The use of color in marketing is a powerful psychological tool that
can send positive or negative messages, encourage sales, and calm or
excite a crowd. The use of color can be seen all around you, from
signage, logo designs, book covers, and product packaging. Before you
create your next marketing piece, think about the meanings many colors
portray:

• Black is associated with authority, elegance, and mystery. Black is
  also associated with grieving and evokes strong emotions, making it
  easy to overwhelm people with too much black.
• White often depicts purity and cleanliness and can often inspire
  creativity (white boards, blank slates).
• Red draws attention and is the color of energy and excitement. Used
  in moderation, red can provide a powerful accent color.
• Pink is the color of romance, love, and gentle feelings, and is
  proven to soothe and calm aggressions.
• Blue is associated with dependability, wisdom, and loyalty, and is
  the most popular favorite color. Many people are more productive and
  focused when surrounded by blue.
• Green is the color of growth, nature, and money. It is also
  associated with good luck and fertility.
• Yellow is associated with laughter and happiness. People surrounded
  by yellow feel more optimistic because the brain releases more
  serotonin (feel good chemical in the brain) when exposed to yellow.
• Orange often depicts fun times, warmth, and an energetic attitude,
  and can also make people hungry.
• Purple is the color of royalty, wealth, and spirituality, and often
  stimulates the brain activity used in problem solving.

Not only can color convey different feelings, but it can also affect
shopping habits. For example, impulse shoppers respond best to red,
orange, black and royal blue.

Many thanks to our friends at Northern Ohio Printing for this article.

Published in Printer@Work, April 6, 2010

Amidst the Civil War in the April 16, 1864 issue of Harper’s Weekly you’ll see the use of proper page layout, typography, imagery, and line art. All of these are basic elements of graphic design.

Wikipedia’s definition of graphic design:

The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images and/or words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages. A graphic designer may use typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to produce the final result. Graphic design often refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication is created and the products (designs) which are generated.

Common uses of graphic design include magazines, advertisements and product packaging. For example, a product package might include a logo or other artwork, organized text and pure design elements such as shapes and color which unify the piece. Composition is one of the most important features of graphic design especially when using pre-existing materials or diverse elements.

Fast forward to December 1, 2009. Graphic design now surrounds us so much that it has encompassed our very being. If we weren’t hit everyday with the constant barrage of print, web and tv ads, billboards, your Starbucks cup; how bland would life be? Being a member of the design world it always intrigues me to asses and analyze these different advertisements. How did the ad affect my view of the product, service being offered or the company as a whole? Did the ad make sense? Does the logo make sense? Did anything leave an impression in my mind to convert a possible sale right now or maybe in the future?

According to research done by Google, Americans are exposed to over 3,000 advertisements every day. That’s a lot of competition for your product or service. So be sure your advertisements makes sense, are noticeable and leave a lasting impression. The moral of the story is to be sure to hire a qualified graphic designer to produce your marketing materials for your company. Otherwise your just throwing your hard earned dollars away.

Steve Toth