Color Psychology in Branding - Beyond the Cliches

Why the clichés exist

"Blue means trust" persists because the world's three biggest social platforms are blue. But correlation is not causation - it just means blue is a safe, calm hue that many financial and tech brands chose first.

Context beats hue

The same red can feel urgent (Stop sign), passionate (Coca-Cola), or premium (Ferrari) depending on saturation, value, and the surrounding palette.

Three actually-useful rules

Saturation drives energy. Bright = playful, muted = sophisticated.

Value drives weight. Light = airy, dark = serious.

Hue drives category. Pick a hue that differentiates you from competitors, not the one that "means" your industry.

Browse curated palettes by mood in our Explore page.