The Power of Color

As long as I can remember I used the power of color to memorize and link things. As a school student I matched my binder with the color of my textbooks and in University I had a system of different color highlights and sticky notes corresponding to the projects. Red meant importance and urgency, Orange – attention, Yellow – “worthwhile noting”. I liked to use green and blue in creative research and mind-mapping. In my art practice I push the color limits to the extreme and practice color without borders. When it comes to my own business – color is my brand identity, a key element in my dress code. Even my suitcase has color … and it is red, of course.

Sometimes we take color for granted and only subconsciously notice that certain things appeal to us more than others. Color is everywhere. Those of us who run their own businesses understand that “color sells, and the *right* color sells even better” (Color
Marketing Group)

Colors in design elements create links and associations in people minds about your product or service – that helps your target market to find you. These associations are divided into natural associations and cultural associations. “Natural associations” bring to mind certain ideas that everyone understands. For example, green is associated with plants, blue with sky, yellow with the sun, etc. Cultural color associations are not so straightforward. I had a Dutch client determined to use orange and black in his website because according to him orange represented important things about his Dutch heritage. However, the orange and black brought out very close associations with Halloween. Since his market was primary targeted to North America I convinced the client to use a different color combination that would rather speak about the values of his company.

The more colors you use in your branding the more chaotic, confusing and complex it may become. It’s recommended to use up to 3 colors in your logo only. However the brand colors may include the gradation of various combination that can be used on your website, brochures and any other promotional media. Here are some curious facts about color taken from various marketing studies:
  • Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent.
  • Color improves readership as much as 40 percent.
  •  Color accelerates learning from 55 to 78 percent.
  • Color increases comprehension by 73 percent.
  • Color ads are read up to 42 percent more than similar ads in black and white.
  • Color can be up to 85 percent of the reason people decide to buy.

So, what’s your brand color?

To get more info on color, try this article: “10 reasons to use color”
http://understandinggraphics.com/design/10-reasons-to-use-color/

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