Why is your brand's colour palette so important? Picking a colour palette is not solely about choosing which colours you think look good or work well together. Your brand colours should reflect your personality and the aesthetic you want to project to the world.Did you know that research shows that people make a subconscious judgement about a product within 90 seconds, with the majority of focus being on the colour alone? It is essential that the colour theme you choose encourages a strong emotional connection with your customers.

Choosing colours that represent your business is more difficult than people may think. Since colour has the power to evoke emotions and generate brand loyalty when used correctly, it simply cannot be an afterthought. Creating a brand identity through the use of colour helps create psychological connections with your audience. That being said, with infinite shades to choose from, how can you feel confident in your decisions? You need to ask yourself, "What is the message of your brand?" What are its values? What story do you want your brand to tell?

Here are the four steps we follow when choosing a client's brand palette:

1. Figure out what you want the brand to represent.

What emotions do you want your brand to evoke? A branch of psychology delves into the impact that colour has on our perceptions and behaviors. There are many popular brands that have done an incredible job at building a brand that can be recognised by colour alone. Let's look at the Google logo. When you think of Google, you are immediately reminded of blue, green, yellow, and green. These colours are synonymous with Google.

2. Play around with polarising colour themes.

Don't settle with one colour palette in your discovery phase. Play around with themes that vary greatly from one another. Oftentimes, you might have a certain direction in mind, but it's always good to start with an abundance of options.

3. Hone in on the primary brand colour.

As a general rule of thumb, you don't want to use an extensive colour palette; try to limit your theme to 1–5 colors. Excessive use of colour can cause confusion and dilute the message your brand is trying to convey. Implement shades that complement one another and create consistency across your brand.

4. Test out your colour palette.

Test your colour palette in various formats, like business cards, websites, and packaging. This step is vital, as you won't know if your theme will pair well with other aspects of design if you skip it.