Psychology of Color Association in Graphic Design (Essay Example)

In this essay, I am going to explore and explain how color association affects graphic design in relation to logos and advertisements with a focus on how designers and companies use and exploit this to get specific emotional and physical responses from their audiences, potentially resulting in more business. 

color association relates to the emotional often subconscious response that is correlated with colors and the physical response and thought process that follows this. People have their associations with color which stem from psychological effects, biological conditioning and also cultural reasons (Lundberg 2019) that have been developed subconsciously through their individual experiences, meaning not every person will view every one color the same way. However, there are always consistent subconscious associations for each color which are developed subliminally from an early age that will pass on the information and result in people acting on their own associations for these colors. For instance, green is considered a relaxing color and a color that would revitalize our body and mind. It is also considered the color of prosperity and usually has connotations that would make people think of money or even luck. Olive green specifically is traditionally the color of peace, which could relate to the idea of presenting an olive branch as a symbol of peace. Alternatively, green is also seen as the color of jealousy or materialism. (olesen, 2019) This is linked to the phrase “green with envy” Each color has its own positive and negative connotations and it is important for designers to consider this while working so as to not bring negative consequences to the brand they are designing for. 

color is its own visual language and a powerful tool for communication – the brain processes color faster than it processes words or shapes (cutolo, 2022) and psychologists have suggested that color impression can account for as much as 60% of the acceptance or rejection of a product or service. (Morioka and Stone, 2006) So, accounting for this, when designing a logo or ad, graphic designers need to carefully consider the color palette as they can use it to attract and focus attention on specific and important messages. it is necessary to choose colors that will enhance the message being communicated by the client and to predict how the intended audience will perceive the work, especially considering how people can have potential subconscious feelings against colors. (Morioka and Stone, 2006)

For example, the McDonald’s logo, designed by Jim Schindler is one of the more famous logos that heavily incorporates color association. The colors for this logo were chosen specifically for the purpose of using people’s subconscious color associations to cause a reaction – Red is a more visually dominant color and stimulating and so increases the heart rate which will help to increase appetite, therefore making you think about eating and much more likely to make the choice to go to eat at McDonald's. (Lungberg 2019) Alongside this, yellow is not only associated with happiness but is also the most visible color in daylight so has been chosen specifically to be seen in crowded areas and to grab attention and make you feel happier when seeing the sign. (Cutolo, 2022) The popularity of McDonald’s and how easily recognisable it is, even in different generations, represents that the choices of these colors based on their psychological associations were well chosen and even represent a timeless quality as the associations of these colors are very unlikely to change drastically in the years to come – especially since it has been this way for a long time. 

Another example of the color association being used In a big logo would be the NHS. The logo for the NHS uses only blue and white. The connotations and symbolism of blue are stability, peace, calmness and also cleanliness. The associations of white include purity and innocence. White is also an extremely calming color and instils the idea of goodness. (Bruna 2020) Alongside this, is a great color to use to create space while designing a logo. Using this color choice in their logo promotes their service and what customers should expect when using the NHS – trust, security, cleanliness and security. These factors are extremely important when considering what a business like the NHS caters for. Using these colors in this logo subconsciously reassures their consumers and would potentially even calm upset patients. The consistency of this logo staying blue and white has been the main contributor to the business’s logo being so recognisable even globally, this is important for their brand specifically as they likely know that they would need to be recognised likely in very pressed-for-time scenarios. 

The association of a color with a temperature is known as “cross-modal correspondence” (Van Doorn, 2014) color association includes the distinction between warm and cold colors. Using cold colors (greens, blues, violets) in designs is linked to causing a calm and refreshing feel. A brand such as Pepsi, using mainly blue in their logo presents a refreshing feel which is ideal considering the message and idea the brand would like to express. However, a brand like Coca-Cola primarily uses bold red in their designs, which is a warm color, (reds, oranges, yellows) that evokes strong feelings, including excitement and passion. This is likely because as light increases in temperature, it increases our concentration and makes us feel more alert. This is a deliberate choice by the designer as red causes the designs to be more memorable and cause a physical reaction in the viewers which would, in turn, cause the target audience to either remember the design for the future or cause them to make the physical choice to go and buy the brand. 

In other words, color has a very important role in gaining customers in terms of business and the perception of a brand. (Sanchez, 2020)

The colors chosen for a brand will build up the image for the brand and as a result the responses and feelings from its target audience, this is why when designing a logo or even a product for a brand, designers will need to take into account the fact that 85% of people will usually pick their product based on color. (Sanchez, 2020) 

Alongside all of this, using the same consistent color palette for a brand will make it so much more recognisable. If a brand is recognisable and memorable, it makes it that much more likely to be the go-to brand for the required product. 

The psychology of color association among the consumers is so important that “in recent years, charities and pressure groups have become aware of the need for clear visual identities to support their important work” (Lloyd Morgan, 1999) 

this shows that companies and businesses that don’t usually use logos or memorable colors to establish their brand, have come to realise the importance of being easily recognisable and memorable, and maybe the simplest way to achieve this is to have your brand represented by certain colors which will use the idea of a color association to be recognisable to their audience.

In conclusion, the psychology of color association affects graphic design by being one of the main factors a designer has to consider creating any good piece of work, considering that color is processed much faster than shapes or words, the color would be the component of a piece of design work designers should focus on the most – especially as there are so many new and old brands competing for the attention of customers and by focusing on choosing the perfect colors for the brand it would help them to be recognised faster and over other brands that potentially focused on a catchphrase. 

It has shown to be massively effective in getting target audiences to remember brands and also to make the brands distinctive, which of course is important if any brands want to be successful and not be overshadowed by their competitors. 

Overall, the color association is a huge part of everyone’s everyday lives and therefore has a large impact on how designers view and complete their work as long as they want it to be unforgettable and distinguishable from other businesses and logos.