The psychology of colour

Did you know that colour increases brand recognition by up to 80%?

It can be used to make a statement, draw attention, create engagement, set a mood… the list goes on. It can affect our behaviour, but, above all, it influences how we interact with a brand. 

From research, blue is the most popular colour (for both men and women!) and brown the least. Each colour has its own influence on our mind – using this knowledge of possible reactions can ensure we, as designers, convey the right message and therefore ensure users take action.

The unconscious decision 

Colour can play a big role in the unconscious decision making process. There are some decisions we make, when purchasing a product, that are conscious – the price, the specification, the competition. However there are also decisions that affect our purchases that our unconscious, ones that our brain makes without realising, and this is where colour comes into play. The colour for red, for example, has been ingrained in us to represent danger or urgency (think stop signs) and is a colour that our brains will automatically take notice of – this perfectly explains why sale signs in shops are red. They know they can catch our attention immediately!

Colour and design 

As designers, we are influenced by colour and it’s psychology every day because we select colours that will create the emotions we want the user to feel when engaging with the brand/website/product. When we are working with clients on their branding, we want to ensure we choose a colour palette that will evoke the right emotions in the customers. 

Here’s a handy graphic outlining the influence of each colour:

The diagram above illustrates how vast the emotions are that colours can cause and how we utilise these is paramount to creating a fantastic visual identity (and also part of being a great designer). Understanding the unconscious decision making process plays a big part in a brands portrayal, as do the other components of a visual identity, and when they work together harmoniously, you can only be onto a winner!