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How Psychology of Color in Graphic Design Influences Perception

February 17, 2025
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How Psychology of Color in Graphic Design Influences Perception

The psychology of color in graphic design greatly influences how people interpret the design look. Thus, you must be aware of using color in graphic design to represent the whole concept. The right color pick for the design will influence the target audience’s decision-making process over your business. 

Get to know how the psychology of color will affect the process of understanding the design concept and purpose. Scroll down this article to learn more information!

Key Takeaways:

  • The role of each color in graphic design.
  • Engage your brand with the psychology of color for graphic design.
  • Adapting to how the brands use the color of psychology to build their brand value.

Psychology of Color in Graphic Design

In this section, you will learn how the colors from red to black play a role in graphic design to communicate with the target audience. Let’s dig in here!

1. Attention Grabber: The Red

1. Attention Grabber The Red
Image Source: Pinterest – Faiz Vora

The bravery of red represents power, passion, love, comfort, and excitement with a bold and iconic shade. The color red in graphic design is supposed to indicate a persuasive action beyond recall such as a delete, cancel, or exit button. It is the strategy to engage reactions and navigate users to explore more about the brand.

Brands using red to influence customers’ decision-making process to purchase also automatically will increase sales rate. The color red is flexible to be used for business including F&B, entertainment, and airplane service. Famous brands that successfully pull red color in their business are Netflix, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola. 

Also Read: 30 Modern Hand Lettering Fonts for Invitation and Branding

2. Comforting Orange

2. Comforting Orange
Image Source: Pinterest – DigitalSynopsis.com

The secondary color is the mix of red and yellow, it is orange which represents excitement, enthusiasm, and warmth. The positive vibe that orange brings to the ground will instantly grab attention and stimulate the mood. 

Thus, orange is most likely to be used for toys, F&B, and entertainment brands to engage in brand marketing. For instance, Nickelodeon has been using orange as their brand color to represent youth, fun, and excitement that will be grabbing the audience’s attention. 

3. Sunny Bright Yellow

3. Sunny Bright Yellow
Image Source: Pinterest – Edgy Elegance

J.M.W. Turner, a British painter was the founder of yellow and stated it could influence perception and represent happiness, youth, nature, and joy. In the psychology of color in graphic design, yellow is used to take the audience’s focus with its vibrant hue to engage memory and perception which leads to action-taking. 

The color yellow suits F&B business and entertainment that will successfully grab attention. For instance, yellow in the National Geographic logo is designated to the sun and nature to influence the audience’s perception of the planet. However, the imbalance of yellow can cause anxiety, so it is a caution to consider balancing the yellow in graphic design applications.

4. Sustainable Green Color

4. Sustainable Green Color
Image Source: Pinterest – Creative Market

Green is most likely to represent sustainability in the color of psychology in graphic design. The nature-inspired color of green will influence people’s emotions to feel easy, secure, calm, and peaceful which speaks for growth. Regardless, consider choosing the shade to engage emotional responses from the audience.

Many brands use green as their brand color to attract a broader target audience since it is a gender-neutral and timeless color. Starbucks is one of the big brands that use green in the logo design to represent growth. Additionally, Starbucks trying to tell the story that their menu is available for all people despite of gender. 

Also Read: 25 Best Fonts for Professional Business Cards

5. Calming Blue

5. Calming Blue
Image Source: Pinterest – Emmanuel Bluy Pantone

The light shade of blue enhances readability and accessibility to create a new experience of UI/UX in graphic design. Corporate companies, healthcare, and technology are businesses that are most likely to use blue to represent security, stability, and trustworthiness.

To make the design look versatile, combine blue color with basic typography such as Serif and Sans Serif to spotlight the cleanliness. Take a look at how LinkedIn became one of the brands that use blue in its logo design. It looks simple yet compelling and trustworthy for audiences who are looking for a trusted job. 

6. Strong Secondary Color of Purple

6. Strong Secondary Color of Purple
Image Source: Pinterest – Bridget Maloney

Purple probably become one of the strongest secondary shades of color psychology that represent calm, creativity, and elegance. The elegance and luxurious mood of the purple shade speak for femininity. Thus, this color shade is highly used for beauty products and women’s association groups.

Urban Decay is a luxury cosmetic brand that believes in purple to be its logo design to enhance femininity. Regardless, purple can be genderless if you can tone up and down the shade to be more gender-neutral. For instance, the LA Lakers use purple color to be bold and show their energetic energy in sports. 

Also Read: How Many Fonts Should a Brand Have? 5+ Tips for Choosing

7. Soft and Feminine Pink

7. Soft and Feminine Pink
Image Source: Pinterest – TREASURIE

The playful shade and trusted to speak for feminity in the psychology of color in graphic design is pink. It is when a strong red becomes calmer with clean white to enhance the feeling of empowerment and love in brand marketing. 

No wonder pink is credible for girls’ businesses such as clothing, accessories, and cosmetics. You could already realize how Barbie and Victoria’s Secret use pink in their brand. It is the marketing strategy with a specific target market.

8. Bold Black

8. Bold Black
Image Source: Pinterest – Home Stratosphere

Practically, black is not about monochromatic color, but it also represents strong values such as uniqueness, power, mystery, and boldness. The use of black in graphic design can be timeless and sophisticated to influence mood, perception, and user behavior. 

However, the optimized usage of black can engage brand value just like how Nike is doing this far. The timeless slick design is iconic and remarkable and would influence market sales when customers can easily notice the brand.

Also Read: Playful and Colorful Fonts for Easter Designs: A Creative Guide

Point Out the Color of Psychology to Drive Customer’s Behavior

The psychology of color in graphic design could be complex, yet it is helpful to engage your brand value. Practically, the chosen color for typography and elements will enhance the design. Furthermore, it could drive customers’ emotions that will influence their perspective and trustworthiness of your brand.

To make your design look more decent even with basic colors such as black, primary, and secondary, use fonts for professional designs by Putra Cetol Studio. Only on Putra Cetol Studio, you can find every style for every design mood that will enhance readability and value.

What’s more, the Bundle Deal from Putra Cetol Studio is available for only $36 with up to 22 fonts and 15 typefaces. The bundle font is eligible for logo, business card, and packaging with official licenses. Hence, it is your sign to improve your brand with a good match of graphic design and fonts by Putra Cetol Studio!

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