Being a trade name, you should carefully select and consistently use colours. Choosing the right brand colours can help you build a memorable identity that emotionally and psychologically resonates with your audience. Let’s peek into the basics of this process:
Factors to consider while choosing brand colours
- Think of what your brand represents and the feelings you want to evoke in your audience
- Understand how different colours can make people feel or spur certain psychological associations
- Try and assess the preferences and emotions of your target audience
- Reflect on and research how brand colours might be interpreted in different cultures
- Examine the colours used by your competitors.
Examples of what certain colours typically symbolise
Typical associations for a few common colours would be:
- Red symbolises passion, excitement and power
- Blue symbolises trust, security and tranquillity
- Yellow stands for happiness, optimism and energy
- Green for nature, growth and health
- Purple for luxury, creativity and wisdom
- Orange represents enthusiasm, warmth and fun
- Black depicts sophistication, elegance and authority
- And white symbolises purity, simplicity and cleanliness.
Can a colour evoke different emotions in different people?
In some cases, yes. Our experiences and social and cultural contexts decide how we see colours. The same colour can certainly trigger dissimilar psychological triggers in different individuals.
How to go about competitors’ colour choices?
Thorough research can help you stay ahead of the curve. Look up industry trends and the colours your competitors are using. Go through their websites, social media handles and advertisements. Reviewing choices empowers you to make an informed decision.
What role does target audience research play in choosing brand colours?
It plays a crucial role. If your target audience is young, they’ll prefer fresh and energetic colours. An older audience might like more calming colours. Brands should also see colours in the context of cultures, as their meanings change from one culture to another. These considerations will give you insights into the audience, ensuring you represent the brand well.
How to test colour choices across media?
When working with different media, it’s vital to understand colour models. The CMYK colour model is used in print and RGB in digital displays. Pantone colours, on the other hand, are special pre-mixed inks commonly used in printing. While choosing colours, it’s crucial to evaluate how they can translate across models. For example, a vibrant colour in RGB might appear dull when printed in CMYK. However, Pantone colours provide a standardised colour matching system, so there’s consistency across various print materials. A brand should select and adjust colours based on these models to maintain accuracy across media.
Tools to use for colour selection and palette-creation
You can use a variety of tools and software. Adobe Color, Coolors, and Color Hunt are good options for choosing brand colours and effecting colour combinations for designs. These tools will help you customise palettes and allow you to check if the selected colours look good together.
How to stay current in this evolving industry? Any online guide recommendations to understand colour in branding better?
You can stay current by following industry blogs, subscribing to newsletters and watching YouTube videos. If you’re looking for resources to understand colour in branding, check out websites such as Behance, Pinterest, Dribbble and Designspiration. With the help of these sites, you can identify modern trends in colour.
Abhilash RS
Creative Director, Narrative
Abhilash is a forever learner and tech enthusiast. When not designing magic, you’ll find him reading a book or embracing solitude — guess it’s the age!
