COLOUR MATTERS IN DESIGN GGA GRAPHICS

Colour Matters in Design and Brand…

So colour matters in design and brand? Absolutely! The colours you use is one of the most important elements in creating your brand and profile.

Colour matters in design and brand as it is important to establish who your target market is and to match colours to that market to get the best response. Colour is subliminal and stimulates our senses so it can help to establish your brand and image without saying a single word.

Purple in design and brand

1. PURPLE IN DESIGN AND BRAND

PURPLE is associated with royalty which creates an impression of luxury, wealth and extravagance. It is used to portray superior and high-quality products or to symbolise a superior service. It is suitable for products and services related to women and is often used for the 18 to 25 year old market as they see it as sexy and rebellious. Lavender is suitable for products and services targeting the female, sentimental market.

Use Purple for luxurious, high-quality products and services

Famous brand that uses Purple – Cadbury

PINK IN DESIGN AND BRAND

2. PINK IN DESIGN AND BRAND

PINK shows romance, love, compassion and nurturing. It is used in businesses targeting the female market such as cosmetics, beauty, fashion and romance. Pink is also calming, inspiring and comforting. It relates to warmth, hope, understanding and compassion so is often also used by charities. Hot pink can be used to promote less expensive and trendy products targeting the pre-teen and teenage market.

Use Pink for charities and women’s products and services

Famous brand that uses Pink – Cosmopolitan

RED IN DESIGN AND BRAND

3. RED IN DESIGN AND BRAND

RED is an energising and positive colour that draws attention to itself. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action. Red energizes and stimulates the appetite so is very effective in promoting products and services related to food, energy, passion and speed. Red encourages buyers to take action so is a great colour to tempt impulse buys. Too much red can overwhelm so it is best used as an accent colour.

Use Red for products and services related to food and energy

Famous brand that uses Red – Target

ORANGE IN DESIGN AND BRAND

4. ORANGE IN DESIGN AND BRAND

ORANGE is a flamboyant, vibrant and warm colour. It is stimulating to the appetite and conversation so works well in fast food outlets, restaurants and similar. Orange is a fun colour that vitalises, inspires and creates enthusiasm. Be careful using it though as it is the most disliked colour in the western world. Orange is appealing to the youth market as it shows a sense of fun and adventure. It is a great colour to use for toys.

Orange works well in fast food outlets, cafes and restaurants

Famous brand that uses Orange – Fanta

YELLOW IN DESIGN AND BRAND

5. YELLOW IN DESIGN AND BRAND

YELLOW is a warm and happy colour which creates a feeling of cheerfulness. It is ideal for children’s products as it stimulates their minds and creativity. Use it to promote playful, happy and fun businesses. It is a great colour for the entertainment industry. Yellow keeps people moving so is ideal to use in fast food outlets. Combine with red to stimulate the appetite. Yellow can seem cheap so avoid using it for expensive items.

Use Yellow to promote playful, happy and fun businesses

Famous brand that uses Yellow – McDonald’s

GREEN IN DESIGN AND BRAND

6. GREEN IN DESIGN AND BRAND

GREEN is beneficial for anything to do with nature, health and healing as it portrays growth, vitality, new life and renewal. It is an emotionally positive colour that creates a sense of calm by balancing people’s emotions. Green is also regarded as the colour of money so too much can lead to feelings of envy, greed and selfishness. Green is also motivating and satisfies a need to belong so is great to use for social clubs.

Use Green to promote health, natural and organic products

Famous brand that uses Green – BP

TURQUOISE IN DESIGN AND BRAND

7. TURQUOISE IN DESIGN AND BRAND

TURQUOISE represents clarity of thought and communication. It recharges the spirit, calms the emotions and inspires positive thought so is a good colour to use for the health industry. Turquoise is beneficial for businesses related to teaching, public speaking, communication and computer technology as it helps with self-expression, logical thinking and clarity of thought. Use for the male and female market of all ages.

Use Turquoise for computer and communication services

Famous brand that uses Turquoise – Hewlett-Packard

BLUE IN DESIGN AND BRAND

8. BLUE IN DESIGN AND BRAND

BLUE is the universally favoured colour of all and therefore the safest to use. It relates to dependability and honesty and helps to build customer loyalty. It portrays confidence and responsibility while inspiring wisdom. Blue is best used for conservative businesses such as financial institutions, banks, insurance companies and accountants as it shows trust and reliability. It relates to the adult market.

Use Blue where trust, dependability and honesty is important

Famous brand that uses Blue – Facebook

Feeling overwhelmed?

There is a lot to consider when choosing colours for your business but I am here to help. CONTACT me today.

Scroll to Top