How Color Really Matters in Design

By Martin Pedersen, CEO, Stellar

Green with envy. Seeing red. Tickled pink. These and other similar phrases immediately conjure up a state of mind, a mood, and experience. That’s what color does and why it’s so important in design, in establishing a palette that defines a brand to emote a feeling, an experience – and ideally a positive, trusting one.

In an article published in Entrepreneur magazine on the subject of color, it’s noted that when looking at the impact of color in branding, you must consider many factors. This includes one’s personal preference, life’s experiences, upbringing, cultural differences, and context. Bearing this in mind, there are nevertheless some generalizations we can make and should contemplate when designing a brand – from its logo to the various collateral material created, including its website and digital marketing campaigns.

For example, one study, the “Impact of Color in Marketing,” found that up to 90% of immediate judgments made about products can be based on color alone, depending on the product. Another study indicated, that, “the relationship between brands and color is based on the perceived appropriateness of the color being used for a particular brand.” In other words, does the color match what is being sold? This was backed by another study called “Exciting Red and Competent Blue,” which showed that the intent of the purchase indeed is greatly affected by colors due to their effect on how a brand is perceived. Customers are influenced by color in how they view the “personality” of the brand in question. For instance, the Entrepreneur article points out the predominant black and orange colors that Harley Davidson uses evoke ruggedness and coolness.

In choosing the right color for your brand, research shows that predicting consumers’ reaction to color appropriateness is far more important than the individual color you select. In the case of Harley, owners purchase the product to feel cool, tough and free, and the colors used work best to tap into that emotion.

When looking at the use of color in web development, color psychology – the science of how color – well, colors human behavior. It should be part of creating a positive user experience. The process involves detail and specific application—e.g., color works hand in hand with navigation and content. You need to use color the right way, the right time, for the right audience and the right purpose. For example, a study on color psychology revealed that women have a preference for primary colors with tints. Just take a look at some e-commerce sites targeted to women and you’ll see that the primary colors used reflect female preferences, as opposed to grays, browns and oranges (more earthy tones).

The Popularity of “True” Blue

According to Kissmetrics, blue is one of the most-used colors in web development. That’s because blue is popular among a lot of folks. Blue, says Kissmetrics, is the color of trust, peace, order, loyalty and faithfulness – as reflected by the color used by many in corporate America. Blue says, “Chill . . . believe and trust me . . . have confidence in what I am saying.” Blue also evokes feelings of calmness and serenity. In fact, much of the research on the psychological effects of the color blue is in agreement over the subtle message of its trustworthiness and serenity. As Kissmetrics so appropriately points out, just take a look at the world’s biggest social network: Facebook.

Seeing Red

Red demands people’s attention, speaks to passion and power, and also suggests strength, determination and boldness. If it’s part of a brand’s palette it can be used to reinforce certain areas of importance.

Back to Black

Darker tones evoke luxury, according to color psychology. The color black is described as having “elegance, sophistication, power, timelessness, classic” which is what luxury designers and high-end e-commerce sites want you to feel. Look at Mercedes’ website, or Apple’s!

Testing Out Color

Color use for headlines and calls to action (contact buttons, etc.) on sites and email ads is important, but you should also test what colors work best in getting the response you’re looking for. For example, a case study about Moz, an online slot machine company, showed that when it changed its call to action button from green to yellow, it experienced an incredible 187.4% rise in conversions. It’s wise to test out several different colors to determine which one has the maximum impact on your targeted audience.

As we said at the beginning, color is a personal preference but it is clear that some choices work better than others in conveying messaging and illustrating a brand. Taking the time to consider color is key in design, a critical factor in everything we create at Stellar for our clients.

Martin Pedersen is CEO of Stellar, a digital design agency providing a portfolio of digital marketing services: digital brand strategy; UX strategy; information architecture; creative, branding & visual design; technical solution architecture; front-end & back-end development; content management systems; email marketing & automation; and project management.