Signages don’t only speak with words. They tell a lot with colours too. Take the Brisbane city’s sign for example. The iconic signage is near the Brisbane River. It wouldn’t have looked so welcoming if the sign merely stated the city’s name. Instead, it’s the use of bold and bright colours in the signage that invites and attracts tourists. This is the psychology of colours in signage design. You can make people feel a certain way about your brand with thoughtful colour choices. It’s a common branding strategy for many successful businesses. You can do it too once you understand colour and consumer psychology.
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Psychological Effects Of Colours
There is a significant impact of colours on perception. It can influence how a person feels about an environment. For instance, people usually perceive green as safe and calming. That’s why emergency exit signages are often green.
Brands also focus on mood and colour in design. Take a look at McDonald’s or similar fast food signages. Red and Yellow are the dominant colours there. Red excites people. 76% of people feel more connected and attracted to Red more than any other colour, according to Colorrib. The study also finds that yellow is related to happiness. 26% of people find the colour emotionally provoking. In this context, it stimulates appetite. Meanwhile, yellow evokes happiness and festivity. Those are the elements fast food restaurants want in their atmosphere.
Emotional Response To Colours
Behavioural psychology recognises the emotional effects of colours. Some common semantic colour associations are-
● Red: Urgency and excitement. Evokes action. Most effective attention-grabbing colour.
● Blue: Calm and serenity. Communicates trust and reliability.
● Yellow and orange: Friendliness, festivity and happiness.
● Green: Safety and motivation. Associated with eco-friendliness.
● Purple: luxury and sophistication.
● Black: Strength and boldness.
Big brands understand these associations between colour and consumer behaviour. They use colours as psychological triggers in signage.
For instance, Target and similar retailers use Red sale signs. The colour creates an urgency within the customers. Thus, it prompts them to immediately make more purchases.
Meanwhile, Spas and wellness centres are in the business of calming your nerves. So, their signages have shades of blue and green. These colours speak of relaxation to the clients. Thus, driving more business towards these centres.
Cognitive Impact Of Colour
Colours can affect a person’s memory and attention. So, colours in signage might help improve focus and performance. Take Blue for example. The colour is often associated with better concentration. Therefore, many schools use blue educational signage in their libraries. This helps them create a more effective learning environment.
Proper use of colour contrast in signage is important for the same reason. Human visual perception is sensitive to it. Colour contrast can increase or diminish your visual focus. School zones apply this in their signages. They use dark, bold text against a bright, lighter background. This immediately alerts the drivers as they can easily read it.
Colour Psychology In Marketing
Brands understand the colour influence on decision-making. For instance, people associate blue with trust and security. This is something healthcare institutions need to communicate to their clients. So, blue dominates the signages of these institutions.
Meanwhile, luxury brands want to market themselves as exclusive. Their signages often use a combination of black and gold. This colour scheme conveys a sense of sophistication.
Eco-friendly and organic brands’ signages are often Green for the same reason. The colour is closely associated with nature. So, it motivates the eco-conscious consumer to make a purchase. Meanwhile, Whole Foods’ green signage is a statement of their commitment to organic products.
Colour Tips For Designing Effective Signage
The application of colour theory in signage leads to wonderful results. You will base your design on how the brain processes colour and other visual designs. This is also known as neurodesign in signage.
Effective Signage Color Schemes
Strong visual communication design depends on colour schemes. You must remember this during brand identity design. 85% of people shared that they often buy products because of the attractive colour. Here are some suggestions. However, these are not rules-
Healthcare Business: A blue and white colour scheme is perfect for clinic and pharmacy signages. The combination conveys trust, calm and cleanliness. Patients feel they are in a safe and hygienic place when they see the signage.
Fashion or Electronics: These retail stores aim for a sleek and professional vibe. They can achieve this with a simple black-and-white colour scheme in their signage. The high contrast is visually striking yet simple and modern. That’s exactly what customers are seeking in these products.
