Brand of Colors: 3C Marketing Group LLC

Brand of Colors: 3C Marketing Group LLC

Having worked with colleague Debbie Josendale as “expert columnist” in decorative painting for her  Bay Area Women’s Journal, I was thrilled to provide color consultation for her and Victor Brown‘s company: 3C Marketing Group LLC.

Deb knew that the green  in the initial color scheme of the 3C logo needed to be changed..but, to what?

3C is a wonderful marketing company that works with wonderful clients, and I was honored to “chime in” on the look of their site, as it were!

I started with an email communication with Deb, who I knew back in the days when we belonged to the same BNI (Business Network International)  Chapter in San Francisco.

I wrote, “I kept thinking about our discussion the other day, and  how I kept trying to find words to describe the unique and special quality that you have which encompasses wisdom, compassion, empathy, strength and maybe above all, powerful perceptiveness!

 I came up with “meeting people where they are“…as we discussed.  I feel this phrase goes a bit farther than “Taking people for who they are.”.  I feel you truly “meet” people, and their businesses on the ground upon which they stand. As regards to your business, of course, this means meeting businesses where they are, where they stand, (you know how we ask sometimes, “Where do you stand on …whatever subject or issue?”) at the exact moment that they engage your services.

Any business starts with a person, doesn’t it?  A person and their vision. needs, drives, and desires. So…to me, the resonant descriptor/phrase is still meeting people where they are, with dignity, grace, warmth, and an ever-ready sense of humor!!

You are truly one who has learned, grown and evolved through your own life experience, and is able to bring it to bear in your work and business.

I understand that all of this needs to be reflected in your branding, and visual identity, and I hope you find the following, and the whole of this consultation reflective  of the important words you used to describe what you want your colors, and total visual identity to communicate:  strength, creditability, dependability, growth,…. longevity, confidence, creativity, and fun!”

Having identified essence, I felt (some might even call it the “brand“) of 3C, I was ready to delve into their “color”brand…a component of their visual identity.  In essence, I needed to “see” 3C  the way they (Deb and Vic / the principals of the company)  saw themselves, and needed to be seen by existing and potential clients.  It was not just a matter of appearances, or even perception.  It was and is a matter of who they are and what their company is.

Based  upon my communication with Deb, my knowledge and understanding of the company, and my own color research combined with “gut feel” or “intuition, I knew the colors should be in the blue and green hue range.

Blue: A resonant, clear, clean but not overpowering blue, slightly grayed down, but with a touch of green in it, was recommended.  Not  a royal, indigo or purple blue, nor a teal sea, or green-blue, but a dignified and “solid” but not stolid (connoting reliability and dependability) blue that nevertheless has a bit of punch, personality and possibility to it- as it leans ever so slightly towards the green undertone. The addition of yellow into blue to create green adds that subliminal touch of lightness, luminosity, and relief from seriousness desired.  A slight ‘gunmetal” quality in the blue reassures that whatever the storm, relief lies ahead, with the guidance, expertise and MAP Marketing solutions of 3C Marketing Group LLC!

Green; The current green is too light, and “lime-like”. Recommended is a green lighter than the recommended blues, but deeper than the current, with greater depth, strength and resonance, but still fun, fresh, and bright, to add a certain relief to the sobriety and seriousness of the blue (which has a slight grayness /gravitas to it).  The recommended green hues have a slight earthiness (relating to growth, spring, plants, the earth rather than connotations of eatables such as limes and avocados). Although the green relieves, and plays “against’ the seriousness of the blue, it also works in tandem with it communicate the message of longevity, credibility, dependability, positivity, growth and creativity!  Related also to money: (“Greenbacks”), another, and necessary form of growth!

After reviewing these recommendations, Deb and Vic tried a number of reiterations / combinations of the suggested hues,

before settling on one that accented the teal green, framed and supported by the deep, clear blue. They wanted in Vic’s words, as I understood it, a bit “edgier” choice.

The 3C logo today

It is so gratifying to work with clients you truly admire and respect. Thank you Deb, Vic, and 3C Marketing Group LLC, for such a creatively colorFULL experience, and for trusting my skills with your colorfully creative endeavor!

