Experts suggest that color choices based on personal preferences can often be incorrect. Colors can create different perceptions when used alone or in combination, and preferences for colors can vary from region to region and culture to culture. It is also emphasized that there are common color perceptions shared by humanity as a whole.
For example, green universally evokes nature, trees, and vegetation, while blue represents the sky and the future. White and black symbolize beginnings and endings, simplicity, and intensity, respectively. Red is the color of love, passion, and pain, while yellow conveys maturity and the autumn season.
Traditional colors used in different industries can be informative when creating compelling sales documents. The colors used in the logos and products in your industry can provide valuable insights into which colors to use to differentiate or align with what your customers expect. If your customers have conservative tendencies, they prefer to see colors they are familiar with. Modern color combinations may not appeal to them, and using radical colors can have a negative impact. Therefore, it is important to interpret research results on colors carefully. In any case, it is noted that using a few different colors in sales and marketing documents will be much more effective than a document with no color.
Renowned Color Psychologist Jill Morton lists the four golden rules for successful color design as follows:
-
Use two or three colors: Scientific research shows that when the brain is exposed to four or more colors, it diverts attention elsewhere.
-
Use colors from the same family: Yellow, yellow-green, and yellow-orange are all part of the "yellow family." These colors are close to each other on the color wheel and are called "analogous" colors. These colors are related to each other and provide a pleasing flow in a design.
-
Experiment with contrasts: For example, orange-blue, green-pink, and yellow-purple are opposites and can create a beautiful color harmony based on strong contrast. Another way to create harmony from contrast is to use warm colors like yellow, orange, and red with cool colors like blue, green, and purple.
-
Achieve the right contrast for readability: The harmony between text color and background color facilitates reading. Insufficient contrast strains the reader's eyes. For example, blue text on a black background may not be a good combination, while purple text on a light gray background can enhance readability.
For example, the following colors and their effects for textiles can be categorized as follows:
-
Timeless Colors: These are natural colors such as beige, white, cream, nude, and gray.
-
Accent Colors: These are colors that drive most purchases, including ruby, emerald, sea blue, turquoise, and hunter green.
-
Cool Colors: Suitable for home furnishings and men's clothing. These include gray, gray-green, blue-green, and slate blue.
-
Pastel Colors: Suitable for jewelers and stores selling lingerie. These include lilac, peach, and lavender.
-
Warm Colors: Ideal for creating an exciting atmosphere in stores. These include red, orange, and yellow.
Depending on the variety of products in your store, you can categorize the colors to be used as follows:
-
In the children's clothing section, use bright primary colors to attract children's attention.
-
In the toy section or stores selling toys, create an atmosphere that children will love by making arrangements in bright and vibrant colors.
-
In the women's clothing section, use colors that are always bright and varied because women's clothing colors are always very bright and changeable. Use neutral colors, peach, red, orange, and yellow.
-
In the men's section, especially brown, billiard green, and tree colors are preferred. Fashionable colors for young people are lively and bright.
-
In the textile section, prefer neutral colors and use plain colors that match the fabric colors.
The color psychology studies show that people who wear pink feel more comfortable when they are paid for the service they provide. This is why in Boots and Marks and Spencer stores in the UK, all cashiers wear pink shirts when they are paid for their services.
Retailers in the food-based retail sector divide the important sections or departments of their stores into non-food areas. Especially marketers who understand that the color of the product packaging significantly affects sales have come to the conclusion that making the right color choice can potentially increase the sales.