Pt 4. Making Things Pretty — Eating with your eyes
Your first impression of a plate of food is not always its taste or smell. Whether it be a lush plate of green salad or a glistening bowl of chicken soup, you always see before you eat.
Color is a powerful tool. It can convey meaning and set moods in ways that words cannot. I was first introduced to color theory when discussing fast food joints with a coworker. Designers leverage color to accomplish specific goals.
For example, let’s look at how color theory is applied to logo design. Red is used to express passion and drama and, in the context of fast food logos, to lure your appetite. Food companies want to generate excitement and hunger. To that extent, companies like McDonalds, KFC, Arby’s and Carl’s Jr. all overwhelmingly use red in their logos.
On the other end of the spectrum, blue is the color of trust. It can be used to create feelings of loyalty, tranquility, and integrity. Financial institutions that want to forge trust use blue: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Cadence, BlockFi and even Paypal.
Coincidence? I think not.
Picking the right colors for your investor deck will plant an impression of the company in the audience before you even speak.
Similar to picking the right typography, while there are general guidelines for picking colors, there are no commandments set in stone. Colors will vary by industry and choice. Doing something finance related? Blue is a safe choice. Want to show your creativity? Try yellow. The industry-related colors will give you a place to start, but feel free to spice things up and incorporate colors that express company specific values. For example, consider using both blue and yellow if you are a fintech innovator.
Cooking Tip: While having a primary color and multiple accent colors is cool and creative, make sure you use accents sparingly. You might want to show that you are trustworthy, creative, exciting, and innovative all at the same time, but you don’t want your deck to end up with all the colors of the rainbow. Select colors that are the most important to you.
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Coming to an end with this series. Tomorrow, we’ll end by exposing some secrets to keeping clients happy.