The Power of RED

The Power of RED

Whatever you want to say about it…the color RED elicits strong emotions. What are the associations and meanings  of this volatile color, and what does it symbolize to us?

An effect of light: COLOR

From an energetic point of view, red is related to the Basis chakra (energy center), and influences the sex glands, and sexual energy.  It symbolizes life and reproduction.  Studies show that it is associated with both love and, to a lesser degree,  hatred,  as well as life, heat, fire and blood.

Life Force

Red is arousing, stimulating,  and exciting, relating to both passion, strength, activity and warmth, as well as aggression, rage, intensity and ferocity.   One aspect, it would seem, that can be agreed upon, is that red is energizing!

I am RED hear me roar!

 Synesthesia, the experience of a sensory “cross-over“, ” is a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.“.  Thus a color may elicit associations with particular sounds, tastes, smells, or tactile sensations.  In the case of RED, is associates with loud sounds, specifically, the trumpet, as well as sweet and strong tastes and odors.  Red’s tactile association is firmness and solidity.

Firmness, Solidity, Strength: holding it all together

What is in common here? Strength. No  half-way measures here…RED packs the proverbial “punch”.  Indeed, if we are punched, the area where we are impacted more often becomes red quickly, as the  the blow brings up our actual blood in response so healing/repair can begin immediately..  Seeing Red anyone?  Well, here’s hoping that doesn’t happen to You!

Let’s look at happy, healthy, healing and sometimes outrageous but always energizing uses of RED!

Brilliant RED, setting off the adjacent gray, adds fire to this exterior architectural color scheme! Symmetry is avoided, but balance is achieved.

Red does double duty here  energizing both door  and address numbers, again framed by cooling gray, which makes the red stand out that much more.

The red door let’s us know exactly where to go to enter this charming Victorian, which also employs grays and blues and a touch of lavender as a counterbalance to the eye-catching accent door and architectural detail.

The red side of this bar ties into other red hues in the flow-through living room, as well as the kitchen rug, and other details not pictured, such as a bright red teapot! Fresh white trim frames and accentuates it.

Red is thought to stimulate the appetite, making it a natural choice for an eating area. In this home, the red of this dining room, and  the blue and gold of the adjoining hallway/entry and living room respectively create a potent triad of primary colors!

Red associates with love and the heart, and thus is a natural, life affirming accent wall color choice for an organization like Dress for Success, which helps women prepare for fresh starts in their lives.

The associations of red with grapes and wine may be obvious, especially to those for whom such spirits are their “life blood”. This red accent wall provides a vibrant frame around the vineyard scene.

Red doesn’t always have to cover the wall to have an impact. Above, it is used as an energizing accent, and makes a statement in the context of the painting, textile, and rug. There is just enough to enliven a smallish room, and add warmth, layering and texture to the predominant hues of beige/cream, white and deep blue.

The painting of red with turquoise blue in this narrow hallway packs the proverbial punch, and lights up our senses. The brightness and richness of both these colors holds our attention and really keeps us awake!

Red and turquoise play nice together as strong accents on this painted chair, reminiscent of the Southwestern United States, in both imagery and hue.

Setting each other off like black on white, the green background makes its compliment, red, pop! Loving ladybugs, anyone?

Red is the perfect choice for a sidewalk “sandwich” sign, designed to attract attention, inform, point the way, and draw in customers!

Flying high…the associations are here are clear!

What does RED mean to YOU?!

The Power of RED: Doors

The Power of RED: Doors

Why use red on a front door?

(Or a side, service or interior door, for that matter?!)

It seems that all can agree that RED is energizing.

Here we  explore why…and why red so often greets us as the port of entry into all sorts of spaces.

An earthy, pink-toned red works well on this door, which receives in strong sunlight, with the warm-toned earthy brown house body color.

A deep, strong red door offsets buttery yellow walls, and stands out in a large Pilates studio space without dominating it or taking away from its serenity.

Not a front door here, but strong bright red works just as well on this service door, providing contrast to the complex taupe field hue which dominates the exterior.

