What are the favourite colors of women?

Colors that are traditionally considered feminine colors or that appeal most strongly to or are more closely associated with women can be good choices for marketing messages, Web sites, and interior designs targeting women. Color studies done over the years indicate that the favorite colors of women and men do differ. Some of these differences in favorite colors may be attributed to cultural use of color and conditioning.

There are no hard and fast rules about what colors are feminine or masculine or gender-neutral. Because colors come in many tints and shades, someone may love a light powder blue but strongly dislike a deep navy blue so a preference for the color blue doesn't mean that every shade of blue is universally appropriate. However, some generalizations are possible based on various color studies.

Blue

Blue is a favorite color of both men and women of all ages. While men have a stronger preference for blue than women, it's still a top choice. It may be the calming effect of the color blue that makes it a popular color for both men and women.

Green

Mother Nature is green and she's a female. A favored color of both men and women, the color green is cool, restful, and signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment.

Turquoise

According to a 1964 Color and Gender study, women favored blue-green (aka turquoise) more than men. This same study found that "76% of women preferred cool colors." and turquoise is a mix of the two cool colors of blue and green.

Purple

Purple stands out as a feminine color because it is chosen almost exclusively by women as a favorite color and is strongly disliked by men. Traditionally associated with royalty,the color purple is also spirtual, romantic, and mysterious.

Pink

Most people still think of pink as a feminine, delicate color, the color for little girls. Does that mean women prefer pink? Not necessarily.The color pink and women is likely more of a cultural association than a strong preference. However, this cultural association could mean that pink is not the ideal color for targeting men.

Lavender

A more grown-up and cooler version of the pink of baby girls and the lighter side of purple, the color lavender is associated with genteel ladies and can evoke feelings of nostalgia or romance for women. A 1990 study found that between bright and soft colors, women prefer soft colors which could include soft shades of pink, lavender, and other pastels

(via About.com)

Women architects

In the world of building design, the role of women is often forgotten. Certainly, male architects have captured the limelight with soaring skyscrapers and other high-profile buildings. Architecture is a male-dominated field; the most-sought after commissions and the highest awards rarely go to women. Nevertheless, many woman have overcome obstacles, established highly successful careers, and designed landmark buildings that change the way we see our world.

This page is your starting place for exploring the rich and varied achievements of women architects. You'll find links to information about several interesting and important women architects, followed by resources to help you discover other women who made important contributions to building and design.

Women Architects

Zaha Hadid
Born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1950, Zaha Hadid is the first woman to win a Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Her work experiments with new spatial concepts and encompasses all fields of design, ranging from urban spaces to products and furniture.

Julia Morgan
Julia Morgan designed hundreds of homes, churches, office buildings, hospitals, stores and educational buildings in California, including the famous Hearst Castle.

Marion Mahony Griffin
Frank Lloyd Wright's first employee was a woman, and she became the world's first woman to be officially licensed as an architect. Like many other women who design buildings, Wright's employee was lost in the shadow of her male associates. Still, it's easy to speculate that Marion Mahony Griffin contributed greatly to Wright's career and also to the career of her husband, Walter Burley Griffin.

Denise Scott Brown
Over the past century, there have been many husband-wife teams. Typically the husbands have attracted the fame and glory while the women worked quietly (and some would argue, intelligently) in the background. However, Denise Scott Brown had already made important contributions to the field of urban design when she met and married her husband, Robert Venturi. Although he appears to be more frequently in the spotlight, her research and teachings have shaped modern understanding of the relationship between design and society.

Susana Torre
Born in Argentina, Susana Torre is best known for her many renovations and remodelings in the United States.

Anna Keichline
Anna Keichline was the first woman to become a registered architect of Pennsylvania, but she is best known for inventing the hollow, fireproof "K Brick," which was a precursor to the modern concrete block.

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