Dark is durable, light is user-friendly: The impact of color lightness on two product attribute judgments

Visual design elements such as color do not only provide aesthetics appeal; they also convey information that consumers rely on when making unrelated product attribute judgments. Seven experiments reveal that consumers assess darker-colored products to be more durable but less user-friendly than lighter-colored ones. Both outcomes are linked to the influence of color lightness on perceived weight, but the latter outcome appears to be more easily disrupted than the former one. Specifically, the impact of color lightness on user-friendliness assessments, but not on durability assessments, is eliminated when the role of weight is unclear or when cognitive load is induced. However, consumers make greater downward adjustments in their durability assessments after physically handling a product with darker (vs. lighter) color. These findings highlight some of the potential complexities and nuances in consumer responses to color.