We all know that colour is important, from an early age we are asked ‘what is your favourite colour?” and you are expected to have an answer ready! Later in life we choose colour in our wardrobe to make us feel confident and colour in our home to make us feel relaxed or comfortable. It’s no surprise then that colour is an important aspect of design.
This month I’m going to take a look at what colours make you feel and which brands are using colour effectively, but remember it’s not just about your brand, colour can also be used effectively in Point of Sale, Call to Action, Social Networks, Advertising, Exhibitions – in fact anywhere that you want to stand out from the crowd!
Feeling – Energetic, Excited, Bold
Use – Often used to promote discounts, offers and deals, used by brands who want to appear good value and exciting
Feeling – Warm, Friendly, Cheerful
Use – Often used in Calls to Action and by companies that want to appear approachable and accessible
Feeling – Optimistic, Youthful, Happy
Use – Often used in Point of Sale and Window Displays and by companies who want you to feel joyful about their brand
Feeling – Peaceful, Calm, Natural
Use – Often used by companies who want to project a healthy or ‘green’ image
Feeling – Trust, Dependable, Progressive
Use – Often used by Financial or Health businesses were reliability is paramount
Feeling – Creative, Wise, Imaginative
Use – Often used by Beauty brands or companies that want to appear established, but fun
Feeling – Feminine, Soft, Young
Use – Often used by companies who want to appeal to women or teens
Feeling – Goodness, Trustworthy, Established
Use – Often used by brands who want to appear traditional and good or organic
Feeling – Strong, Powerful, Sleek
Use – Often used by sports and luxury brands, can be very strong in design layout
Feeling – Balanced, Calm, Professional
Use – Often used in the technology and automotive markets, works well as an accent with all other colours.
Feeling – Modern, Fun, Advanced
Use – Often used by technology or internet brands, especially to convey the idea that their product is new and innovative
So let’s have a look at how some of the brands I have created stack up against these guidelines (you might recognise your logo in here):
So what colour is your logo and do you feel like it is representing your brand values to your target audience?