
Sometimes it “feels good” because we know it’s right because of our experiences with color and its effect on people.
Honestly, sometimes the color choices many designers make look like they opened up the Pantone Color Books Swatches panel and just scrolled down and randomly clicked on something.
THE CLIENT
Although we’re the experts, it is important to trust the insight that our client might have into who they believe they are as well as colors they may know that their target audience is averse to or attracted to.
THE COMPETITION
Looking at the competition will achieve a couple of things: it will give you an idea of common color threads that run through the other companies (whether they’re using correct colors or not), as well as show you what kind of direction to avoid to ensure the you don’t create something identical.
PSYCHOLOGY
Much like a Van Gogh painting can stir up emotions in someone looking at them, our advertisements, posters, packaging, and yes, even logos, have the potential to do the same. That should excite you.
The research comes in because your experiences with a certain color could be completely different from the experience of someone in your target audience.
THE CULTURE
In our business, our primary roles as designers is communication. If we have something amazing to say but then choose the wrong color to compliment our message, we fail and can potentially lose lots of money for our clients.
Knowing your audience can be a game changer.