Unlocking the Power of Psychology in Design

1. Class introduction: Hello and welcome to discourse on how to use psychology in brand Design. My name is Robin. I run a small creative agency in Belgium. And I'm excited to share my insights and experience with you and hopefully teach you a little bit more about the world of branding, design, and psychology. A large part of my job is helping companies and brands connect with their audience through their logo, visual identity, or website. And too often, I find myself having discussions about what looks good or what business owners like seeing themselves. This is normal because it's easy to forget that design is not just something that's supposed to be pretty, but that it can actually serve a purpose for your brand. In this course, that is what I'd like you to focus on. I want to help you delve into the fascinating ways in which psychology can help you make design choices. We'll be breaking down two psychological principles of design, as well as the psychology behind color funds and shapes. Whether you're a graphic designer, marketeer, business owner, or simply curious about the psychology behind effective branding, this course is designed to provide you with actionable strategies and creative inspiration. My mission is to equip you with knowledge, skills, and insights that will help you to either create or evaluate brand designs. If that sounds interesting or useful to you, I hope to welcome you in the first part of this class. 2. 1 - Von restorff effect: Let's start with discussing the von Restorf effect and how you can use it to create more effective and visually appealing designs. It's also important to be aware of potential drawbacks associated to this effect, but I'll come back to those later. First, some background on the on restor of effect. It's also known as the isolation effect. This psychological principle suggests that when multiple different objects are presented, the one that stands out as different from the wrist is more likely to be remembered. There are various ways to apply this effect to your design, and we'll examine different angles to use this psychological theory in your graphic designs. How does a psychological theory from 1933 find its way into the world of graphic design and branding? And why is it useful? Well, one application of the von Restorf effect is the use of call to action elements. These are commonly used in user experience and user interface design as well as in print design. By employing the isolation effect, you can ensure that a call to action button appears distinct from other action buttons on your website or application. This then taps into a viewer's subconsciousness and guides their attention and navigation. Whether on a website or on other design types, most users won't consciously realize they are being guided. But as humans, we respond to this kind of design, instinctively. Consider, for example, a pricing page on a website as an example of the phone restore effect in action. This technique draws attention to the most popular pricing option, likely the most profitable choice for the website owner. The highlighted price with a blue outline and an enlarged price box not only ensures its memorable, but also makes it more appealing and suggestive. People often remember the first and last items on a list, but tend to forget those in the middle. To make middle entries stand out, you can use the von Restorf effect to make them more memorable. As a designer, you aim to create cohesive design elements that tell a consistent visual story, while also surprising and engaging your audience with creative touches. These small adjustments, utilizing the von Restorf effect can enhance your design significantly. The von Restorf effect doesn't only find use in advertising and UI or UX design, but also branding. For instance, to stand out in a particular industry, you might choose a color scheme different from what other companies typically use. However, that color scheme should still be suitable for the industry you're designing for. A good example of this is Snapchat, which boldly uses yellow in its logo and branding. While most social media logos are often blue or red, Snap Chat's use of yellow makes it instantly recognizable and memorable. If Snapchat were blue, it might blend in with other social media platforms. In consumers minds, the von Restorff effect is not only a tool in branding, but also a way to capture the consumer's attention and leave a lasting impression. However, it's important to exercise caution and wisdom when applying the von Restorff effect to your designs. Over using it or making the contrast too obvious can potentially harm the overall effectiveness of your design. Viewers often have short attention spans, sometimes just a few seconds. Consider this effect as just one tool in your design tool kit. 3. 2 - Shapes: Let's now start by examining the impact of different shapes on design and how they evoke emotional responses in viewers. Shapes have a profound effect on the emotional centers of our brain when we look at designs, for instance, circular shapes often generate a positive response. People subconsciously associate circles with concepts like community, friendship, and even love. The Olympic logo is a prime example, symbolizing the coming together of diverse groups into one unity. However, not every logo with a circle aims to evoke these feelings. Circles can also represent perfection and are inherently attention grabbing. If we consider ovals, a variation of circles, they suggest sturdiness and endurance, which is why many car companies, like Ford and Kia, for example, incorporate them into their logos. In a study of the 50 top brands from 2015, 20 of them featured a circle prominently in their logos. That's 40% if you want to convey feelings of togetherness, unity, love, or perfection in your logo. Experimenting with circles may resonate with your specific audience. In contrast, squares and rectangles in logos and designs convey power and strength. Take the Adidas logo, for example, where you can sense connotations of power and strength. Perfectly fitting for a sports brand. Shapes with straight edges such as squares, rectangles, and