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Get Creative with Colors!

Simple tips and tools in selecting your brand's colors.

Ever had the problem or difficulty selecting and matching colors?

 

I did. Every morning when I used to dress up for work. And what makes it more challenging is when you have limited choices. I would try to mix and match colors from my available tops and bottoms, shoes, and other accessories. For a woman like me, coming up with an outfit for the day can be very challenging!

 

The struggle is the same for your business. From creating your first logo, defining your brand, to designing your website.

THE POWER OF COLOR

There is no doubt that colors play an essential role in our day to day life. Imagine living in a world of plain black & white. Feels dull and boring, right?

 

Sometimes we don’t realize it, but colors are VERY powerful. It can influence the way one thinks, feel and act. It evokes certain emotions, changes moods, and affects behavior. Our brains are so connected with the spectrum of colors we see every day. It creates interpretations in our minds in ways that we are sometimes unaware of.

 

That’s the power of color.

"Color Palette" -- Photo by Carissa Weiser on Unsplash

COLOR PSYCHOLOGY

Knowing how color affects the human mind, we need to be aware of its interpretation in the industry that we play in. There are positives and negatives our minds associate the colors with. I know very little about color psychology. So, do note that the basis of the few things I’m sharing here are from readings and personal experiences. Here are a few examples:

  • Warm colors (red, orange, yellow) are great for food chains, restaurants & food packaging. It stimulates the brain and stirs up the feeling of hunger. Blues are usually avoided since its calming properties suppresses a person’s appetite.
  • Toys and candies packaged in bright & vibrant colors tend to be more appealing to younger kids... and yes, to "big kids" like me too!:p
  • Environmental groups use green because it represents nature and hope.
  • Drug industry studies show that a tablet's color affects the patient’s feeling about taking a drug. I remember as a kid thinking that all dark red syrup taste bitter so I would refuse to take them.
  • In politics & religion, we associate white with peace while red stands for rebellion.

The list can go on… but the main point here is to be aware of these industry-specific color connotations. It may affect the behavior of consumers in your business when they see and relate to your brand.

SELECTING YOUR BRAND COLORS

So, how do I choose and what colors do I use for my brand? What color will best fit my business?

 

I had the same questions when I was designing my logo and creating my website. I spent hours deciding which primary colors to use and what other colors go best with it. I was also biased with my personal favorites (admittedly, I never outgrew pink!). 

Here are a few basic tips that helped me:

 

Know the basic meaning of primary colors. There are a lot of free materials that you can search online. Read up and learn about them.  

 

Be aware of industry-specific color connotations/associations. This is more challenging since you have to know your industry well. Do your research. Talk to marketers in your industry, interview consumers, and read tried & tested studies.  

 

Select the main color for your brand. Based on your research, whittle down your options. Pick the color you think best represents your brand and conveys the message to your end customer. Do not let your personal favorites and biases affect your decision!  

 

Find color combinations that go well with your main color. Create a color palette for your brand. This will serve as a guide when you design your marketing materials. There are available tools online that will aid you in doing this.

ONLINE TOOLS

Let me introduce 2 basic online tools that I use:

 

1. Image Color Picker (https://imagecolorpicker.com)

 

Did you find a specific color online that you wanted to copy?

 

Then this is the tool for you!

All you need to do is upload an image OR enter the URL of the site, and click on the “Take Image” button.

Once the image appears on the screen, click on the area with the color you wish to copy. And voila! It will give you the exact HEX and RGB codes of that color.

2. Adobe Color (https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/)

 

This is my go-to site when selecting my color palette.

Same as the first tool, you have the option to Import an Image. The site will then return a mix of color palette with the corresponding HEX and RGB codes. You can also explore the different Color Moods to see various combinations of colors. Moods to select from are: Colorful, Bright, Mixed, Deep, Dark, and Custom.

Another option is to use the Color Wheel to play around and select colors. You can do this by dragging the color anchors or entering the HEX or RGB code on the provided text box.

Here, you will find a selection of Color Harmonies. These include Analogous, Monochromatic, Triad, Complementary, Compound, Shades, and Custom. From there, suggested color combinations will show for you to choose from.

Go ahead and have fun playing around with these tools…

 

Unleash your inner artist, and get creative with colors!

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