Be it stopping at a red traffic light or seeing something highlighted, the brain will trigger a response for the human body to react based on different colours. From this perspective, colours can and will affect our decisions and learning capacities.

Colours are an important factor that should be taken seriously and it is time we should use its advantages to how we learn. It can be a vital tool to use different colours to help with visual learning.

So, many people likely think of questions including what colours actually help us to learn? Or what colours can become distracting? The answer would be down to how colour affects the neurological pathways in your brain leading to biochemical responses. 

Using the right colour or selection of colours can affect feelings, attention, and behaviour when learning. This is all focused towards human psychology and how humans respond differently to other colours. 

Despite a general lack of research in colour psychology, it has become a large subject in areas including art and learning. From what research has discovered so far, your feelings towards colour are mostly associated with your culture and experience with them. This means that some colours may have different meanings to different people because of social, political or religious reasons. 

It’s key to note that this isn’t a definitive science and some colours may invoke different responses for different individuals. For instance, the colour red may invoke a bad response if you’re squeamish with blood. 

Green - Improves Concentration 

When thinking about beautiful scenery; most images that come to mind most likely include majestic green hills or large scenic forests. These low wavelength colours help with relaxation and calmness which supports efficiency and focus when working. This means that when having online lessons with an online tutor; using green highlighters on your notepads can help boost your concentration. 

A method to help with this is to use mind maps. Mind maps often contain a lot of information, so the use of green colours are a wise decision to enhance your focus when undergoing revision. 

Various studies have proven that green environments help boost productivity. For instance, it has been observed that people who work in actual ‘green’ environments with plants are more productive workers. Such evidence has shown that people who work in green-certified environments have an increased 26% in cognition, 30% fewer workers on sickness and 6% of people have reported a better sleep quality. 

Furthermore, a study run by Dr. Kate Lee examined 150 university students by giving them a boring task which involved pressing a series of numbers over and over as they read off a computer screen. The students were told not to press keys when the number three appeared on the screen. When a break came about in a 40-second window, half of the group viewed a green roof, while the others looked out onto a concrete roof. Amazingly, the research ended by students who looked at the green roof made fewer errors and had overall better concentration. 

Orange - Mood Lifter

When orange comes to mind, most people probably think of a nice sunset as it is soothing and relaxing to think of. Orange can be a welcoming and a mood-lifting colour as it provides a unique feeling of calmness and comfort.

There are some theories that state the colour orange can actually increase oxygen supply to the brain which can stimulate mental activity. Increases in oxygen supply can also make one feel invigorated with a ‘get things done’ mentality. Experts have even stated that the colour orange should be used for painting test-centres and exam halls to help students develop a greater focus when under pressure. 

Many studies have found that when colours are used to emphasize a feature or piece of content on the screen, learners’ attention levels increase with the colour orange. Of course, the best colours for this are warm colours, like orange. So we can say that when you’re looking to highlight certain facts or important information, orange can be a better choice than the traditional red

Blue - Productivity



Research into the colour blue is useful for learners undertaking highly intellectually challenging workloads. That is work which requires a high cognitive load which includes people with an occupation in programming or education. 

Blue is best used for learning situations which are challenging and very ingrained already within school environments. Blue paper, blue ink, or blue highlighting can be used to help improve reading comprehension too. 

Blue in general is a relaxing and calming colour, but lighter shades will seem more ‘friendly’ while darker ones seem a little more sombre. Blue is the perfect colour for promoting high thought levels; though, too much blue can be linked towards a sense of coldness and detachment.

Combination of Colours

If completing work or revision, experts state that the use of these three colours can enhance peoples’ learning experiences depending on the type of work. It will be useful to use these three colours in combination with one another to truly stimulate brain capabilities. 

When finding a tutor with Sherpa, using these colours can help build a new learning style for you and with time this will help you remember key academic content. Online tuition is a great way this Summer to learn important information for the upcoming academic year. For online learning, book your session here with our expert private tutors at Sherpa.