Considering Color: Applying Psychology to Improve the Use of Color in Digital Interfaces

Abstract

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) focuses on user-centered design, which leads towards innovative yet user-friendly technologies. This field overlaps with User Experience (UX) Designer and Research. The main difference is the theoretical foundation of HCI, which heavily weighs on psychology, principles, and theories. Color is an essential aspect of art and design; often designers overlook the connotations associated with color. This paper intends to connect the fields of color psychology and HCI, thus explaining how professionals in the field can utilize the advantages of this framework. To study the effects of color within the realm of digital interface design, an experiment was undertaken with the goal of increasing user session time. A hypothesis was derived by assessing demographics, preferences, and trends despite color being traditionally perceived as innately subjective. The data collected from the experiment demonstrated that yellow shades of blue, in combination with a noninvasive color scheme (such as dark mode), can increase the time users spend browsing a webpage.