brands | Jess Claxton

Alongside looking at the meanings of shapes, I have looked at the attributes and meanings of different colours.

RED captures attention and is one of the most visible colours. It has a physiological effect on the viewer and prolonged periods of viewing can have an increased effect on a persons heart and breathing rate. Red can suggest aggression, energy, provocation and is the colour of danger. It can suggest luxury and celebration when used in conjunction with rich golds.

Attributes:

– increased enthusiasm

– more energy

– action

– confidence

Uses in media:

– to make people take action or make a purchase

– to indicate energy and passion

– often used as a warning sign

– best used as an accent colour as too much red can overwhelm

BLUE has obvious links to water and the sky and suggests trust and has a calming sense. It can be seen as being stable and reliable. It is often used in finance, medicine, science and technology.

Attributes:

– conservative

– safe, predictable colour

– orderly

– suggests direction

Uses in the media:

– conservative corporate businesses where trust, dependability and honesty are important

– light blue relates well to health and wellness and to travel and relaxation

– dark blue is a serious colour which inspires integrity, honesty and is used by political organizations, religious groups and legal firms

YELLOW is the most luminous colour and easily captures our attention. It is warm, positive, friendly, inviting, vibrant and stimulating. It is a highly dominant colour when placed with others and is preferred as an accent colour.

Attributes:

– represents sunshine

– happiness and warmth

– indicates caution

Uses in the media:

– For children’s products

– To stimulate the mind and creativity

– For leisure products – promote playful and fun activities or entertainment businesses

– To keep people moving

– As a caution colour

GREEN has connotations of growth and health through its links to nature. Dark greens suggest wealth and luxury, whereas lighter greens and pastel shades have a calming effect. Green is found in branding that represents or wishes to imply healthiness, energy, environmental sensitivity and intelligence.

I’ve started my research by looking at how different shapes convey different meanings to the viewer and how these are used by different brands to present a first image of their company. I found this information from the lecture we received and from research that I had done in the design module last year.

CIRCLES

– No shape is more basic than a circle

– It is used to represent organic and natural things

– Suggests unbroken time, eternal life

– Constant and reliable movement

– Can evoke feelings of movement, strength, energy, life and vitality

– Suggests trust and protection from either things outside the circle or from inside

SQUARES AND RECTANGLES

– Suggests reliability, familiarity, strength, stability, power, balance and dependability

– Used in unexpected ways to counter their ‘ordinariness’ or is used to demonstrate strength to emphasize the dependability and durability of the brand

TRIANGLES

– Dynamic, conveys either conflict or strength

– Can direct movement – points the reader in a direction

– Equilateral triangles – set flat to a baseline evokes the pyramid and stability, while retaining the dynamic power of ‘the point’

– They are less common in nature and so have mystical associations

– When the triangle is pointed down it becomes more action oriented and evokes a sense of speed and dynamic force

– They are used to represent law, medicine, science and religion

– Rooted in ancient pagan and druidic symbolism

– An upside down triangle generally is associated with femininity, although in contemporary culture they are now seen as masculine

Jess Claxton

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Colour

Shapes