WHAT DO YOUR corporate colors say about you? If you haven't picked the right colors for your brand, you could be sending mixed messages! When developing the identity for Daab Creative, we chose the colors Yellow and White using Orange as the dominant color. According to Leatrice Eiseman in her book The Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color, orange is generally preferred by extroverted personalities and is seen as "playful, gregarious, and childlike." Hmm. That might explain the action figures littering my office. Yellow is viewed as cheerful and imaginative, says Eiseman and white communicates simplicity. Apple is a great example of a company successfully employing white in their brand.

 

So what about you? What do your colors communicate? Let's take a look.

Blues, like sky and water are seen as constant, steadfast and reliable. Reds are dangerous. The sight of red is said to increase levels of the hormone epinephrine--which increases blood pressure, pulse rate and adrenaline. Yikes! Pinks are the youthful kid-sister of red. Pink says all the same things that red says, but also communicates youthfulness. Browns are associated with substance and stability. Remember those The Power of Brown commercials by UPS? They had the right idea. Greens are perceived as clean, invigorating, stately and prestigious. Purples either communicate spirituality or romance--depending on how they lean. Blue-purples are said to be spiritual, red-purples are romantic. Neutral colors are associated with time and antiquity. They remind viewers of the pyramids and roman temples. Black communicates elegance and power. Think about it, chocolate tastes better when it comes out of a black wrapper, doesn't it?

 

For more information on color and how to employ it in your brand, I encourage you to pick up Eiseman's book. If the colors you are currently using don't match your goals... it may be time for a redesign. Are you ready to utilize the power of color in your brand? 

 

AMAZE YOUR FRIENDS WITH THESE FUN FACTS ABOUT TURKEYS!

 

1. Turkeys can see movement almost a hundred yards away.

2. Turkeys' heads change colors when they become excited.

3. Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clicking noise.

4. Gobbling turkeys can be heard a mile away on a quiet day.

 

1. They don't make things like they used to. Well... yes they do, they're just harder to find and more expensive. Check out this beautiful chair designed by Chicago-area furniture designer Jason Lewis. 

2. For my birthday, my wife bought me "Terrorsel," a beautiful print illustrated by 22 year old Joy Ang. I love how Joy combines storybook whimsy with terrifying imagery. This piece reminds me of a childhood nightmare. You can view the full illustration and buy Joy's prints for yourself, here. 

3. This table lamp by Re-Surface is inspired by "dilapidated building facades and the Japanese the aesthetic, wabi-sabi." I can't stop staring at it. It's eating my brain out! So very, very cool.

4. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose. Now you CAN pick your friends nose, with these hilarious paper cups, avaiable here.