Strong red makes this door quite visible and shows us where to go,  even behind bars, albeit, decorative ones!

Complimentary greenery flanks this glistening red door, giving it even greater “pop”, and attracting us to the entrance, and the house.

The red door leads our eye to the entry, and offsets the quite brown of the shingles, and potentially somber black shutters and trim.

A less brilliant red makes a quieter statement, but a strong one, nonetheless, the color offsetting the dark steps, and drawing our eye up to it..

Nestled within the entrance alcove, this red door gives relieves the expanse of  ochre colored stucco surrounding it.

The red of the door is picked up as an accent color in the trim, and Victorian detailing and ornamentation, adding a sense of fun and whimsy to the entry.

Red on the front door of a Santa Monica mortuary: life affirming, warming, comforting, path finding, getting us where we need to go…inside top face loss, establish ritual to move through it, and do what must be done.

Red side doors of the same mortuary…again, letting us know where we need to go. keeping us energized and focused, doing what we need to do.

Another “cottage” beauty…this bright  red door fairly beams out its cheerful, inviting, life-affirming greeting, and seems to say…come in!

What do You think about Red Doors? Do you have a favorite? Please share about it with us in the comments, and your thoughts on why Red Doors persist as a theme in our architectural color culture!

Here’s to energizing entrances to all sorts of spaces!

Brand of Colors: The Power of Meaning

Brand of Colors: The Power of Meaning

When my colleague Debbie Josendale, of 3C Marketing Group, asked me to consult on colors for one of her client’s visual identity, which encompasses its brand / branding, I was intrigued.  I had a deep purple color in front of me as a starting point, but knew that it was too dark and somber to represent what I understood her client’s message to be.

I read up on the client, I played with colors, I visualized, and knew that purple would be one of the colors involved.  And the obvious choice of a secondary “partnering” color would be its compliment, gold.

The symbolism, and associations of the chosen colors are also important in determining their meaning, resonance, and appropriateness for the brand and its story.  In a future post, we will  look at the color choices from the vantage points of:

The Energetic,  The Associative, and the Sensory.  Hint:  What does purple “taste” like?  How heavy does gold “feel”?

Read on to find out!

ENERGETIC: Relates to the “chakras“, or energy centers that some believe exist within the “aura“, but outside the body.

Vertex Chakra corresponds to Violet, standing for Wisdom, and Spiritual Energy, and influencing  the Pituitary Gland.

Solar Plexus Chakra corresponds to Yellow, standing for Knowledge and Intellect. It is the seat of tension and  influences the solar plexus and adrenal body

ASSOCIATIONS: According to studies, color-mood  associations are strikingly similar across individuals, groups and cultures. Does this imply a degree of  universality as regards to our color-mood associations?

Purple/Violet tends to associate with:  Dignity, Exclusivity, Royalty, Dignity, Exclusivity, Depth of Feeling, Wealth, Magic, Mysticism, Strictness ( if very dark, as in the original purple color i was shown at the beginning of this project).

Yellow/Gold: tends to associate with: Reflectivity, Luminosity, Happiness, Cheerfulness, High Spirits, the Sun, the a Bright Future, Hope, Wisdom, Expansiveness, not being Earthbound, Activity,  Communication, Air, Gold can associate with wealth. richness, money (gold coins!)

SENSORY: The association of colors with other sense perceptions is related to “Synesthesia“, or “The Unity the Senses”.  Here is what Purple/Violet, and Yellow/Gold tend to “sound”, “feel”, “taste” and “smell” like:

Purple/Violet: Deep, Minor Key (Sound), Velvety (Touch), Heavy, Sweet (Taste, Smell), Heavy (Weight), Cool (Temperature).

Yellow/Gold: Fanfare, Major Key (Sound), Smooth, Silky  (Touch), Sour (Taste, Smell), Light (Weight),   Warm (Temperature).

Does any of this jive with your experience? Does it incline you to dive more deeply into the multifaceted and dimensional  world of color?

