“Colour is a power which directly influences the soul” – Wassily Kandinsky
In our fast-paced agency, finding moments to relax and maintain our good mental health are incredibly important, so last week we took part in a tie dye session to create some unique and fun garments. Some of us chose a monochrome design favouring one colour while others chose to use every available colour in our designs.
This led me to think about the psychology of colour. While various factors contribute to good mental health, colour can play an often-overlooked role. Colour psychology has been studied for years and it’s been proven that different hues can significantly impact our mood and emotions. Colour has the power to evoke powerful emotional responses, trigger memories and stimulate our senses. It can influence our perception of our environment making spaces and objects seem larger, cosier, warmer, or colder.
Specific colours can have a calming effect on our minds while others can energise and invigorate our senses. However, it’s important to recognise that individual preferences and cultural backgrounds can still influence each person. Everyone is unique, so as creatives, it’s important to consider our preferences, and those of our clients when we design.
That being said, there are certain colours that tend to have universal effects on mood. Soft blues are known for being tranquil and calm. They are associated with peace, serenity and stability and are often used in logo designs for medical brands thanks to their association with calmness and trustworthiness. Green is inherently associated with nature and the outdoors. It’s a colour that evokes growth, harmony and rejuvenation and can be a great choice for brands associated with nature, building and financial services. Reds and oranges evoke feelings of passion and creativity, invigorating the senses. This is why sports teams often choose to wear red to get their players and fans fired up. Our own brand colours of purple and yellow were chosen for a very specific reason. Purple is associated with creativity and authority, awakening the senses while promoting the quiet necessary to make intuitive, insightful observations. Yellow stimulates our nerves and brain, making us more alert and energized. Yellow is known for boosting memory and encouraging communication.
In our continuing quest to boost our mental health and improve wellbeing at C21, we will definitely not overlook the impact colour can have on our mood. Understanding the psychology of colour and recognising our personal preferences will allow us to harness the power of colour in our environment and in the designs we produce for our clients. So, what does this mean for our tie dye experiments? Will wearing our multicoloured socks and t-shirts help boost our creativity and get us fired up to create change? Watch this space to find out!
