Did you ever wonder why advertisers or designers use certain colors in their pieces? Is it all random based off of just the colors schemes they think look good or is there something deeper behind their logic? It’s definitely not by random designers choose their colors. In graphic design, color is the lifeblood, and it is incredibly important to not only understand the meanings behind colors, but also master making values of your brand/project be able to be expressed through color too (Caldwell, 2019).
Psychology of Color
Humans react powerfully on an emotional level to colors. Through research, many people are likely to have consistent responses to colors like warmer tones tend to stimulate (reds, oranges, yellows), while cooler tends are more calming (blue, indigo, violet). Designers will consider the best colors that elicit a desired reaction from their audiences. Choosing the right color scheme and implementing the colors in the right place will invigorate your design and help the audience make a connection to the message. One thing to be mindful of as a designer is to be aware of the symbolism of color if you’re designing something for a global level because different cultures and countries have their own interpretations for different colors than what we may be used to (Caldwell, 2019).
Below is a breakdown of some common colors we see daily and the feelings/emotions that are often associated with them.
Image Source: Mastering Color Grading With Wondershare Filmora
Background of Color: Breaking it Down
Color in Scientific Terms
Color does not exist in darkness. Light is what gives color to our world and the objects within. White light comes in different wave lengths and which colors we see in a given time is dependent of the wavelengths that reach your eye. That’s why objects will look a certain color to us like a banana. It is only reflecting yellow light – all the other wavelengths are absorbed (Caldwell, 2019).
Color in Art + Designing Terms
Before diving into the Color Wheel Theory, first understand the way we describe and create variations from a single color alone.
Hue- Describes the named separate colors of the spectrum, like “Red” or “Blue”
Tints- lighter versions of a hue
Shade- Mixing a hue with black to make a darker version (shade)
Tonal Value- Describes the specific qualities of a hue, including its evenness, brightness, or depth
Image Source: The Difference Between Shade, Tint, and Tone Explained (colorsexplained.com)
Color Wheel Theory
Image Source: colour-wheel – Graphic Plus Media
If you have taken any art class before, you definitely should remember seeing some version of the 12-section color wheel like the one above. The closer two colors tend to be to one another, the more they harmonize together. There are 3 categories the color wheel is split up into that you’ve probably heard before.
Primary Colors: Red, Blue, Yellow
-Defined as primary because they cannot be mixed from other colors
Secondary Colors: Green, Orange, and Purple
-Defined as secondary because sit in between two primaries and were mixed to create them
Tertiary Colors: Red Violet, Blue Violet, Blue Green, Yellow Green, Yellow Orange, and Red Orange
-Created by mixing a primary color with its nearest secondary color and are slotted in between the two colors that created them
So, now it we have the 3 basic categories of the color wheel, how can we use to find what colors mix good together for our designs?
Well, there’s a few different directions to go about choosing a color palette depending on what mood you want to convey with the piece.
Choosing a palette with contrasting colors will allow for other, lighter colors to pop out more and be brighter to the eye. Common examples are complementary colors that appear opposite of each other on the color wheel or going down the tetradic road with 4 complementary colors to allow for variation and balancing contrasts. 3 can be the magic number when it comes to finding appealing color combinations. Typically, it works well when there is one main color, and two others are supporting it, allowing for both harmony and contrast at the same time. Examples of these can be Blue, Yellow, and Orange (Subtler Contrast option) or Blue, Orange, and Lime Green (Balanced Trio option). Lastly, you can choose to go with a harmony of different hues. Analogous color palettes create maximum harmony and have minimum contrast. Examples range from a cool toned combination like dark blue, blue and blue green or a warmer toned combination like dark blue purple and deep pink. Picking three to four colors next to each other on the wheel can create a harmonious flow throughout the entirety of your piece or project (Caldwell, 2019).
It is extremely important as a designer you give full consideration while planning out a color palette for your designs to ensure the message and emotion are being conveyed and felt through your choices. Each color can evoke or promote specific emotions when it is seen in a design like flyer, product label, posters, etc. so it is definitely best to do some research before diving into designing materials. Like mentioned earlier, humans are emotionally connected through colors and that alone, plays a huge factor in whether our designs are successful or not, especially when it comes to marketing and branding.
Research shows that proper use of color (in branding and its packaging) increases brand recognition by 80% as well as its visual appearance to 93%. Not only just this, but further studies indicate that 85% of consumers purchase because of colors. Choosing the right color scheme in marketing holds the power to influence everything from sales to brand loyalty (Braam, 2017). Don’t be afraid to dive right into color theory to understand what colors compliment or create contrast and take all your marketing designs and materials to the next level with a well-planned color palette.
Resources:
Braam, Hailey. “The Psychology of Colors in Marketing and Branding.” Color Psychology, 29 Nov. 2022, http://www.colorpsychology.org/blog/color-psychology-marketing/.
Caldwell, Cath. Graphic Design for Everyone. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2019.
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