After all, it would seem that color can affect your body, health, mood, feelings, and senses.  All of this effect from a phenomena of light waves!  Color is an effect of light, indeed, one could say it isn’t actually “there”.

And yet, there certainly is a “there” there, as regards to color, and color phenomena. Perhaps a subject for another post!

 

                       

Color Blossoms

Color Blossoms

Floral Inspiration for Color Palettes, Choices, and Combinations

Red, yellow and blue…the classic primary palette with a twist…the colors are warmer and lighter than “true” primaries…with the blue leaning towards the turquoise, the red to the orange, and the yellow a paler tint.

Red and black together can signify hatred, but not here.  The illuminated orangey-red flower hue,  the addition of green in the background and calming quality of the surrounding earth make this an energizing, and somehow ethereal combination.

Analogous colors  are next to each other on the color wheel, such as, yellow (a primary color) and orange (a secondary color). Because yellow is a part of orange, and red is a part of both orange and purple, there is an immediate harmony and relationship  between these colors.

Purple and orange are both secondary colors, which as mentioned above, share red as a “parent”.  With the surrounding green leaves, all three secondaries are represented, providing both balance, and visual interest.

We don’t speak of a “pale” red.  When red becomes lighter in value, tinted with white, it becomes pink. The strong intensity of  the  pink rose swathed in not quite complimentary green leaves is softened by the dots of yellow to one side of it, which relieves both our mental attention and our physical eyes.

  The yellow and orange “bouquet”, analogous colors again adjacent on the color wheel, rise out of a mass of green.  All three of which hues share yellow in common. The parchment and brick colors of the building serve as a harmonious backdrop, and do not compete with nature…

Blue, white, green…the colors of nature. Sky, clouds, and plants, with a slight yellow center in view.  Sunlight?  Think Greece, the Aegean Isles……the sea, the sky, white buildings in the distance, and a bright yellow sunflower flaunted by green pines.

Here, “black” earth surrounds brilliant yet tender hues of yellow, pink, red, and purple. Red and green are compliments, as are yellow and purple…thus providing the tension and the attraction of opposites.

Yellow has a direct relationship with green, being one of its “parent” colors, along with blue. The lighter value and greater intensity of the yellow above makes it pop, amidst the green.

A group of related colors, (hues of orange, including the brick wall) all have yellow in common, as do the green leaves.  The variation in value, intensity and tone of the colors, (and differences in texture of the natural, and made-made surfaces)  creates  visual interest, and  their inter-relatedness creates harmony,  thus a pleasing balance is achieved.

Tints of warm, edible-looking orange contrast with green leaves, which reflect the warmth and ruffly quality of the flower!

Our eye is led around the white on red table top, up the bright red vase, and into the glories of burgundy, violet, yellow and white, with some refreshing yellowing-green blossoms thrown in for good measure.  White softens the scheme, and relieves the richness of these very saturated colors. The red, burgundy and violet share red in common, the yellow and green, have yellow in common, the green and violet have blue in common, thus there is both contrast, and relatedness among the colors. The bright red is  the strongest in chroma, and draws our eye in and up to the floral arrangement.  The combination enlivens and energizes the table, the space, our appetites, and our minds, without overwhelming.

What color palettes for Your home, business or other spaces have been inspired by the glories and the subtleties, of nature?

Where  and how does color blossom for YOU?

Muz-ing on our Color Choices

Muz-ing on our Color Choices

Each month, usually the third Sunday of the month, at 4:15 PST, I have the honor, and the responsibility, of visiting the inspiring and informative Artistically Speaking Talk Show, brainchild of the extraordinary Rebecca E. Parsons, as the Color Muze…and then translating our colorFULL “muzes” into a monthly articles for Rebecca’s online magazine, “Cre8tive Compass“.

The bottom line is…how do we make our color choices?  Why do we choose the colors that we do…and what can help us make the most gratifying color choices for any particular purpose?

From what we take in,

to what we  live in,

to what we put on.

How does color affect us, and how can we cre8te color effects?  Are we talking paint effects, or the effect of light?  How does color make us FEEL emotionally, (what are our color associations?) or   physically (through our senses), or  spiritually, and on an energetic level?

