Designers and marketers use all sorts of visual techniques and methods to tell a brand’s story. They arrange different fonts, lines, imagery, photography and more to entice emotion from the intended audience and support the brand’s objectives. But there is one visual design element that is so rudimentary as to have remained at the core of visual storytelling for generations: colour.

Our connection to colour as a species is evident even in our youngest. When I was a child, I used to draw on everything, including, to the chagrin of my mother, the walls. I would rush to finish every pencil drawing because I couldn’t wait to get some colour on the surface. No matter what I drew, or where, it had to have colour. It was important to me, making my stickman, his house and his surroundings come to life. In my youthful mind, it gave my compositions—all masterpieces to me—meaning and context. It helped me express my emotions.

When employed correctly, the colours a brand uses communicate its values to consumers as well. An interesting study from the University of Winnipeg, for example, found that colour can be used to increase or decrease appetite, enhance mood, calm down customers and reduce perception of waiting time, among others. Powerful stuff.

This array of effects is something we take into consideration when creating logos or any visual assets for our clients. Colour is the window into a brand’s character, its intention and truth. Not paying attention to your brand’s colours can have lasting impact on business. But how do you discover a brand’s true colours?

1. Colour association

The emotional connections attached to colours and their shades are far-reaching and never the same. From one person to the next, one shade can have a million meanings. When you see the colour red, you might subconsciously associate it with love, passion and desire. But it may also represent danger, anger and mortality. Consider colour association and the emotions you want customers to feel when engaging with your brand. What lasting impressions do you want to make with the colours you use? Maybe you want to convey honesty, professionalism or security. Perhaps your brand aims to be fun, energetic or bold. The key here is not sending mixed messages to consumers with a colour that subliminally contradicts your brand’s truth.

2. Staying with the times

Over the last few years, we have seen a shift in the way logos are designed and how colours are used. The radical simplification and minimalist culture in modern design has been adopted by many brands. The reasoning is simple: consumers are engaging with brands through a digital lens, via apps, social media, websites and more.

Many brands have also embraced a more sustainable approach to their business and products—colours that symbolize a more electric or eco-conscious lifestyle are becoming more and more prominent. But where should a brand draw the line on what’s trendy over timeless? Finding your colour should play into what’s happening around you and what’s currently connecting with your audience, but it should never compromise your brand’s narrative and core ethos just because it’s trendy.

3. Not just throwing paint at the wall

After you’ve put in the work to whiteboard, conduct market research and identify what palette the ideal customer gravitates to, you’re ready to select a colour. But before you run to the local paint store and try and match the chosen Pantone hue for that wall behind the reception desk, consider all the various touchpoints your customers will interact with. From the inside of your packaging, to the tags on your t-shirts, to the hover-state of a button on your website, every application plays a vital role in strengthening a brand’s identity and keeping it top of mind with consumers. Being intentional and thoughtful with how you use the colour (and where—right, Mom?) will allow your brand to express its truth.

For more insights into how we help brands go to market with intention, my team and I look forward to continuing the conversation here.