triangles suggest professionalism, efficiency, and stability, all appealing to the logical left brain functions. When combined with colors like red or blue, they can create a perception of dynamic modernism. Financial brands like banks and real estate agencies often employ these shapes to convey stability and practicality. As you can see in the logos of banks like Barclays or Chase. Vertical lines in design subconsciously associate with strength, masculinity, and energy. For instance, the Sound Cloud logo uses vertical lines, which not only represent audio sound bars, but combined with the color orange convey a high energy and positivity. In contrast, horizontal lines create a sense of calmness and tranquillity, projecting balance. This effect can be used to make audiences feel protected and settled. As seen in, for example, the IBM logo, which also uses a calming blue diagonal lines in logos give a sense of energy and dynamic movement perfect for brands related to sports and athletics like Adidas. These subtle psychological cues are present in many designs and resonate with audiences whether they consciously realize it or not. Curved lines in logos evoke a more feminine reaction, suggesting happiness, generosity, and rhythm. They feel free flowing and pleasurable When use alongside angular elements, they can also convey innovation, as seen in the Nike Swoosh. How can you apply this knowledge to your designs and logos? Before designing a logo for yourself or a client, start by creating a list of words and feelings that the logo should convey. This is where thorough research comes in, crucial as you need to understand your brand and your audience inside out. If you feel like you could use some help with this, I have a very good class on how to define a brand identity as well. Once you have a good understanding of your brand identity and you have a list of emotions and messages associated with your brand, you can start to match up shapes, colors, and typefaces in your designs. 4. 3 - Colors: Colors obviously play a significant role in design and branding, evoking specific emotions and associations. Let's take a quick look at some of the commonly used colors and their general connotations. Orange is an invigorating and playful color, often associated with positive change, action, and energy. Red universally symbolizes excitement, passion, and sometimes anger or aggression. It stands out, but can carry negative connotations in certain contexts. Yellow exudes thoughtfulness, cheerfulness, and energy, making it a suitable choice for brands or logos seeking to convey these emotions. Green represents nature, growth and health, making it versatile for use across various industries. Blue can signify trustworthiness and maturity and can also have a calming effect, making it ideal for brands aiming to be taking seriously. Purple is both feminine and symbolizes luxury. It's often linked to royalty portraying sophistication. Pink is a vibrant color associated with energy, while lighter shades can evoke a more modern feel. The brown can make a logo appear rugged, masculine and serious. And then lastly, black represents sleekness, modernity, and luxury commonly used by high end brands. The choice of color for your brand should align with your brand's message and target audience. It's crucial to base this decision on research and data about your brand and your typical customer. A notable example is Cadbury, a chocolate company whose predominantly purple branding appeals to females. Purple symbolizes luxury and sophistication, but also femininity, making it a strategic choice for Cadbury's target demographic. This demonstrates the power of color psychology when used correctly. Then a question arises. Should you stick to one color or use multiple colors in your brand design? In general, beginners may find it safer or easier to stick with one or two colors for simplicity and brand recognition. However, some brands like Google and Microsoft successfully use multiple colors. When using multiple colors, careful planning is essential to avoid overwhelming a design. For example, the craft re, brand misuses color. Creating a cluttered and confusing logo Using colors effectively to stand out requires thoughtful planning. Snapchat's choice of yellow that we mentioned before demonstrates how a distinctive color choice can set a brand apart from competitors. It's also important to consider the cultural context of your target audience. When selecting colors, different cultures may associate varying emotions or meanings with the same color. For example, white symbolizes purity and cleanliness in the West can represent death in certain Asian cultures. This highlights the importance of thorough research and data gathering when choosing colors for your design. In conclusion, color plays a vital role in design and branding, influencing emotions and perceptions. Your choice of color should align with your brand's message, target audience, and even cultural considerations. Effective use of color can set your brand apart and convey the desired emotions to your audience. 5. 4 - Gestalt theory: In this part, we'll explore six different aspects of the Gestald Theory which revolves around the core idea that the human brain functions subconsciously in specific ways when processing visual information. First continuation, consider how your eye naturally follows paths in design elements. For instance, in an edit as poster featuring a basketball player, the basketball frame arches over the player guiding your gaze. This principle is valuable for controlling where your audience looks in your design. It's about pre planning, how viewers interact with your design to leave a lasting impression. Second figure and ground enclosure. These concepts relate to how your brain processes negative space. For example, when you see the NBC logo, you perceive the body of a peacock within the negative space, not just random shapes. Clever designers can use negative space to convey hidden messages or meanings, creating a sense of accomplishment and intelligence for viewers that notice these subtleties, symmetry and order. Gestled principles emphasize that a design should not induce disorder or