Banks and Investment Firms: People want to put their money in something stable. At the same time, it must also promise growth. So, financial institutions often go with the Green and Gold scheme. Green signals growth and stability. Meanwhile, Gold stands for success and affluence. The combination makes the clients more confident about their investments.
Creative Agencies: Design studios and marketing firms can follow a purple-yellow scheme. Purple evokes wisdom, creativity and luxury. This makes it highly relevant to the creative industry. Meanwhile, yellow is a sign of optimism and energy. The combination speaks of an agency’s creativity and innovation.
Colour Harmony in Signs
The above retail signage colour tips are merely suggestions. You can come up with your own unique combinations too. Here are some of the colour harmony you can try-
Analogous Colour Scheme
This is the combination of hues that are next to each other on the colour wheel. For instance, green and blue. We see such combinations in nature every day. It looks harmonious and consistent. Thus, creating a calming effect. Businesses like Yoga studios can use analogous colour schemes to create a relaxing atmosphere.
Complementary Colour Scheme
This is the opposite of the previous combination. Instead of similar colours, you will use contrasting ones. For example, red and green. This makes both colours stand out. The result is an energetic effect. A sports store signage can use such a combination. The sense of excitement and action will drive like-minded people to the store.
Now, think about a bookstore. You want to evoke the same feeling in the signage. However, you want to tone down the emotions a bit.
So, use a split-complementary colour scheme. Choose a base colour. Suppose it’s the colour green. The complementary colour is Red. So, pick a colour that is close to it on the wheel. That will be orange and purple with a hint of red. You will use these three colours to create the bookstore’s signage. The contrast is still there. However, the tension isn’t as high as the sports store sign.
Mono-Triadic-Tetradic Colour Scheme
A monochromatic scheme uses only one colour. The lightness and saturation vary to create interest. Such signage looks clean yet elegant. Something innovative tech startups can use to convey professionalism. 81% of the worlds largest 250 companies use two or fewer colours in their logos.
Triadic schemes use three colours. They are all evenly spaced throughout the wheel. For example, red, yellow and blue. You can create playful and cartoonish signage with this scheme. This one is suitable for a kid zone, toy stores, cafes, etc.
The most diverse one is the tetradic scheme. You will pick two pairs of complementary colours. Four colours offer a lot of possibilities. Signages for art galleries can follow this scheme. Other businesses might also use it. However, choose the pairs carefully.
FAQs
How can you apply subliminal colour cues for brand signage?
Choose a colour that is consistent with your service. For instance, red or yellow for a restaurant sign. Decide on a colour scheme that best resonates with your target audience. Go for an energising scheme if you want a teenage crowd. Tone it down a bit if you are trying to attract more mature diners.
How can I increase signage visibility?
Use bold or attention-grabbing colours. Position the signage in a high-traffic area. You must use lighting if your business hours are after sunset. Also, choose a font size that is visible from far away. For instance, 10-inch fonts are visible from as far as 400-450 feet.
Is corporate signage design different from retail?
Retail signages use vibrant and exciting colours. Red, yellow and orange is a common choice for these businesses. The aim is to trigger impulsive purchases in consumers. Meanwhile, corporate signage uses stable colours. For instance, blue or grey. This communicates trust and reliability.
Is there any cultural significance of colour in signage design?
Yes. Take the Australasian signage trends for example. You will often notice a recurring pattern of indigenous motifs and earthy tones. The designer draws the motifs from the region’s rich cultural heritage. The ochre, deep greens and blues are a tribute to Australia’s natural landscape.
Final Words
Colour psychology plays a vital role in signage design. This discussion is a comprehensive overview. It can help you grasp the concept. However, applying it to design effective signage is something else. It requires years of experience and expertise. That is something Signage 4Business Group has acquired over the last two decades. We have provided solutions to numerous businesses across Australia. Our experts are aware of the latest signage trends. We study consumer psychology religiously. So, contact us today for affordable signage solutions.