how to create a color palette for your brand
Choosing the right colors for a brand is important, and it’s a big part of each branding project that we work on.
Every design project starts with a deep dive discovery that allows us to really understand the who, what, and why of a brand and to uncover the story we want to tell through design (and yes, color!).
Because we love brand mood boards and color palettes so much (and we get asked a lot about how we pick the best colors for a new brand!), I thought I’d walk you through some inspiration.
(Psst: it’s about so much more than picking your favorite color.)
The goal is to not only find colors that represent your brand’s story and personality but to find the colors that appeal to your audience — colors that will evoke emotion, add to the brand experience, and, ultimately, lead a customer to take action!
Let’s take a step back for a second and talk about color psychology.
(One of my favorite things ever.)
The study of color theory and psychology explores how different colors can affect our perception, our emotional state, and even stimulate a physical reaction.
Interesting right?
Have you ever thought about the branding colors you use in your marketing and how they might sway your consumers on a subconscious level?
Colors can cause a range of emotions, associations, and even physical responses. And as entrepreneurs, it’s important to think about how we can use color to help build our brand story.
And while it might be tempting to choose brand colors that you are drawn to — colors you might find in your closet or around your home — I think it’s important to remember that it’s not all about you.
It’s about choosing colors that fit the tone and vibe of your brand AND attract your audience.
Some Basic Color Psychology:
Yellow — An optimistic color full of warmth. It reminds us of summer and sunshine and generally stimulates a happy and joyful response. It’s a striking color without being too harsh, so pops of yellow are a great way to draw positive attention to important focal points. (Famous brands with yellow include: Ikea and those famous McDonald's arches.)
Orange — A friendly color, generating confidence and adventure. Think of orange-themed brands like Nickelodeon. It gives off a playful, fun, and creative vibe that catches the eye without being quite as bold or dramatic as its next-door neighbor in the color wheel, red.
Red — A passionate color. It evokes excitement and energy, and studies have shown that it can actually increase our pulse. It has also been proven to increase appetite. (No wonder so many of the food and beverage companies around the globe use red in their branding, e.g., Coca Cola and Chick-Fil-A.)
Blue — Ah, blue. Lighter blue associations with bright skies and calming waters give people a sense of peace, trust, and consistency. Darker blue also gives off a feeling of confidence and reassurance. It’s used a lot in healthcare and with finance companies, like JP Morgan and AmEx. Fun fact: over 30% of top brand logos have blue in them.
Purple — An ambiguous one. It’s a creative and imaginative color, and people generally have an optimistic response to it. Deep purple can also be associated with royalty, hence its famous pairing with a gold crown for the Hallmark brand.
Green — As you might guess, green makes people think of nature, growth, and money, and it is known to attract consumers in outdoors and health spheres (John Deere and Whole Foods — green all the way).
Brown — A deep earthy tone that can evoke feelings of comfort and security. For brands like UPS, the color brown is used to build trust with the consumer and maintain a down-to-earth vibe.
White — A color associated with innocence and humility. But from a design standpoint, white is simple, clean, modern, and also helps promote other colors or graphics. (For examples of well-used whitespace look at NBC and FedEx.)
Gray — If you’re looking for a good neutral, gray is generally a color of stability and calm. But as a neutral, it’s all about balance — too much gray without contrast can remind consumers of sadness and loss.
Black — And finally, black, a power color. It represents sophistication, luxury, and boldness. Think of brands like Nike and New York Times. They use black to strike the eye without shouting too loudly.
So there you have it: a quick Reader’s Digest look at the intriguing power of color.
But before you let your mind go crazy with all the color options (and adjectives), remember that the core purpose of color is simply to further your brand’s story.
Using strategy to develop your brand’s color story gives you a deeper way to engage with your customer (even subconsciously) and can help you really build brand experience.
If you’re wondering what colors you should use in your branding, run through these Q’s:
What color(s) will catch your customer’s eye?
(Tip: If everyone in your industry seems to be using shades of blue, think about a way that you can shake up the color scheme a bit; maybe try adding bright pops of orange or yellow!)How do you want your customer to feel?
What color(s) help spread your message and brand story?
I hope these tips help you start to think about your brand colors in a whole new way!
If you’re not sure where to start with answering the above questions, our brand style quiz can be a great starting point!
CLICK HERE to take our 3-minute brand quiz, and start intentionally using color to tell your story!
