Colour Psychology

Just a very quick post today to reflect the smallness of the project, but Chloe designed this advert for gardening expert Claire Brown of Plant Passion this week and we think it looks fab! Feedback from Claire has been great – she loves the fact that Chloe’s fitted the “bullet points” of what Claire offers around the photos rather than chucking them into a long, bulleted list.

I also really like the metaphor with the shape of the eye – which cleverly fits in with the headline.

Plant Passion as a business is the Spring side of Autumn, so the beefy colours teamed with the sparkling circles create the ideal mix and capture Claire’s personality perfectly.

Tagged as , claire brown, garden design advert, plantpassion in Case Studies, Colour Psychology, From The Studio, Graphic Design

Green is one of my very favourite colours. It’s communicates balance between mind, body and emotions. Green also exudes harmony, rest, relaxation and restoration. It’s reassuring and there’s an instinctive, primal pull with green that takes us back to the idea that green shows an abundance of food and growth.

Green is also linked very closely with the environment and represents ecological and organic concerns well.

Negatively green can be perceived as stagnant (think about a stagnant pond, urgh!), boring and even bland. But I hope that as this mood board shows, there’s no need to tar green with that brush as long as you use it correctly.

Credits: Green cushion: Not on the High Street; Eat Your Greens: Keep Calm Gallery; White Toast Green Mug: Emma Bridgewater; Moss: Designers Block; Green Laboutins: With this Ring; Herbs: Ideal Home; Green herbs: The Green Samaritan; Green Tea: Green tea truth; Pistachio Macaroons: French Blue; Crocodile: V&A

Tagged as in Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology, Branding, Colour Psychology

Blue is a sensible colour. I’m yet to meet someone who declares themselves head over heels with blue in the same way you’ll get the passionate enthusiasm for colours such as purple or pink – but perhaps you lovely readers will prove me wrong? And I guess that whilst if I think of blue I conjure up an image of school-uniform royal or navy blue (uninspiring? really?) there are numerous shades of blue – from the deepest, darkest petrol blue to the most delicate duck-egg. In fact I am seriously considering painting my kitchen a couple of different shades of blue so I really shouldn’t be so rude about it.

Blue is an intelligent colour, it’s logical, ordered, calm and efficient. It exudes coolness, serenity even and certainly creates trust. It’s a colour that’s soothing to the mind and can indicate clarity (a strongish blue) or calm and concentration on a lighter blue.

By now you’ll be realising that you can’t have the good without the bad… And blue is no different. Negatively blue can be perceived as aloof, cold, unfriendly, unemotional and conservative. The way to keep it in check is to ensure that you’re consistent in your palette and shapes. Remember, you need to start by defining the season your business falls into first and then selecting tones (not the other way round!).

Credits: Nest of Eggs and Easter Twigs: Martha Stewart (sorry but I love her stuff!); Bathroom: Channel4; Kitchen sink: Fired Earth; Library: Capacious hold all; Bluebird business card: business card gallery

Tagged as in Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology, Branding, Colour Psychology

Black is seen by the vast majority of the British public as safe, slimming, sophisticated and even a security blanket. What I find interesting about black is that unless your business is a Winter colour personality you categorically should not include it in your palette. Sure, used in the right setting black is glamorous, powerful, [...]

Tagged as in Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology, Branding, Colour Psychology

Purple is without question one of my favourite colours, and it features heavily in the Flourish brand palette. From the most delicate lilacs through to mauve and purple and the intense violet colour, purple is a spiritual colour. At Flourish we use it to commuicate quality, vision and purpose. And it also communicates truth, authenticity, [...]

Tagged as in Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology, Branding, Colour Psychology

Last week my What’s in a season? series looked at how the seasons affect the tone, hue and saturation of a palette of colours. I showed you how Spring colours are light, bright, warm and clear; Summer are light, cool, delicate and muted; Autumn colours are warm, intense and muted and Winter colours are cool, [...]

Tagged as in Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology, Branding, Colour Psychology

You’ve got to be pretty tough to get through Winter in the natural world, and these extremes are reflected in the Winter personality. The temperature drops, colours intensify and the light clears. Winter is all about extremes – ice blues, polar whites, rich blacks, neons and metallics. Winter is all about the drama. The extreme colours, [...]

Tagged as in Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology, Branding, Colour Psychology

Autumn is a time of change. Temperatures drop, leaves turn into the most beautiful, fiery shades and all that work nature put in in Spring and Summer really pays off: it’s harvest time! As you’ll hopefully be expecting by now, the Autumn colour personality reflects what’s going on in the natural world. Passionate, energetic, enthusiastic [...]

Tagged as in Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology, Branding, Colour Psychology

As the temperature hots up in Summer so the colours fade, the afternoons are hazy and the light and natural world becomes altogether more delicate and muted. Forget the neon brights you might associate with beach holidays: the Summer colour personality is romantic, graceful, elegant and aspirational. Summer businesses are efficient, productive and well organised. [...]

Tagged as in Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology, Branding, Colour Psychology

Spring businesses are forward thinking, creative and full of life. Just as the spring bulbs and plants burst through the barren winter soil with their promise of what’s to come, so Spring people light up a room with their expressiveness and inspirational ideas. Infectiously enthusiastic, incredibly bright and very people focused, Spring businesses are great [...]

Tagged as in Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology, Branding, Colour Psychology