Unraveling How Color, Mood, and Design Work Together In Marketing

The graphic designers at DPrintWorldWide know that color is more than hues. It’s a science, a theory, a method of tapping into the emotions of consumers. Our design team also uses color theory to create harmony and avoid clashing or competing color stories. The science of color theory combined with the psychology of color effects allows graphic designers to shape ideals, influence perceptions, and encourage purchases.

To fully understand the theory and psychology of color, you must first understand what color is. Color is simply the way light is reflected off a surface and is influenced by the way the rods and cones in your eye detect those reflections and how your brain interprets them. For example, roses are red because your eye and your brain tell roses to be red. Similarly, the sky is blue because you eye and brain instruct it to be blue.

A color wheel will play a large role in your branding. It’s an amazing tool. Here’s why. A color wheel is divided into twelve equal sections. The primary section consists of yellows, blues, and reds. The secondary section consists of oranges, greens, and violets. The colors in the secondary section are derived from mixing the colors in the primary section. The tertiary section consists of colors such as red-orange, yellow-green, and blue-violet. These colors are derived by mixing a secondary color with a base color. Finally, on a color wheel, each color is situated directly opposite a complementary color (orange is directly opposite blue, red is directly opposite green, and so on).

Graphic designers also work with shades, tones, and tints and the methods and moods created with colors. Even those deceptively simple words have a scientific meaning and purpose to the professionals who create and design your branding. Shade is a color mixed with black, tone is a color mixed with gray, and tint is a color mixed with white. Why do all these scientific theories, terms, and methodologies affect the mood of your branding? Because they affect the perceptions and actions of your ideal clients.

Color has a direct correlation to consumer behavior. For example, green is perceived as restful, orange is a stimulant, red incites passionate, blue denotes stability, and black connotates aggression. Graphic designers will talk with you, find out the goals of your company, and guide you toward choosing a theme color. Then they’ll choose additional colors that compliment your theme and represent your branding concepts.

Take a few minutes and think of golden arches, red bullseyes, and robin’s egg blue boxes. Like the famous and iconic McDonald’s Golden Arches, Target’s Red Bullseye, and Tiffany’s Blue Jewelry Boxes, color can increase brand recognition by as much as 80%. In fact, you didn’t even have to see those objects to visualize the colors and the brands they represent.

At DPrintWorldWide, we know exactly what goes into creating a color palette that represents your brand’s personality and mood. We choose colors that speak to your target audience, create easy brand recognition, and increases your bottom line. We take color theory, color perception, and color accuracy so seriously that we’re intentionally pursuing G-7 certification for color management. See more about our color management practices here, then contact us today for a product consultation, or learn from our design tutorial, that will build your brand and expand your market reach.