imbalance. This can distract viewers. Instead, graphic design or brand design should deliver a clear message without making the viewer feel confused. Achieving balance, whether through symmetry or asymmetry, ensures that the message remains the focus and eliminates unnecessary distractions. Similarity, the Gestalt principle of similarity highlights that the brain links objects with a high degree of visual similarity, such as color, shape, or size. When objects share these characteristics, the brain group them together. Designers often use this principle to visually link objects even when they are split across a design. Proximity is about the spatial relationship between objects. When objects are grouped together in close proximity, the brain interprets them as having a shared relationship regardless of their appearance. This principle is frequently employed in UI layouts to guide the viewer experience. For instance, grouping related elements together like a body text and a call to action button helps users navigate a design more intuitively. What then is the Common Core Principle? The underlying core principle of the Castald Theory is that the human brain subconsciously processes visual stimuli in specific ways. Designers can leverage this understanding to create effective visual compositions. In summary, the Castald Theory comprises various design principles, all rooted in the idea that the human brain subconsciously interprets visual stimuli. In specific ways. Designers can harness these principles to enhance their work by considering how the audience's mind interacts with a design. 6. 5 - Fonts: Hi again and congratulations on making it to the final part of this course. In this part, we're going to dive into the psychology of funds. Some funds are formal, others playful, some are scary, ironic, important, timeless or weird. Some of them should have never been used as subtitles for avatar jokes aside. When selecting funds for a brand or web design project, it's obviously important to consider their appearance and how they align with the message and style of your overall design or brand. The way a fund looks will instantly trigger a subconscious reaction in your audience based on a typefaces style. Ask yourself what emotions you want to evoke in your audience. Do you aim to surprise, offer comfort, or make them smile and laugh It's crucial to understand these aspects and keep them in mind while designing and choosing typography for your projects. Regarding the psychological aspect of typography, it's essential to recognize that each fund carries its own personality. Some funds exude humor and playfulness, while others convey seriousness and restraint. One of the most fundamental distinctions you'll encounter is the choice between Serif and San Serif funds. These two fund categories may seem like mere stylistic preferences, but they hold profound psychological implications that can significantly impact how your brand communicates with its audience. Serif funds are characterized by the small decorative lines or strokes that extend from the ends of each letter's main strokes. These embellishments give sera funds a classic and timeless feel. Common example of sera funds include Times New Roman, Georgia, and Baskerville. Sera funds are often associated with tradition reliability and formality. When viewers encounter text in Sera funds, they may subconsciously perceive it as established, authoritative, and trustworthy. This perception is rooted in our psychological conditioning. As we have seen Sera funds in printed newspapers, academic journals, and classic literature for generations. Therefore, choosing a Serif fund can be a strategic decision when your brand seeks to convey a sense of heritage, expertise, or trustworthiness. In contrast, San Serif funds lack the decorative strokes found in Sera funds, presenting a cleaner and more minimalist appearance. Funds like Arial, Helvetica, and Calibri fall into the sans serif category. San serif funds are often perceived as modern, approachable, and straightforward. Their clean lines, an absence of ornate details, project a sense of simplicity and contemporary design. From a psychological perspective, viewers might associate San Serif funds with innovation, clarity, and efficiency. They are commonly used in digital interfaces, tech related branding and advertising to convey a sense of progress and adaptability. Especially in logo design, typography plays a vital role in conveying a brand's personality. Take for instance, innocent smoothies. A brand that promotes itself as natural, green, and healthy. They have chosen a playful, personal, and simple type phase that perfectly aligns straightforward sense of goodness. Considering that a logo is often the first point of contact with an audience, it's imperative not to overlook the importance of choosing the perfect fund or type phase for your logo. Understanding typography, psychology, which relates to the personality of funds and their impact on people is critical. Funds can significantly influence the emotions of your audience. Be selective and thoughtful when making fund choices. Lastly, I want to emphasize the importance of being consistent in the use of funds in branding or web design. Consistency builds brand recognition. When your audience encounters the same funds repeatedly in your marketing materials, websites, and products, they will begin to form strong associations with your brand. Over time, these associations become deeply ingrained in their minds, creating a cohesive and memorable experience. This cohesion reinforces the psychological associations that you wanted your audience to make with your brand. Don't try to mix and match different funds, but try either one or a combination of two funds and stick to it. 7. 