.

In a special industry report – Industries to Fly and Fall in 2010 – IBISWorld revealed online shopping as one of the top ten sectors that are set to fly this year.

While 2009 proved to be a tough year, characterised by rising unemployment and economic gloom, the new year may well bring good tidings for some Australian businesses, with projected GDP growth of 2.2%.

As access to technology improves, and Australia’s overall skill in using it grows, time-poor bargain hunters will continue to flock to e-tailers to meet their shopping needs. Improvements in online-store efficiency, reliability and security are expected to drive industry growth of 4.7% in 2010 to reach $20 billion — resulting in a 2.9% growth in employment.

Within Australia, online sales currently represent just 5.5% of all retail sales, well below levels in the United States and Britain. Current lower levels are partly due to the fact that Australian retailers have been slow to offer online sales, using the internet solely as a marketing tool. If Australian retailers do not embrace online sales, they could lose billions of dollars in potential sales to specialist stores and foreign competitors.

Source: Online Shopping Australia & IBISWorld Australia

Shifted Pixels understands online customer behaviours and specialises in optimising customer experiences in ecommerce.  Call us today to discuss moving your retail business online to seize upon unrealised and untapped revenues.