"The green color family is the largest color family discernible to the human eye, and that's why our feeling toward green can be so varied. On one hand, green represents optimism and a feeling that things are getting better. It's the color of life, vegetation and the onset of the warmer seasons. But the duality of green has a negative side too as it's linked with envy, Martians, sickness and slime. The yellow-green shades such as chartreuse evoke the most negative of emotions, according to the Pantone Consumer Color Preference Study which rated chartreuse as the color consumers disliked the most.
The use and popularity of green colorations are on the upswing in all design disciplines from graphic design and packaging to fashion and interiors. "The strongest color resurgence occurs in 20-30 year cycles," points out Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "The green and earthtones first seen in the late 1960's and 70's sparked the beginning of environmental awareness. We have seen the avocado and olives emerge again in the 90's, and even though they may be recycled they'll have an updated new look when used in fresh, intriguing combinations."
