How Colours Influence Mood in Branding
Colours, like features, follows the changes of emotion
Pablo Picasso
A Colour-filled Life
There’s no such thing as a non-colour. Nature indirectly communicates with us through colours— resplendence tells us that animal or plant life is venomous through association.
In short, colours are a form of non-verbal communication. Through unconscious association and reaction, we respond in kind to the colours presented in front of us. Be it in orange safety cones, the blood-red aisles of a local Coles or your favourite smartphone, if it has a colour, it is trying to say something!
In fact, statistics show that 90% of impulsive shopping decisions are influenced solely by brand colour! Moreover, choosing the right colours increases the likelihood of brand recollection by 80%!
As a Brisbane creative and design agency, colours contribute significantly to our design process, from top to bottom. Depending on what our clients are hoping to accomplish, we employ primary and secondary colours that complement each other.
Today, we’re discussing the basic rules of colour psychology, and the colour selection process.
Colours in Vogue
Extensive research in the field of colour psychology shows us that every colour evokes varied feelings, emotions and moods. Today, thousands of Australian businesses are cognizant of their tangible benefits. But many brands fall short of making the most compelling choices. Why is that so?
The real challenge lies in choosing the appropriate colours for the appropriate applications. As luck would have it, there exist established rules that take out the guesswork in colour selection. Designers and academics alike have come to a general consensus regarding the following colours
White
Fresh, simple, neutral and simple: there are some of the positive feelings associated with white. Famous proponents of white include Samsung and Apple
However, white also conveys austerity, staidness and boredom.
Black
Mystery, mystique and luxury are the emotions that first come to mind.
Conversely, it could also signify darkness, pain, sorrow or melancholy. Culturally speaking, black can be construed as “death” in Mandarin-speaking countries!
Blue
Blue is a naturally recurrent colour in nature. In ancient civilizations from faraway lands such as China, Blue embodies advancement and immortality. Mainly, it conveys tranquillity and serenity.
But as illustrated by previous colours, too much of a good thing is bad for you! Blue can also be misinterpreted as cold or distant.
Green
Being the naturally recurring colour in nature, it should come as no surprise! Green exemplifies life, nature, birth, peace and rest.
But alas! Pop culture has created some unsavoury associations with green (think envy or jealousy!)
Yellow
Yellow is an aggressive colourway that conveys a spirit of energy, liveliness and assertiveness. But such an abrasive colour can come across as too dominant. In fact, individuals exposed to it for too long experience increased unhappiness!
Red
Red is arguably, the most intensive colour across the spectrum! It symbolises passion, love, anger, strength, courage and sexuality. Moreover, it toes the line between positive and negative emotions. Its vibrancy while rewarding, can prove to be just as detrimental.
Agreeing to Disagree
These are just several of the hard-and-fast rules permeating the entire Brisbane design agency marketplace. Many reputable colour psychologists may disagree, so it’s best that you do your due diligence and study competing cultural and aesthetic interpretations prior to settling on one or a few. Here are two sources for further research:
Colour Symbolism – Psychology Across Cultures
Choose your Colours!
Before diving headfirst into the Pantone rainbow, it’s important for business owners to understand and manage their own “colourful expectations” by adhering to this step-by-step process:
- Goals and Objectives
Depending on your immediate industry, you’ll have your own unique set of aspirations and ambitions. Pen down what you’d like to achieve with your very own colour choices.
Are you simply undertaking a real-estate branding exercise to spruce up your luxury real-estate business? Think about the appropriate colours that establish you as the extravagant, go-to brand!
Is brand awareness the fundamental goal? Use sharp and snazzy colours to capture the waning attention of your audience.
Be as concise as possible before embarking on the next step. - Experiment, Experiment, and Experiment
You don’t know unless you try! Sometimes, the hard-and-fast rules don’t always get it right! There exist some odd combinations and bizarre permutations that simply work. Be unafraid to mix-and-match colours to your liking. Let your creative unconsciousness run free! - Ensure colours appear as they seem!
Colours aren’t always accurately portrayed on printed and digital mediums.
When colours are reproduced in print, a low-quality rendering can result in washed-out colours, jagged edges or low colour accuracy. To circumvent this problem, ensure that you’ve printed multiple samples during each stage of the design process.
Unfortunately, this problem is just as prevalent in the digital realm. Any low-quality, LCD panel with a poor “absolute colour accuracy” rating creates the exact same problems as its paper forebears. Instead, always opt for a high-quality, AMOLED display that can recreate colours in a realistic fashion.
In fact, this was the creative process that had informed our very own, internal rebrand!
Colour you Interested?
Choice overload is a real phenomenon when it comes to narrowing down your colour options. Above all, your brand’s colours would forever immortalize it in the eyes of your target audience. Given the gravity of this exercise, may we suggest a lucrative partnership?
As a Brisbane creative agency, Vesanique takes immeasurable pride in the graphic design truncheon of our business. Our talented senior creative has a formidable grasp of colour psychology, and an innate instinct for what works and what doesn’t. Accordingly, every subsequent decision made is moulded from your dynamic input.
And there is no such thing as a one-off affair; we forge decades-long partnerships with all of our clients. By working with us, you’re freeing your hands to focus on where it matters; your business! Our expertise is in running a full-service digital agency in Brisbane, and yours is delivering on your business’s core offerings.
But we’d like to learn more about you and your business first! Do not hesitate to shoot us a call or message. We would love to host you over a cup of coffee on this cold winter’s day.
Let’s talk, don’t be a stranger!