At first thought, it might not seem like color would be the most important component of graphic design. However, when you consider the nuances of color psychology and theory, you can see how much color affects audience perception, particularly on an emotional level.
With a better understanding of color psychology and the role of color in successful graphic design, you can make more confident choices regarding how to use color in your own work. Of course, this will be an essential skill if you have plans to work in graphic design as a career path.
Understanding Color Psychology
Before we dive any deeper into the use of color psychology in graphic design or color theory for designers, let’s define color psychology and explore its longstanding role in graphic design.
What Is Color Psychology?
Specifically, color psychology refers to a study of how different colors affect how humans think, feel, and act. Color psychology applies to many different fields, including marketing and design.
Researchers have long studied the use of color and its varying impact on audiences based on such factors as culture, age, gender, and even personal experience. Time and time again, studies have shown that the use of certain colors can have a direct impact on mood, decision-making, and more.
The Role of Color in Graphic Design
In graphic design specifically, color psychology plays a major role in the decisions that designers make in their work. For example, designers may use certain colors alongside specific brands to influence consumer perception of those brands. This may be especially true when designing a company logo, a website, or even print media.
When designers are consistent with their use of color psychology for certain brands, they can eventually establish an association between a brand and certain feelings or perceptions. This can result in lasting brand awareness that can influence audiences for years to come.
The Psychological Impact of Individual Colors
So, what kinds of emotional impacts can different colors have on individuals? The important thing to keep in mind here is that every person is different, and not every single person will associate the same feelings with every color. Over many years of studies, however, the research has found that certain colors tend to be more associated with certain emotions.
Red
Often, red is a color associated with passion, excitement, confidence, and warmth. However, it also has the potential to evoke some negative emotional responses, including those of fear or danger.
Because of the potential for strong emotions brought forth by red, many designers will use it primarily as an accent color or in conjunction with more neutral colors (such as whites and grays).
Blue
Blue, on the other hand, tends to evoke more calming emotions like serenity, stability, and peace. That said, designers must be cautious in their use of blue because of its potential to also be associated with feelings like sadness and depression.
It is common for designers to use lighter blues to encourage a sense of calm and relaxation. Meanwhile, darker blues may be used to convey a sense of professionalism and reliability, like when designing a corporate logo or website.
Yellow
Yellow is a color that can be very effective at evoking an audience’s emotions, and they’re often positive ones. Yellow shades and hues can be associated with happiness, hope, and warmth. Less often, yellow may be connected to feelings of frustration or caution.
Yellow is not used as often as some other colors in graphic design because it can be difficult to see if it isn’t placed in stark contrast with another color. However, it may still be used as an accent color or darker shades of yellow may be used to elicit positive emotions from an audience.
Green
When designers use green, the goal is often to convey feelings related to nature, growth or even health. As you can see, green is a color that can be interpreted and processed in many different ways depending on context. Because of this, it is one of the most utilized colors in graphic design. Designers may use lighter and brighter greens to convey a sense of energy, whereas deeper greens may symbolize nature or health.
Black and White
You may not think such basic colors as black and white would play much of a role in color psychology or color theory for graphic designers, but the reality is that these contrasting colors are often used to create strong associations with audiences. For instance, white can convey a sense of cleanliness or goodness. Black, on the other hand, may be used to elicit ideas of elegance, power, and formality.
The Role of Color Combinations in Design
In addition to standalone colors, graphic designers will also consider color combinations when deciding how to pick brand colors or schemes. This may include the use of complementary or analogous color schemes, as well as the use of warm or cool color palettes.
Complementary and Analogous Color Schemes
On the color wheel, complementary colors are those located opposite each other. Examples include red and green, yellow and purple, and orange and blue. While it may not seem natural to pair complementary colors in a design, doing so can create a high-contrast design that draws attention from an audience. In this sense, designers will occasionally use complementary color schemes to help their designs stand out.
Analogous color schemes, on the other hand, occur when colors that appear next to each other on the color wheel are used in a design. This may mean incorporating both yellows and greens, or blues and violets, into a design. This color theory application can be a great way to make a design appear more cohesive to audiences.
The Impact of Warm vs. Cool Colors
Warm and cool colors can influence an audience’s emotions. Warm colors like reds, oranges, and yellows often evoke positivity and energy. In contrast, cool colors such as blues, greens, and purples are typically linked to calmness and relaxation.
Color and Audience Perception
When using color in marketing, designers must consider many factors, including the potential for cultural influences and even gender/age to impact the perception of color.
Cultural Influences on Color Perception
Different color perceptions may deviate from culture to culture. For example, in Japan and China, the color white is traditionally used in funerals and during times of mourning. In western cultures, the color black is more often associated with death and mourning.
Designers must be diligent about researching their audiences and understanding different cultural perceptions of color when making design decisions regarding color in marketing materials.
Gender and Age Preferences for Color
In addition to cultural background, demographics like gender and even age can have an impact on how different audiences perceive color. Some studies suggest that women are more likely to notice small color differences than men. Men and women may even prefer different colors. These are all factors that must be kept in mind when designers are selecting the best color schemes for websites or applying any other concept of color psychology in design.
Practical Tips for Using Color in Graphic Design
For designers looking to use color psychology and color theory in branding and design, there are a few practical tips and best practices worth keeping in mind as you get started.
Choosing the Right Color for Your Brand
When choosing a color or color scheme for a brand, start by thinking about the types of emotions and feelings that you would like the brand to be associated with. From there, you can work backward and start planning which colors or color combinations may help you achieve those goals based on the psychological effects of color.
Testing Color Combinations
Designers are also encouraged to test different color combinations in their work. For instance, this may include making several different versions of a logo with different color schemes in each. Designers can then use A/B testing or other methods to determine which color scheme is the most effective.
Tools for Choosing and Analyzing Colors
Designers should also take advantage of special tools to help them select and analyze colors in their work, including color palette tools.
Color Palette Tools for Designers
In graphic design, color palette tools can help designers come up with ideas for color schemes based on several factors, such as the emotions the designer is looking to evoke and the audience. Some examples of these tools include:
Accessibility Considerations
Finally, designers should consider accessibility issues when choosing colors for a website, logo, or any other design. Ideally, this should include choosing color combinations that are easy to distinguish. There are even color contract checkers that designers can use to ensure that the contrast between colors and backgrounds is high enough to be perceived by those with certain disabilities.
Learn More in a Graphic Design Program at RMCAD
From the use of various color combinations to choosing the right color for a particular brand, graphic designers must apply a variety of color psychology techniques to meet their clients’ unique needs. In doing so, designers can elicit an emotional response that can encourage their audiences to take action.
Interested in learning more about color psychology and how to use it in the graphic design world? Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design program can help you take your knowledge and talent to the next level. In this career-focused program, you’ll explore such topics as color psychology, typography, design thinking, and more — all while building a comprehensive portfolio of your own unique work. Learn more about our on-campus or online graphic design program by getting in touch today, or get started by filling out your online application for admission.
