Module 3-3: Working With Graphics

The Color Green and How It's Perceived

The color green has several historical and modern contexts that associate it with certain ideas or concepts. From a historical perspective, it is commonly associated with fertility. Brides in certain cultures would wear a green wedding dress to promote fertility in their marriage. This use can be seen in modern times with the green M&M.

Here we can see that the M&M is intended to be recognized as a female, and is in fact the only female M&M. This is an ode the the fertility context of the color green. However, this isn't the only use of green. Modern society associates it with nature, sustainability, freshness, and vegetables. These are most commonly found in the commercial arena as well as the non-profit arena. Here is an example of green being used for the promotion of environmental awareness:

This shows us the color green being used in the universal symbol for recycling to demonstrate that we should be recycling more to take care of our own planet. This is a common use of the color green in environmental awareness programs. It is recognized as being associated with nature, thus it works for making the viewer think of nature and the environment when the color is present.

Another typical association of the color green is the idea of vegetables or freshness. Most people associate those two concepts as one in the same, because vegetables are typically desired as being fresh for the best taste, or result in the recipe. Here is a picture of a plate of vegetables:

It is not hard to see why someone would think of vegetables when viewing the color green because as we can see here the dominant color it green.

A few last points to consider is that green is the easiest color for the human eye to perceive. That is, when looking at the color green, the human eye is most restful versus other colors. This can contribute to a feeling of easiness, safety, or relaxation. This context is demonstrated in the stop light that indicates it is safe to proceed. The final point is that feng shui claims that using the color green relieves the individual of nervousness, and rudeness.