Pink - Julie Zhu

The color pink is sometimes described as a tint of red. However a typical pink known today usually lies between the tints of red and magenta. Therefore, it contains the passion of red but at the same time the purity of white, and sometimes, in its cooler tones, the calmness of blue. Today it is usually associated with femininity and love, such as in the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness and Valentine's day decorations.

The first pink pigment however was far from what we perceive pink today. It was in fact used to describe a yellowish pigment in the seventeenth century. The pink we know today was named after a flower called 'pink', or Dianthus Plumarius.

Pink, Dianthus Plumarius

Pink is certainly not one of the most abundant colors in nature, but it does exist in a variety of living things. Many plants bear pink flowers, such as roses, carnations and peonies. It is much less common in animals. Some of the most well known are perhaps the pink flamingos and pink dolphins. Most people might not have noticed that pigs are pink too (since they are not exactly known for their looks). There are also some species of butterflies that occur in pink. Last but not least, a rare pink insect (a type of katydids) also exists in nature. Its coloration is caused by a condition similar to the human albinism. The condition might seem fascinating to us but it is definitely a great disadvantage for the insect itself since it can hardly camouflage amongst the vast greens of the surrounding plants.

Rare pink insect - a type of katydids

In different cultures, pink can have various symbolic meanings. Jennifer Kyrnin, an experienced web developer and published writer, wrote about the symbolism of colors in different cultures:

Pink
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• Korea: Trust
• Eastern: Marriage
• Western: Love, babies, especially female babies, Valentine’s Day
• Feng Shui: Yin, love
• Psychology: Used in diet therapy as an appetite suppressant, relaxes muscles, soothing
• Roses: Gratitude and appreciation (deep pink) or admiration and sympathy (light pink)

(Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture)

Despite its various positive connotations, pink is not necessarily always a happy color. During World War II, a pink triangle was used in the Nazi concentration camps to symbolize sexual deviance in men, including homosexuality. Modern gay rights movements use the pink triangle to symbolize empowerment and to remember the sufferings.

Pink triangle in Nazi concentration camp during WWII

Pink Triangle - Twin Peaks, San Francisco

The best ways to use the color pink in designs would be those that are associated with femininity, love, happiness and youth. One of the most well known pink logo might be the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness, which is indeed for a feminine purpose. T-Mobile uses a hot pink color in its logo and it is usually symbolized by a woman in a pink dress in its commercial campaigns. Elsa Schiaparelli was the first to use hot pink, which she termed 'Shocking Pink', in apparels in the 1940s.

Personally, I think that pink is a risky color to use in design for the general public because of its gender specificness in today's popular culture. It should be the last color one could use to design for conservative heterosexual men. I would also be careful when using a pink triangle unless it is intentional.