Impact of Colour

Sometimes you’re feeling blue, other days you’re tickled pink. There’s no denying that colours are an integral part of our everyday and influence us on everything from our mood to our decisions. In this issue we will dive into the navy waters of how colours impact design, branding and decision making.

The first impression of a brand or product often depends on its colour.
Research curated by Colorcom has shown that we make a subconscious decision about a product within 90 seconds of seeing it — and between 62% and 90% of this assessment is based on — you guessed it — colour!

People link different feelings with different colours and this affects how they see your brand. Of course, colours and their associations vary through people’s experiences and cultures, but generally there’s a few we can agree on. Green is optimistic, blue is trustworthy and black is confident. Right? When choosing your brand colours, it makes sense to stay in the lane of people’s associations. Unless your wish is to *shock* and stand out.

But what if you can’t choose one colour? Like, if your company’s product is the multifaceted feelings and colours of life?

We asked ourselves this question when we worked with Nørrebro Teater, a theatre in the heart of Copenhagen, home of the most socially challenging dramas. We wanted them to become the most visually distinctive theatre in Denmark – so we used all the colours in the crayon box.

Here, the theatre works as a frame for its shows, and therefore we made them the centre of attention, keeping the logo itself in neutral colours. Perhaps you recognise this strategy from museums as well.

Selecting the right colours can enhance your brand's look and resonate better with your target audience. Use colours that showcase your brand's strengths and evoke the desired emotions in your audience. If you do it right, your brand might even become associated with one distinct colour - but more on that later.