6 - Real world example: Before we wrap up this course, I thought it might be useful to look at a real world example of a well designed landing page and see if we can recognize the different principles of psychology that we talked about in the previous lessons. As you can see, I chose to take a look on Apple's website. I'll just scroll through it a bit and tell you what I see. First of all, let's kick things off with the fund. It used to be pretty well known that Apple used Helvetica in its branding, which is a famously clean and very popular fund. But recently Apple decided to switch to the San Francisco type phase. San Francisco makes small text readable, which is something that Apple likes to take advantage of because they love the use of negative space in their designs. And that's why San Francisco has overtaken Helvetica Place. Aside from readability, San Francisco is a pretty flawless font that seems well suited for the modern world, especially for use on digital screens. The next thing that I'm seeing is that the Apple website uses a boxy layout with a lot of straight edges. It is basically one big combination of squares and rectangles. Remember what we said about using rectangles in design. They convey power and strength shapes with straight edges, like squares and rectangles suggest professionalism, efficiency and stability, which are obviously all characteristics that Apple would like you to link to their products. When combined with colors like red and blue, for example, they can also create a perception of dynamic modernism, which very much fits with the Apple brand. And that the segues perfectly into colors and the use of colors on this Apple website. Because clearly, they have a policy where they use black and white as their two primary colors in design. We know that Apple is an American brand, which means that their use of white is meant to symbolize purity and cleanliness. Black, on the other hand, evokes feelings of sleekness and modernity and is commonly used by high end brands. The combination of both black and white as the two primary colors here creates a very high contrast design. This prevents the website from looking too dull, and in a way, it creates a sense of drama. Now, there are some pops of color that are used throughout this design. As I mentioned earlier, how shapes with straight edges combine well with blue or red for a perception of dynamic modernism. This is what we can see here that the main accent colors used are in fact blue and red. These accents seem to be purposely used only for products and call to actions, which is a clear example of the use of the Restorf effect. Remember that the Restorf Effect is also called the isolation effect. We started the course with this, and it states that when multiple different objects are presented, the one that stands out as different from the rest is more likely to be remembered. In this case, if we look at how Apple decided to use the power of this effect, the design team clearly wants you to notice and remember the products and the call to actions. Notice how every design choice as well, all of the choices we talked about up until now, they all have enabled Apple to maximize the power of this isolation effect here by using only black and white as their primary colors. By using a clean and readable fund. By using simple rectangles in order to create structure on the page, they created an overall predictable, sleek and modern page on which now they can use those little pops of color to purposely capture and guide your attention to where they want it. This is obviously why I chose to use the Apple website as an example because it seems like simple exercise to look and recognize which psychological principles I can find in their website. But for the designers who actually created this website, it required a very high level of discipline and consciousness and purpose. A lot of businesses or designers get sidetracked when they work on a design. They start thinking about what looks good and they forget what the key messages are that they are trying to convey to their customer. If you want to maximize the power of psychology in your design, you need to keep your main purpose in the back of your mind during the entire design process. With every choice that you make during the design process, you need to double check if it's helping you communicate, what you are actually trying to communicate. If you would like to give yourself a bit of a challenge or a test to see if you can remember everything that we talked about in this course. You can either go to the website of another brand and do exactly the same exercise that I just did for the Apple website. Or you could stay on the Apple website and look whether you can find the use of the principles of the Gestalt theory. 8. Conclusion: In conclusion, I hope this course has allowed you to explore the relationship between design, psychology and branding. Before I wrap up, I want to leave you with a fundamental reminder. Design is not merely about making things look pretty. It's a powerful tool with the potential to serve a profound purpose for your brand. In this course, we have uncovered the hidden layers of design. Understanding high psychology influences our choices in color, funds, shapes and more. We've seen that design can transcend aesthetics and become a strategic force in connecting your brand with its audience. Evoking emotions and driving action. As you move forward with your brand design project, whether as a graphic designer, marketeer, business owner, or simply an informed consumer, I encourage you to view design through a different lens. Consider its role in conveying messages, building trust, and shaping perceptions. Challenge yourself to harness the principles we've discussed to create designs that not only catch the eye but also resonate with the human psyche. Remember, your design choices can influence how people perceive your brand, how they engage with it, and ultimately how they remember it. Use design as a purposeful instrument and evaluate it, not solely on how pretty it looks, but on its ability to serve your brand's goals. Then lastly, I want to express my deep gratitude for you taking this course and watching it all the way to the end. I hope you leave this course equipped with new knowledge or inspired creativity, and a deeper appreciation of good brand design. I would be even more grateful if you would be willing to take the time to write a short review, since those allow me to get some feedback on what I can improve in future courses. That's all from me then. Thanks again and I hope to see you in another course.