Color. Not just for crayons.

Imagery conveys the message, words tell the story and colors set the tone. Color creates an alluring ambience and acts as a key component in any design; color complements all other elements and aids in distinguishing your brand from the competition. Color, in all it's subtlety, has been shown to have an immediate impact on the viewer, and in many cases, has acted the catalyst in regards to whether or not a product or service is bought or sold.

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--Research reveals people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone.
Source: CCICOLOR - Institute for Color Research--

--Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent.
University of Loyola, Maryland study--

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Often times, more than not, color is trendy, an after-thought and many times, misused. With all of the fancy tools designers and creative developers have at their fingertips, e.g., tools making layout easier, tools making image manipulation less tedious and tools to streamline web scripting, many lose sight of and fail to fully understand the influence of this most basic element.

When used properly, color plays an integral player in the overall message being delivered. It works in harmony with the words, images and overall structure of brand elements. There is a science to color choice, a strategic game plan to picking just the right palette. From your logo to print collateral and television commercials to websites.

I feel more time should be spent on analyzing color in every usage. We should stop and think, "How does this shade make the consumer react", "What impulse does it generate", "Is this color appropriate within this context". Let's move beyond the pure "feel" aspect of it and explore what reactions the viewer will have when introduced to this color. The question to be addressed is, "Does this color palette represent my brand and does it assist in effectively communicating to my audience?"

Ask yourself, is orange always the best color for stimulating an appetite? Is green the best choice for selling all things organic? Maybe so, maybe not. Here is a great article about color choices and usage, enjoy.

http://www.usabilitypost.com/2008/09/29/a-guide-to-choosing-colors-for-your-brand/

Miles McIlhargie