As a brand and website designer, my goal is to chameleon myself into my client’s ideal client and then help them design their business branding and web presence in a way that drams dream clients in and leaves them wanting to stay forever. Patterns, fonts… They all play into this, but so does COLOR! Do you know what your brand colors are saying about you? Time to find out.

Branding is so much fun! Building your Brand Pinterest Board, playing with type sets and patterns, choosing colors… I’m like my youngest when I let him inside a Lolli & Pops candy store (who has a stunning brand and web presence btw).

But it can’t just be about what you as the business owner likes – the most powerful brands know to also include their dream client and how she’ll perceive it into the decision making process. So, today we’re going to talk about color perceptions.

Every hue in the color spectrum evokes and brings to mind different emotions and unique personality attributes, this is referred to as Color Psychology.

Choosing a primary color for your brand identity can signify as much as a pattern or icon that you may have chosen for your logo and or brand. Perhaps you’ve already established your brand or maybe you’re just in the process of designing it, either way, it’s good to have an understanding of what your color choices are saying about you and your business. After some research, I found an article about color meaning from Color Wheel Pro that I’ll be using to help give a brief description of each color family. If you would like further explanation I found this website very informative too!

(Black & White Source)

Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, ‘black death’). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color (black tie, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief. Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or gray background to make the other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors.” – Color Wheel Pro

Black Attributes: Elegance, Formality, Power, Mystery, and Death

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity. In advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because it’s the color of snow. You can use white to suggest simplicity in high-tech products.” – Color Wheel Pro

White Attributes: Light, Goodness, Cleanliness, Simplicity, Purity.

(blue source)

Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity. Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred color for corporate America”. -CWP

Blue Attributes: Health, Understanding, Truth, and Softness as well as Power, Intelligence, Integrity, Authority, Seriousness, and Confidence.

(Teal Source)

Turquoise {or teal} helps to open the lines of communication between the heart and the spoken word. It presents as a friendly and happy color enjoying life. In color psychology, the color turquoise controls and heals the emotions creating emotional balance and stability. In the process, it can appear to be on an emotional roller coaster, up and down, until it balances itself. Turquoise heightens levels of creativity and sensitivity.” – Judy Robin’s Egg Blue, or even better known as Tiffany Blue has been so well branded and recognized for the high-quality jewelry store that the color has actually been patented and named respectively in the color spectrum.

Teal Attributes: Clarity, Idealism, Balance, Creativity, Compassion, Self-Sufficiency.

(Red: Who doesn’t think of one of the most recognizable brands of all time, Coca-Cola!)

“Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. In heraldry, red is used to indicate courage. It is a color found in many national flags.

Red brings text and images to the foreground. Use it as an accent color to stimulate people to make quick decisions; it is a perfect color for ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Click Here’ buttons on Internet banners and websites. In advertising, red is often used to evoke erotic feelings (red lips, red nails, red-light districts, ‘Lady in Red’, etc). Red is widely used to indicate danger (high voltage signs, traffic lights). This color is also commonly associated with energy, so you can use it when promoting energy drinks, games, cars, items related to sports, and high physical activity.” – Color Wheel Pro

Red Attributes: Power, Love, Passion, Potency, Energy, Desire, Action, Determination, and Courage.

(Yellow Source)

“Yellow is the color of sunshine. It’s associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. Yellow is often associated with food. Bright, pure yellow is an attention-getter, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this color. When overused, yellow may have a disturbing effect; it is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is seen before other colors when placed against black; this combination is often used to issue a warning. In heraldry, yellow indicates honor and loyalty. Later the meaning of yellow was connected with cowardice. Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings.” – Color Wheel Pro

Yellow Attributes: Energy, Sunshine, Joy, Warmth, Caution, Vision, Intellect, Creativity and Light.

(Green Source)

“Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes a lack of experience; for example, a ‘greenie’ is a novice. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic.” – Color Wheel Pro

Green Attributes: Ambition: Growth, Nature, Optimism, Spring, Relaxation, Youth, Luck, Environment, Healing and Wealth.

(Orange Source)

“Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation. To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain produces an invigorating effect and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates the appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance.” – Color Wheel Pro

Orange Attributes: Energy, Determination, Encouragement, Potency, Success, Competition, Productivity, Strength, Enthusiasm, and Creativity.

(Pink Source)

“Pink signifies romance, love, and friendship. It denotes feminine qualities and passiveness, but did you know pink used to be considered a boy’s color and blue a girl’s color?  It wasn’t until the 1940’s when manufacturers made the switched.

Today, pink is the picture of femininity, little girls, and newborn daughters. Pink is thought to have a calming effect on people but research has shown that this is only temporary. Sports teams have even gone so far as to paint the opposing team’s locker room pink with the idea that it might make their rival opponents less aggressive. “Pink is intuitive and insightful, showing tenderness and kindness with its empathy and sensitivity. In color psychology, pink is a sign of hope. It is a positive color inspiring warm and comforting feelings, a sense that everything will be okay.” –Judy of empower yourself with color

Pink Attributes: Passion, Love, Calmness, Femininity, Compassion, and Reassurance.

(Purple Source)

“Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic. According to surveys, almost 75 percent of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all other colors. Purple is a very rare color in nature; some people consider it to be artificial.” – Color Wheel Pro

Purple Attributes: Royalty, Ambition, Wealth, Nostalgic, Mystery, Spirituality, Mysticism, Inspiration, Magic, Dignity and Luxury

Are you ready to refine or design your brand board? Want some Brand Board Inspiration?

Here is my daughter Ella’s Brand Board and her Etsy shop.

And here is my Brand Board and my website.

I’d love for you to leave a comment and tell me…

What color is your business?

Why did you choose that color?