How I Create Impactful Color Palettes–Understanding Color Psychology

Choosing color for my clients

What seems to be my favorite step in the branding process also tends to present the most challenges for me as a designer. Choosing color for my clients. From the outside, it appears simple. But selecting a color palette takes me days of carefully choosing multiple combinations, narrowing them down, letting the selected colors set for a day, and then coming back to the drawing board only to repeat the process again.

I do believe these many rounds of refining a client’s color palette are warranted. This is an area of a brand that should take days, even weeks of a designer’s attention. After all, color has the power to have incredible impact, shaping what viewers perceive, and ultimately setting the tone for a brand as a whole.

How is color interpreted?

It is crucial to understand and consider the meaning behind each color. This does not mean that each color cannot be interpreted in a different way. In fact, the same color can have a different meaning depending on factors such as location, gender, and values. Even as a designer, I love to stretch the meaning of colors and create combinations that are unique to each of my clients. But considering the psychology of color and what is generally perceived by the public eye is a great starting place. Starting here also gives me an opportunity to help my clients understand why the selected colors work strategically for their brand, and allows them to feel confident about the intention and thought that went into creating their brand.

What is color psychology and why is it important for your business?

Color psychology is the study of how colors are related to human behavior and emotion. As a designer, I study color psychology because it plays an important role in how a brand is received. As I design for my clients, my number one goal is for their target audience to connect with their brand, purchase from them, or choose to work with them. The fonts and imagery used are large factors as well, but color has power to evoke emotion and feeling, and may be the reason a customer chooses one brand over another. Color helps build a brand that is relatable, and this is why it’s important that your brand colors are strategically working to attract your ideal customer.

Snag your free guide!

Have your colors been intentionally selected for your brand, or is there no real rhyme or reason behind them? As a helpful tool to understanding the meaning behind popular colors and to determine if your colors truly represent what your brand stands for, I’ve created a free guide that outlines five characteristics for each color.

You can download it here.

Thanks for reading! Hit the comment button if you’d like to chat about how to be more intentional with the colors in your brand to start attracting your ideal customer. Talk soon!

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