What Colors Say About Your Podcast
Color Psychology
Color psychology is the study of how different hues affect the people who see them. Ultimately, these psychological and emotional responses can influence peoples' behavior.
As a podcaster, there's a pretty good chance that you haven't given much thought to color psychology. After all, yours is purely an auditory medium. Not to worry, I'm here to give you a crash-course on the basics of color psychology so you can use that knowledge to strengthen your visual brand.
Individuals & Color
The study of how color affects people is very complicated and nuanced. Each person brings their own tastes and experiences that determine just how a color will make them feel and react. There is no cut and dry set of rules that will apply to all people in all instances.
All we can do is observe trends and themes that persist over time. But remember, you want your podcast to stand out. Finding new and interesting ways to make color work for your brand can entice potential listeners to give your show a try and build brand recognition over time.
The Dangers of Oversimplification
If you do some googling about the meaning of different colors, you probably run across plenty of articles. Most of these write-ups tend to oversimplify the psychological effects of each color. They'll say something like, "Green represents harmony and growth." This sounds good, but what about a brand like Monster Energy? The way Monster uses green is much more aggressive, exciting and "extreme"; not very tranquil. So what gives?
Not only is color interpretted differently by each individual, it is also heavily influenced by context and presentation. Color, shapes, typography and even texture work together to create a mood for your brand.
So while it may be tempting to just pick a color that you like or something that has a strong association with your field, it's important to remember that color is just one part of your podcasts visual identity.
Gotta Start Somewhere
Having been sufficiently warned about oversimplifying the impact of your color selection, it's time to jump into the absolute basics of color psychology. These general concepts will provide a point of reference from which you can begin to discern how and why certain colors may work for your podcast's brand. Just keep in mind that these themes are general rules, colors are much more powerful and dynamic that this simple list implies.
Blue
Masculine
Corporate
Relaxing
Secure
Trustworthy
Sincere
Cool
Water
Red
Exciting
Aggressive
Love
Passion
Bold
Warm
Fire
Green
Growth
Intelligence
Envy
Reliable
Caring
Fresh
Nature
Orange
Happy
Sociable
Affordable
Confidence
Purple
Creative
Wise
Sophisticated
Powerful
Black
Grief
Fear
Sophistication
Calm
Luxury
Formal
Authority
Yellow
Optimism
Confident
Clarity
Warmth
Competence
White
Sincerity
Purity
Calm
Balanced
Neutral
Conclusion
Use this list as a jumping off point when you dive into the task of selecting colors for the visual identity of your podcast.
Sources
The following sites were used as reference for this article and are recommended for further reading on the subject of color psychology and branding.