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Whether you’re putting together a portfolio web site or just slapping together some slides, knowing how colors affect the minds of your audience makes your message more appealing. Smashing magazine offers a post that serves as Color Psychology 101 for would-be designers.

Beyond explaining which colors work as “warm” and “cool,” how primaries play off secondary colors, and offering lots of keen examples of every kind of color design, Smashing’s post offers some clues on how colors are perceived when images are translated to mental impressions. Here’s a little primer on orange that caught me unawares:

Orange is a very vibrant and energetic color. In its muted forms, it can be associated with the earth and with autumn. Because of its association with the changing seasons, orange can represent change and movement in general.

Because orange is associated with the fruit of the same name, it can be associated with health and vitality. In designs, orange commands attention without being as overpowering as red. It’s often considered more friendly and inviting, and less in-your-face.

Hit the link for a deeper read. While you’ve got your monocle and draft paper out, tell us what color schemes you like, and which have never appealed to you, in the comments.