A fun part of any design process is choosing color. Color will play an important role in many aspects of your marketing and will be very useful when used effectively. For this particular blog I want to talk a little about color and color accents. And no, this is not a Pinterest blog, we’re not talking about color accents on your wall or furniture.

Once a logo has been established an opportunity arises to then choose colors that will be useful when designing complimentary marketing collateral pieces, web, and so much more. Accent colors! These colors will help set the tone and reinforce your branding when done well.

Can you believe people will actually base important decisions about you or your company on the colors you use? Well believe it. Color can be used to highlight copy you want to draw your reader to, and create emphasis, but it also works by setting the tone. Color can create intensity, or a sense of calm – it connects to emotion. But most importantly, choose color wisely. You want colors that compliment one another. Not colors that are hard on the eyes, overwhelming, or let’s face it – are being used by a competitor. Pay attention!

So now that you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, let me reassure you there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. For one, you can solicit my help or the help of your marketing firm (a no brainer I know). But if you are flying solo or want to dig a little deeper, here are some great sites to help give you a little guidance.

One of my favorite resources when I’m needing some inspiration is Adobe Kuler. The great thing about this site is how you can actually import a logo or image and it will suggest a few color palates for you. This allows you a baseline of options you can see together, and they you can tweak it to mesh with what you are looking for. Adobe Kuhler also breaks the sets up by offering you color combinations in “moods” – colorful, bright, muted, deep, dark, and custom.

Another spot you can hit up is wpmudev.

This site will give you a little background on color meanings, and then show you some examples to give you a little inspiration.

My last nugget is a piece of advice. Beware of how many folks you solicit advice or feedback from. While feedback can be helpful, it can also be harmful. Too much can cloud your vision, or make you lose sight of it completely. Just be sure to explain to your volunteer what you are looking for from them, and what your vision is for what you want to achieve.

Happy picking!