Is orange the right color to rule them all?

Color is such a part of my life. As an accidental designer, I spend a big chunk of my time exploring hues, color combinations, and depth to align the brand message with emotions.

Life is color. Most of our actions are connected to color. It plays directly with our emotions and speaks to memories associated with them.

So, in a brand, the color palette brings human qualities to the non-human. We build a persona that is pretty much alive.

When I was starting out my business and diving into the world of color psychology, I was told that orange is to be used carefully. This is because it can trigger strong emotions, like a love/hate kind of thing.

However, in an overcrowded online world, shouldn’t we tap more into the uniqueness of orange to stand out? Take it from the magnificent tiger, for instance. If we think of it, why are they so orange standing out from the green environment where they live?

We might think of it as a disadvantage, right? But, as it turns out, the majority of the animal kingdom cannot see orange; everything is black and white. So, tiger’s prey, the sweet deer and alike, see him green. So, they perfectly disguise themselves in the tall grassland, and the prey doesn’t see it coming. The exciting part is that the tiger himself doesn’t know and cannot see its own color.

Of course, your audience is not prey, and you’re not disguising in the background getting ready to eat them. On the contrary, you are in business to nurture and serve in the most graceful way possible. But to do so, you must not hide. You need to stand out.

And, in this still grim world, orange can help. Orange is fun, warm, happy, friendly. The bespoken color of creativity, communication, and self-expression. And, we can use it, like the tiger, to our advantage in an unforgettable way.

Connecting with your audience’s feelings and emotions with orange will catch the eye and attract the viewer. They feel positive, optimistic, naturally happy! Toned it down with neutrals colors for elegance. We don’t want to confuse our peeps with too many intense colors, like the Cuban Painted Snail does:) Play with colors here. For endless color palette inspiration, check this out.

Remember, all is for more positive and hopeful humanity, lifting the spirits. And going the extra mile to move the needle in your favor, how about sharing with your followers a list of things that makes you happy, inviting them to share a few of their own? Or share a list of tools of happiness boosters? It can even include a photo of your cute dog or a tiger.

Importantly, do all with pops of flamboyant orange!