Understand colour theory and pick the best brand colours

Introduction to colour theory

Colour theory is a framework that explains how colours interact with each other and how they can be combined to create visually appealing designs. Understanding colour theory is essential for artists, designers, and anyone involved in visual creativity, as it helps in making informed choices about colour usage.

The basics: The colour wheel

At the heart of colour theory is the colour wheel, a circular diagram that organises colours in a way that shows the relationships between them.

1. Primary colours

These are the three colours that cannot be created by mixing other colours. They are red, blue, and yellow (See image 1 below).

2. Secondary colours

These colours are created by mixing two primary colours. They include green (blue + yellow), orange (red + yellow), and purple (red + blue) (See image 1 below).

3. Tertiary colours

These are created by mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour. Examples include red-orange, blue-green, and yellow-green (See image 1 below).

Complementary colour relationships

Understanding the relationships between colours on the colour wheel is crucial for creating harmony or contrast in your work.

1. Complementary colours

These are colours that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as yellow and purple or red and green . When used together, they create a high contrast and vibrant look, making each colour stand out more.

2. Analogous colours

These colours are next to each other on the colour wheel. For example, blue, blue-purple, purple, and red-purple are analogous. These combinations are pleasing to the eye and create serene and comfortable designs.

3. Triadic colours

This scheme involves three colours that are evenly spaced around the colour wheel. An example is the combination of orange, purple, and green. Triadic colour schemes are vibrant, even if you use pale or unsaturated versions of your hues.

4. Split-complementary colours

This is a variation of the complementary colour scheme. It involves one base colour and the two colours adjacent to its complement. For instance, instead of pairing red with green, you could pair it with blue-green and yellow-green. This approach offers high contrast without being as intense as a direct complementary colour scheme.

5. Tetradic (double complementary) colours

This scheme uses four colours together, in the form of two complementary pairs. For example, you could pair red with green and blue with orange. Tetradic colour schemes are rich and offer plenty of possibilities, but they can be challenging to balance.

Colour temperature

Colours can also be categorised by temperature: warm, cool, and neutral.

Warm colours

These include reds, oranges, and yellows. Warm colours tend to evoke feelings of warmth, energy, and excitement. They can make a space feel cozy and inviting.

Cool colours

These include blues, greens, and purples. Cool colours are calming and soothing, often associated with nature and serenity. They can make a space feel larger and more open.

Neutral colours

These include black, white, grey, and browns. Neutral colours don’t pop as much as warm or cool colours but are essential for balancing out a colour scheme and creating sophisticated, timeless designs.

Harmonious colour

Colour harmony refers to the pleasing arrangement of colours. Harmonious colour combinations can bring a sense of order to a design or brand colour palette. All of the previous points this blog has touched on are ways to achieve colour harmony, another way is through monochromatic colour schemes.

Monochromatic colour uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single colour, for example, you could use different shades of blue to creates a cohesive, serene and calming look.

Colour psychology

Colour has a powerful effect on our emotions and behaviours. Here’s a brief look at what some common colours represent:

Red

Passion, energy, excitement. It can stimulate appetite, making it popular in food branding - major fast-food franchises McDonalds, KFC and Burger King all use red in their branding.

Blue

Calm, trust, professionalism. Blue is often used in corporate designs - social media companies, Facebook and LinkedIn, both use blue in their branding, instilling trust in their platforms, which is important when handling large amounts of consumer data.

Yellow

Happiness, warmth, caution. Yellow can grab attention but should be used carefully as it can also cause eye strain. McDonalds use yellow to emphasise that warm and happy association, as does Ferrari - two very different brands offering two very different products, but wanting to emit the same message of excitement, happiness and energy.

Green

Nature, growth, health, sustainability. It’s often used in designs related to the environment or wellness. Think of Holland and Barrett, Wholefoods and Starbucks, they all want to be associated with nature, health and sustainability.

Purple

Luxury, creativity, mystery. Purple is often associated with royalty and creativity - Cadburys position themselves as a luxury chocolate provider. Magicians are also often associated with the colour purple

Orange

Enthusiasm, creativity, warmth. It’s a colour that can evoke energy and enthusiasm - a great example of this is children's TV channel, Nickelodeon.

Black

Sophistication, power, elegance. Black is timeless and can convey luxury and formality - think of high-end designer brands like Chanel and Prada.

White

Purity, simplicity, cleanliness. White often makes designs feel open and can create a sense of space - A good example of brands that use white as a primary branding colour are those who produce personal hygiene products, soaps, face-wash, etc. such as Nivea and Dove.

Grey

Neutrality, balance, calm and quality. Grey is a sophisticated and neutral background colour - think of car manufacturer, Mercedes.

Practical application of colour theory

When applying colour theory, consider the context and audience. Different cultures may interpret colours differently, and the purpose of your design will influence your colour choices. See more on this here.

Designing a brand and choosing logo colours

Choose colours that represent the brand’s values. A financial company might choose blue for trust, while a fast-food chain might opt for red to stimulate appetite and excitement.

The role of saturation and value

Saturation

Saturation refers to the intensity or purity of a colour. Highly saturated colours are vivid and bold, while less saturated colours appear more muted.

Value

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a colour. Adding white to a colour creates a tint (lighter value), while adding black creates a shade (darker value).

Understanding saturation and value is key to creating depth and emphasis in your designs. For example, using a colour’s lighter tints for backgrounds and darker shades for accents can create a sense of depth and hierarchy.

Conclusion

Colour theory is a rich and complex subject that combines art, science, and psychology. By mastering the basics of the colour wheel, colour relationships, harmony, and the psychological impact of colours, you can enhance your designs, artworks, or any visual project, making them more effective and aesthetically pleasing. Remember, while rules and theories are helpful, don’t be afraid to experiment and trust your instincts—some of the best designs come from creative exploration!

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