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Understanding the psychology of colours in designing

Updated: Jan 27, 2022

Learn how choosing the right colour palette can be a gamechanger for your company.

Colours are a fundamental aspect of designing. It helps customers develop a psychological and emotional attachment to a brand or a product. With the change in time and technology, the dynamics of colours have captured human minds in many ways. Here are a few key points regarding the colour palette to keep in mind while designing.


Understanding colour theory


Colour theory is a blend of both the science and arts of colours. It illustrates how humans observe colours and respond to it. There are three basic aspects of colour theory - the colour wheel, the colour harmony and the colour context.

  • The colour wheel

The first colour wheel was designed by Sir Issac Newton in 1665. Since then, the colours of the wheel have been transformed and changed according to the requirement of designing spaces.

The colour wheel mainly encompasses primary colours like red, yellow, and blue, secondary colours like green, orange, and purple, and tertiary colours like yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and yellow-green.

  • The colour harmony

The colour harmony can be described as an arrangement of colours pleasing the eye. It engages as well as creates a balance and sense of order to enhance the visual experience. If a visual is not harmonious, it’ll not engage the viewer to the idea. A visual requires structured, organised and logical presentation to create an aesthetically pleasing view to human minds.

  • The colour context

The colour context emphasises on how colours behave in relation to other colours and shapes. It’s important to observe and note the contrast, values, and warmness or coolness of different shades to make a difference in our perception of colours.


Keep it simple


Using too many random colours while designing can either bring out chaotic or bland visuals. Keeping it as simple as possible would be the best idea. Add additional colours only if necessary.


Know your audience


Knowing your audience gives you the best advantage while designing. This provides a psychological understanding of favourable colours that your targeted audience will relate to. This research factor will help bring out the visuals more effectively.


Create mood colour palette


Seek inspiration from everywhere possible - from historical art or contemporary designs, through online and offline sources. Just pick out, make a note and analyse the complementing colours that make the visual favourable to you. Create your own mood palette accordingly and use while designing.


Take inspiration from nature


Nature has an immense source of inspirational colours and the combinations are just wonderful. They’re free, accessible and stunning sources, which can always keep one inspired. They can be a reliable source to think out of the box while designing and grab the viewer’s attention towards your visual.


There is just so much you can do to boost your business! We know it can be overwhelming. But hey, we are experts at breaking down complex concepts into easily comprehensible content. So keep calm and follow our blogs!


We practice what we preach! Reach out to us to avail our services.


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