Picture this: you are finally almost done with a project that you've spent countless hours, days, or even weeks working on, but for some reason the colors you're using just don't look quite right together. We've all been there at some point in our design careers. The question is, how do you pick the right color theme when there are so many options out there?
At the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) event last Thursday, students had the opportunity to hear from professor and communication agency owner, Caitlyn Richard, on the topic of branding and color theory. Here are some tips she left us with:
1. Identify the feeling you want your brand or design to convey
Maybe you're starting your own business or completing a rebrand for a professional client. Maybe you're working on a class project. Maybe you're simply creating a design for fun during your free time. Regardless of the circumstances, think about what your overall goal is and what some words are that describe the direction you wish to take your design.
Some questions you can ask yourself are is your design more fun or serious? Also, how do you want customers or viewers to feel? Answering these questions will help you later on in the palette picking process.
2. Understand color theory
While it may seem simple, or like something you learned in elementary school, Caitlyn explained that understanding how colors correlate with one another can make or break a design. The color wheel consists of warm and cool colors broken down into categories of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.
Some color combinations that work well together are those that are complementary, meaning they are opposite one another on the color wheel, analogous, or beside each other, and monochromatic, which are different tints and shades of the same color.
At this point, choosing the right colors for your design or brand may still feel a bit overwhelming. However, we're about to bring it all together!
3. Choose colors that align with your brand's identity
Colors hold more weight than you might expect. Brands do not necessarily choose their colors based on preferences or what they think will look the best. Remember those words I said to think of earlier to describe the direction of your design? Well, each color on the color wheel conveys certain associations of their own, like those, which are extremely helpful when picking a theme.
For example, let's look at the color red. Red is often associated with danger and energy, so it demands attention. Caitlyn also gave us insight that red can provoke hunger, which is why it is the primary color in many food and beverage brands.
On the other hand, the color green has strong associations to nature, which can give brands a calm and tranquil feel. These are just a couple examples of feelings colors can provoke, and I highly recommend looking into the rest of the color wheel.
4. Have fun!
Now that you're basically a pro in choosing color themes, use this knowledge to your advantage. The possibilities for what you can create are endless!
Written by Emma Strudthoff
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