🔸 The ONLY Colour Theory Video You Ever Need To Watch!

Key Concepts

Color psychology, color schemes (monochrome, complementary, analogous, triad, split complementary), saturation, contrast, brightness, cultural color associations, target audience, logo design, UI/UX design, Adobe Color, Sessions College Color Calculator, Illustrator color tools, Photoshop color adjustments, global colors.

Color Psychology and Emotion

• Main Point: Color evokes specific emotions and associations, influencing design effectiveness.
• Details:
  • Orange/Yellow: Energetic, excitement, change.
  • Red: Danger, passion, warning, stimulation (increased heart rate, awareness).
  • Green: Natural, tranquility, healthy.
  • Pastel Colors: Openness, relaxation, peacefulness (suitable for beauty products).
  • Blue: Security, trustworthiness, calmness (often used by financial brands).
  • Purple: Luxury, sophistication, femininity.
• Examples:
  • Gym poster: Orange is suitable due to its energetic association.
  • Skincare advert: Pastel skin tones evoke relaxation and relate to the product.
  • Insurance company design: Low saturation and weak contrast convey calmness.
  • Landing page: Blue for security, orange for action.
  • "Accelerate to your blog's growth" design: Yellow for energy and positive change.
• Research:
  • K.W. Jacobs (1974): Red is more stimulating than green, green more than blue.
  • Richard Cooler (1981): Color affects EEG readings, heart rates, and emotional perceptions.
• Quote: "It isn't necessarily the color that's important. Brightness and low saturation creates a soft feeling, whereas dimness and high saturation creates a hard or strong feeling."
• Technical Terms:
  • Saturation: The intensity of a color.
  • Contrast: The difference in visual properties that makes an object distinguishable from other objects and the background.
  • Brightness: The perceived amount of light coming from a source.

Color Theory and Design Principles

• Main Point: Understanding color theory principles like contrast and complementary colors enhances design impact.
• Details:
  • Complementary Colors: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel create visual appeal and impact.
  • Brightness and Saturation: Low brightness/high saturation = strong feeling; high brightness/low saturation = soft feeling.
  • Contrast and Saturation: Weaker contrast/saturation = calmness; stronger contrast/saturation = activity.
• Example: Using complementary colors for a webpage design to create a functional and visually appealing layout.

Cultural and Demographic Considerations

• Main Point: Cultural background, age, and gender influence color perception and preferences.
• Details:
  • Red: Love in the West, wrath/anger in Japan.
  • White: Purity in the West, death in parts of Asia.
  • Women: Tend to prefer softer, pastel colors.
  • Men: Tend to prefer bolder colors.
• Actionable Insight: Designers must know their target audience's demographics and cultural background to make informed color choices.

Step-by-Step Design Process

• Main Point: A methodical approach to color selection involves understanding the desired feeling, design personality, and color psychology.
• Steps:
  1. Determine the desired feeling: Write down words linked to how you want the viewer to feel (e.g., safe, energetic).
  2. Define the design's personality: Write down words that describe the design's personality (e.g., clean, minimal, friendly).
  3. Research color psychology: Match keywords to colors based on their psychological associations.
  4. Experiment with color schemes: Use tools like Adobe Color or Sessions College Color Calculator to explore different harmonies.
  5. Start with a base color: Choose a base color based on research and then explore complementary colors.
• Example: Designing a landing page by first identifying the desired feelings (safe, secure, calm, action), then considering the design's personality (clean, minimal, friendly), and finally selecting colors based on these factors.

Color in Logo Design and Branding

• Main Point: Color choices in logo design should align with brand values, target audience, and cultural context.
• Details:
  • Orange: Invigorating, playful, positive change.
  • Red: Excitement, passion, but also anger (use cautiously).
  • Yellow: Thoughtful, cheerful, energetic.
  • Green: Nature, growth, health.
  • Blue: Trustworthiness, maturity, calming.
  • Purple: Luxury, sophistication, femininity.
  • Black: Slick, modern, luxurious (high-end brands).
• Example: Cadbury's use of purple to appeal to its predominantly female audience and convey luxury.
• Considerations:
  • Number of Colors: Sticking to one or two colors is safer for beginners; multiple colors require careful planning.
  • Cultural Sensitivity: Understand how different cultures perceive colors.
• Tool: Adobe Color's "Explore" section for finding relevant color schemes based on keywords.

Illustrator and Photoshop Color Tools

• Illustrator:
  • Shift-Click Color Menu: Access RGB sliders and drag to add tints/highlights.
  • Complement Button: Find the complementary color directly from the color panel.
  • Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork: Change an entire design's color scheme with one click.
  • Global Colors: Create swatches that update across the entire design when edited.
• Photoshop:
  • Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer: Change the color of a selection without using masks by sampling the desired color.

Color Scheme Groups

• Monochrome: One hue with varying tints, tones, and shades. Relaxing, but not attention-grabbing. Good for digital art and certain logos.
• Complementary: Two colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Contrasting and attention-grabbing, but can be jarring. Use with caution, experiment with tints and shades.
• Analogous: Base color and colors on either side of it on the color wheel. Softer designs, good for digital art and specific logos.
• Triad: Three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel. Contrasting and can be overpowering. Experiment with tints, tones, and shades. Good for charts and infographics.
• Split Complementary: Base color, direct opposite color, and two colors on either side of the opposite color. Obscure and difficult to balance. Requires experimentation.

Additional Color Tools

• Sessions College Color Calculator: Helps create color harmony schemes.
• Pigment: Quickly change brightness and saturation, provides hex codes, RGB values, and Pantone. Can create duotone images.
• Paletton: Create color harmonies and see how they function on real-life projects (website design, animator graphics).
• Color Wheel (Physical): Shows color mixing, grayscale, complementary colors, split complementary, tint, tone, and shade.

Conclusion

The video emphasizes that effective color use in design is not arbitrary but a strategic process informed by psychology, cultural context, and design principles. By understanding the emotions colors evoke, considering the target audience, and utilizing the various tools and techniques available, designers can create impactful and memorable designs that achieve their intended purpose. The key takeaways are the importance of research, methodical planning, and continuous experimentation to master the art of color in design.