I propose something to you . Open your closet. Now take a good look at your clothes, is there a color that stands out? Do the same with your makeup. Now with the colors in your house. Maybe you prefer vibrant colors or maybe earthy colors. But without a doubt, there will be a group of colors with which you will feel more identified.
When it comes to branding, colors play a very important role. They are a fundamental part of the creation of the brand. Colors, well used, will benefit the brand by expressing its philosophy and differentiating it from its competitors. The color palette is one of the elements that will make your target audience understand what your brand does and will help build its identity.
Now, we know that there are often trends that mark the use of one or more colors. While these trends can be useful, at least to start with, you probably want to build a brand that will last over time, so, in my opinion, it would be preferable to focus on choosing colors that do not run the risk of having to change them in the short term. Even if you have to make changes to your brand’s visual identity in the future, keeping the colors will make your brand consistent.
So how do you start defining a color palette? I suppose there are several ways. I am going to propose one that I think is simple and effective:
Define your brand personality.
Before going to the visual part of your brand, you must have a strategy. The colors you use in your brand have to reflect its values and personality. How would you describe your brand in 3 or 5 words?
Assign colors to that personality.
Although there are subjectivities as to what color can represent for one person or another, there are certain parameters you can use to find colors that respond to the adjectives you have assigned to your brand. If you need a quick guide you can read THIS ARTICLE.
Test how those colors work.
Create a Pinterest board or use the tool you feel most comfortable with and combine the colors you chose in the previous step. See how they coexist and if they really express what you want to convey.
Choose the main color.
Here is when you choose 1 or 2 colors that will be the colors that identify your brand.
Choose accent colors.
Accent colors are used when you want to highlight something with a color different from the main colors.
Choose neutral colors.
Neutral colors can be used as backgrounds or to make the rest of the colors stand out.
Maybe you only want to use two colors and don’t need to go all the way to the last step. Adapt this guide according to your needs, and try different combinations until you find the one that best represents the spirit of your brand. And, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
