The emotional journey
It is felt before it is read.
CARe Auctions is not a site to browse: it is a journey to experience. Colors, timing, sounds and silences are chosen to accompany you without tiring you, on every page.
50 milliseconds
Before reading a single word, the brain has already judged the page. Lindgaard and colleagues (2006) measured that 50 milliseconds are enough to form a visual impression of a site, and that this first impression weighs on the decision to stay. That is why the first screen asks for nothing: it welcomes.
The colors
Research on color psychology shows that blue is linked to competence, trust and calm (Labrecque & Milne, 2012; Elliot & Maier, 2014), while gold captures attention without shouting. That is why our midnight blue is not a black: it is a deep blue that reassures while it guides.
Text that does not tire
Our text is midnight blue (#0F1E3A) on cream (#FBF9F4): a contrast of 15,75:1, beyond the AAA level (7:1). Pure black on the same background would give 19,96:1: more contrast, but more glare over long sessions. Midnight blue remains very easy to read and removes a little of the harsh light — to stay here for a long time without strain.
The palette, with measured contrasts
The journey
Every page has a rhythm: the arrival (calm), the discovery (the numbers with their source), the choice (the offer), the return (iDream and iLive). The voice of iCARe accompanies without intruding; the timing of the animations is slow enough not to rush you.
Neuromarketing, with honesty
Neuromarketing is a promise and a risk: Ariely and Berns (2010) explained why neuroscience applied to marketing should be treated with caution. We do not sell «tricks»: we design an experience that respects the reader. If a color does not help, we do not use it.
The promise
We are changing the way people experience real estate auctions and the way they experience the web: 324.000 lots, 91 languages, an AI that speaks and listens, 20% of annual revenue to charitable works. A HUB that is felt before it is read.
The sources
Every statement on this page has its source. We cite them all, with author, year and journal.
- Lindgaard, G., Fernandes, G., Dudek, C., Brown, J. (2006). "Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!" Behaviour & Information Technology, 25(2), 115-126.
- Elliot, A. J., Maier, M. A. (2014). "Color psychology: Effects of perceiving color on psychological functioning in humans." Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 95-120.
- Labrecque, L. I., Milne, G. R. (2012). "Exciting red and competent blue: the importance of color in marketing." Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(5), 711-727.
- Valdez, P., Mehrabian, A. (1994). "Effects of color on emotions." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 123(4), 394-409.
- Ariely, D., Berns, G. S. (2010). "Neuromarketing: the hope and hype of neuroimaging in business." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(4), 284-292.
- Singh, S. (2006). "Impact of color on marketing." Management Decision, 44(6), 783-789.
- Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things. Basic Books.