The Psychology of Colour in Design
Colours speak different languages and evoke different emotions.
Years of studies & research have shown just how influential this design element can be to customer perceptions & decisions. And because it is inextricably linked to branding, proper understanding of the psychology of colour in design can prove vital in helping you make informed branding & design decisions. Similarly understanding how customers & potential customers may interact or relate with your brand & its products or services.
Quick facts about colour & design
- Up to 93% of consumers report that visual perceptions may influence their purchasing judgments, according to ColourFast Printing.
- Over 80% of consumers believe that while colour may increase brand recognition. It could also be the main reason they’ll end up buying or not buying a product.
- Joe Hallock’s colour assignment report also revealed that gender differences may impact colour preferences. Blue is the most acceptable colour for both genders. Brown comes in the least preferred colour.
For brand recognition, colour choices can influence comprehension by as much as 73%, influence learning by up to 68% & impact reading by about 40%.
How different colours impact design
If you want to build a brand your audience can’t resist. your choice of colours must be based on the best options that will resonate most with your target audience. This should impact everything about your brand from logo design to product design, web design, etc.
So, how exactly do most people react to most colours?
- Blue colours evoke the emotions of trust, safety, calm, & relaxation. Like the blue sky, this colour is often associated with friendliness & happiness both of which are a great way to initiate trust. Facebook, Ford, VISA, & Barclays understand the enormous power of blue & have woven this into their brand & design.
- Black is associated with strength, power, & formality. It is not only the strongest colour on the colour spectrum, but it’s also one of the most desirable. Black fonts mostly used in typography since time immemorial. If you want to create an emotion of power, black is good & will be cool alongside most other colours. Nike, Apple, BBC, MTV are just a few of the brands that use this colour.
- Green symbolizes nature & the natural world so it’s synonymous with trees, plants, & the environment. While it’s often the colour of choice for most agro-businesses & retailers of organic foods & beverages, financial-based businesses also use it to symbolize trust & safety as well. Companies like Tropicana, Whole Foods, & Spotify use green colour.
- Red evokes feelings of urgency, attention, & a sense of importance. It could be used when trying to grab the audience’s attention or when giving warnings about a particular danger. Netflix, CNN, & Target are just a few of the many companies winning with this colour.
- Pink is often seen as feminine but aside from being a girl’s colour. it can also evoke emotions of joy. LG, Lyft, T Mobile, & more have this as their primary brand colour.
Final notes
Colour plays a very important role as a core element of your brand & design. According to the Harvard Business Review, choosing the right colours can increase ease of comprehension. This, of course, is necessary when you’re trying to convey your brand message.
While we agree that colour is too dependent on personal experiences to be classified into specific classes of universal feelings & emotions. you’ll be better off choosing colours that will resonate better with your audience to give you an edge over the competition.
Choosing the right colours should take center stage in your web design strategies every other area of your branding efforts. Should you ever need a competent & experienced web design agency for your company in Squamish, Whistler, Vancouver, & beyond? Black Tusk Web’s web design experts will be more than happy to help you build websites that suit your brand & resonate with your audience.
Contact us today & get your free consultation!