Are you more likely to respond differently to a yellow logo than a blue one? You might think it doesn’t matter. However, the colours used in a design can impact viewers. Graphic design can be subtlety used to influence how a viewer feels about a piece of work. A logo for a renewable energy company would be a great choice, as bright green colours are reminiscent of spring and nature.
Colour is a key component of all brands and companies. They use it on their websites, ads, and products. Choosing colours that are consistent with the company’s mission is important. The right colour can elicit the desired response from a customer, just as a perfect shade of paint can bring life to a room.
Could you not take our word for this? We spoke with experienced professionals who understand the importance of colour in business and design. These experts are experts in the psychology and design of colour.
What is colour psychology?
The study of colour psychology is about how colours affect our emotions and behaviour. You may feel certain colours based on your cultural background, personal preferences, and upbringing.
What is the psychology behind colour selection?
A yellow room can make you happier and brighter. A red dress can give you a sense of passion, while a red sign can warn you of danger.
Because colour and feelings are subjective, the topic of colour psychology is often complicated. Studies suggest colour can influence emotions in certain ways.
As a manufacturer of baby products, we aim to instil trust and comfort through our brand. Tali Zipper is vice president of marketing at Baby K’tan LLC. She explains how they chose cheerful colours to signify reliability and make customers feel comfortable buying their products.
Zipper continues to explain that studies have shown that blue is associated with calmness and credibility. So customers could associate their brand with joy, they decided to change their blue colour to a brighter hue.
Lauren Ellis, creative director of Masonry, says that colours can invoke different emotions depending on the culture. Red in Western cultures can be associated with danger, passion, anger, and joy. In the United States, blue is considered masculine, while in China, it is feminine.
Your audience’s reaction to your product and feelings about it can greatly impact their perception of your colour selection. Colour can evoke hunger, trust, or emotion of calmness or excitement. To achieve the overall goal of the piece, every colour should be chosen strategically.
What does each colour mean?
Are you looking for an easy guide to the colours and the emotions associated with each colour? You should be familiar with the meanings of each colour.
What does the colour red represent?
Red is often associated with strong, passionate emotions. This colour is associated with positive emotions such as love, joy, confidence, warmth and excitement. Red can also cause anger and danger.
What does pink symbolize?
The colour pink is often associated with romanticism and love. This is evident in the affectionately-themed chocolates and cards given around Valentine’s Day. Pink is thought to bring a sense of calm to viewers. Pink is considered feminine by many cultural groups. They associate it with kindness, softness, and compassion.
What does orange mean?
Orange is often associated with enthusiasm, enthusiasm, and warmth. This vibrant colour is often used on traffic signs because it draws attention. Orange is often associated with citrus fruits and the refreshing feeling of beauty.
What does yellow represent?
Yellows tend to be cheerful and warm and encourage feelings of anger and frustration. Yellow is one of the most striking colours. It’s used often to grab attention in advertisements and traffic signs.
What does the colour green represent?
Green has many connections and connotations. It is often associated with nature but can also be connected to soothing, calming, and health-giving emotions. The colour green can also be associated with money, luck, jealousy and fertility.
What does the colour blue represent?
Blue can be viewed as a calm and peaceful colour. Blue is a stable, non-threatening colour that can promote calm and peaceful emotions. Blue can also be associated with sadness and icy distance.
What does purple symbolize?
Purple is described as mysterious and imaginative. Purple is often associated with royalty and wealth since many famous kings wore purple clothing.
What does white symbolize?
White has been culturally associated with purity, innocence, and cleanliness. The white wedding gown is the traditional choice of the bride. It can also be seen as bland, cold, or sterile, so make sure you sensibly use white.
What does black symbolize?
Black is often associated with evil, death, or mourning. It is a dominant colour on Halloween and often appears as the clothing colour of many nemesis characters in fairy tales or movies. Black is often used in fashion because it creates a slimming effect.
Be mindful of your colours.
Graphic design goes beyond choosing colours that are pleasing together. Graphic design is about understanding the psychology behind colour and how to use it effectively.
