Scheming seems like such an appropriate word when working with color on a client’s logo or branding. There are so many elements of color to be considered – personality, hue, tonality, emotion, do you feel that colors are more than paint on a page?

I know I feel a sort of psychological connection to color. Yellow for a long time was a color I despised. I hated its flaming cheeriness (I used to be SO serious). Now look at me – I scream yellow! While brands should reflect more than just something you like or a fad of the moment, there should be some personal attraction to it. A lot of times branding has to grow up. I see many brands start with an unhealthy amount of color (think of rainbow suckers) and then over time neutralize to become more sophisticated. Some brands continue to express their bright colors but mature through typography so as to not loose a target demographic. In the end I like to ask my clients how they feel about their brand. If it is a new business, what drives them? Where is the passion behind the product or the service. Pair that with a target audience and colors start to pop up and fit together.

Below are color explorations for my lovely client Jolynn. These are not where they need to be yet but are getting there! I love seeing the process evolve.