What is actually happening in our brains when we “see” color?  And…what is up with that Color Wheel, anyway?

Analogous colors, complementary colors, warm and cool colors, tertiary colors…what do all of these terms mean, and how can YOU use color theory in Your own precious Life?

So…check us out!  Rebecca broadcasts live every Sunday night, beginning at 3:30 PST…and the Color Muze visits most third Sundays of the month, at approximately 4:15pm, PST.  You will hear marvelous and inspiring interviews with artists, entrepreneurs, crafters, bloggers and bakers, and enough bite-sized pieces of color info to make a meal!

As always…feel free to call in to the Show, make a comment here,  on the Cre8tive Compass site, or either of our Facebook pages.

We love to hear from you.

Remember, we are all cre8ting our own rainbow of this thing called Life…together!

Brand of Colors

Brand of Colors

A recent color consultation and analysis got me thinking…about why we choose the colors that we do.  Of course we can analyze, assess from various vantage points, provide argumentation to support our choices…but really, why do we just feel like some colors  and combinations of colors are just “right” for a particular purpose, venue or view?

I think it all comes down to how a color “makes us” feel.  What emotions, and sensory reactions we have when we gaze upon that part of the light color spectrum that is NOT absorbed by the surface we are looking at.

Take green, for example, specifically the fresh, bright hue of green the Client of my marketing colleague, (who had brought me in to analyze, assess and consult on her client’s color choice, and suggest a tandem hue) was drawn to.

Some of the associations with green include Life, Growth, Nature, Springtime, Immortality, Hope, and Resurrection. Not bad for a “secondary” color!

Green “sounds” soft to shrill, “feels” smooth to damp, “tastes” and “smells”  juicy, sour, or tangy, and

can be “cooler” or “warmer”, “heavier’ or “lighter” depending on the ratio of its components,  yellow to blue.  Energetically, green relates to the “Heart Chakra“,  representing love, sympathy and  harmony, and influencing the heart, and the thymus gland.

What might one put with green, a bright, fresh green, that wouldn’t contrast with it so greatly as to change its character?  Although green and its complement red (or even pink) are a dynamic duo, unless associations of Yuletide, India, or the tension of opposites are desired…another choice must be made.

Hmm…green and orange, green and purple or violet…still too dynamic…as both of these secondaries have red in them.  Yellow would be too similar to the Client’s chosen green in warmth and temperament, containing too much of light and bright and luminous and warm.  Yellow, I felt, would  compete with the green, and not provide the contrast necessary for visual interest.

The Client’s brandmark is a penguin…ah…images of sea and sky emerge.   I ‘saw’ a Teal Blue…that would contrast with the green as a hue darker in value, and provide a coolness that would more subtly offset the bright and warm green,

Blue and green both associate with Tranquility and Peace.  They both suggest aspects of nature.  Blue relates to the Larynx Chakra.  It stands for Religious inspiration as well as creativity, language, and communication, (the Larnyx is often referred to as the “voice box”!), and it influences the Thyroid gland.

Blue “sounds” distant, or soft, it “feels” smooth, it “tastes” and “smells” odorless or fresh, to salty.  It’s perceived “weight” tends to the heavier, and more solid, it’s “temperature, to the cool.  Blue ‘s associations include nobility, contemplation,  truth, spirituality, wisdom, dignity, trustworthiness, value, calm, security, poise, reserve, sea and sky.

We can imagine then, when we put blue and green together, that the effect will be refreshing, and  “natural”,  both warm and cool,  embodying the warm, harmonious heart of love, and the inspired, creative communication of  language, symbol, and of course, color!

If You would like to know who wrote the book on color consultation and design, please investigate the International Association of Colour Consultants/Designers, and the writings and teachings of Frank H. Mahnke.  There is a whole world of color exploration awaiting You out there…and within!

To hear more about color choices and analysis, the how and the why, tune into my Color Muze on  Artistically Speaking Talk Show with Rebecca E. Parsons.

Give it a try…turn YOUR senses on and rock Your world, with Color!

If You feel so inclined…let us know how You do it!