Design is one of the primary ways we present and communicate our brands, events, and ideas to customers. That said, it makes sense to learn how our target market thinks and behaves in order create designs that they can identify with or that can influence their actions.

That food companies and restaurants often incorporate the color red into their logo, for example, says that the choice of color is intentional. This springs back to the psychology of color, which explains how red increases the level of appetite in viewers.

There are many more principles of psychology that make a huge impact when applied to designs. Here, we pick the best ones that you can experiment with and integrate into your brand’s visual materials and content.

Digital Synopsis

Image Source: Digital Synopsis

Psychology Principles to Apply For Game-Changing Designs

There’s so much more to a design than a good understanding of the color wheel and choosing which colors go with which. Striking
designs evoke particular emotions of people, and to achieve that, it’s essential to have a grasp of color psychology.

Balkan Brothers Dribble

Image Source: Color System – Wibbitz by Filip Justic for Balkan Brothers in Wibbitz on Dribble

Yellow
Optimism, Warmth, Clarity, Energy, Joy, Playful, Confidence
Brands: McDonald’s, Shell, Nikon, DHL, Ferrari, Snapchat

Orange
Friendly, Bold, Youthful, Extroversion, Motivation, Impulse
Brands: Mastercard, Bitly, Nickelodeon, Payless, Blogspot

Red
Excitement, Passion, Youth, Boldness, Action, Power, Urgency
Brands: Coca-Cola, Lay’s, Kellogg’s, Nintendo, CNN, Target

Pink
Sincerity, Compassion, Sweetness, Femininity, Nurture, Love
Brands: Barbie, Victoria’s Secret, Cosmopolitan, Dunkin Donuts

Purple
Imaginative, Creative, Nostalgia, Courage, Fantasy, Glamor, Wealth
Brands: Cadbury, Hallmark, Yahoo!, Milka

Blue
Trustworthiness, Intelligence, Loyalty, Calmness, Security, Honesty
Brands: Dell, Ford, WordPress, Facebook, IBM, PFizer

Green
Peaceful, Freshness, Growth, Safety, Health, Balance, Harmony
Brands: Starbucks, Lacoste, Tic Tac, Tropicana, Whole Foods

Black
Sophistication, Luxury, Authority, Formality, Seduction, Importance
Brands: Chanel, Prada, Audi, Dolce and Gabbana, Playboy

Filip Justic on Dribble

Image Source: Iconosquare – Study of Colors and Styles by Filip Justic on Dribble

Paolo Spazzini on Dribble

Image Source: Lyrics Exploration by Paolo Spazzini on Dribble