Does Your Personal Brand Have A Color Scheme?
Regardless of the possible over-use of the phrase, the concept of a “personal brand” is near and dear to my heart. I love talking about it, workshopping it, educating others on it, and continually participating myself — always evolving, changing, and fine-tuning what perception I want others to have of me.
This isn’t to say that personal branding is lying — but instead telling your story the way you want to tell it. When I talk about my mental health and my queerness, it’s from a place of power. Showing my vulnerabilities is strength.
Creating a personal brand also enables you to align yourself to different adjectives, values, and people.
But what about a color scheme?
I was inspired to consider a color palette for my own personal brand because of my friend Brianne’s website, social media presence, and twitter chat #PopChat. When I think of Brianne I envision her entire brand:
- 90s pop stars
- Tiger Beat
- Brand + Marketing Strategy
- Innovative
- & the multi-chrome gradients and neon lights
While my brand isn’t as bright, shiny, and a pop of color (badum tss) like Brianne’s, I started considering what my own colors could look like and how I could incorporate the use of similar colors into my LinkedIn and Twitter profiles to shape my personal brand better.
Where did I start?
I had a (sort of) spiritual experience with desert tones this year. The calm blues around my apartment no longer felt calming and instead like I was drowning. Rust, orange, and pink felt like a warm, welcoming hug of hues.
I also made the decision to dye my hair pink as an act of self-love. And just like that, pink took on another adjective for me: strength. Also, according to Kushaan Shah’s blog, pink can be attributed to being funky, hip, youthful and bold (I’ll take it).
So I started with the closest hex color to my new pink hair (F5DFE0) and added that to my header:
Next, I dabbled with 2 warmer shades to create a gradient, adding them to my profile photos:
What now?
Injecting my color palette into everything I touch is still a WIP, but I feel more connected to my own selfies and designs knowing that there is something more tangible linking them together. One big hug of knowledge.
Considering making a color palette of your own?
Here are some tips:
- Consider color psychology
- Think about the audience or network that you’re trying to attract. What are their values and how can you pick a color(s) that aligns with them?
- Use a color wheel to understand how different colors (and shades) can work together. “A sharp contrast between two colors can really make imagery pop, but overusing them can get tiresome.”
- Try using a tool like this one from Coolors.co
What do you think?
Does a color palette make you feel more connected to a brand or to a person? What would your colors look like? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
