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It’s been said: “Presentation is everything.” This is especially true when it comes to, well, presentations. A great way to make your next interactive whiteboard presentation pop is to learn more about the psychology of color.
While it’s a no-brainer to suggest that consumers respond to attractive packaging, a recent study shows that there is some science behind why we respond to certain colors over others. According to the study, the right “emotional” color:
- Increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent
- Accelerates learning by up to 78 percent
- Increases comprehension by up to 73 percent
And according to a recent KISSmetrics infographic, specific colors elicit distinct responses when used in a retail setting. For example, the color “red orange” has been shown to attract impulse shoppers in outlet malls, while consumers who respond to “sky blue” are buyers who prefer to shop at more traditional clothing stores.
As stated earlier, these precise pigmentation purchasing responses are not just relevant to consumer buying trends. This study of cranial chromotherapy also has applicable applications for optimizing the effectiveness of your next presentation. In a recent online article, author Dave Paradi extrapolates further on the emotional impact of color design in PowerPoint and slide presentations. According to his analysis:
- Green evokes “health” and “nature”
- Red evokes “passion” and “excitement”
- Yellow evokes “optimism” and “imagination”
- Blue evokes “trust” and “security”
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“One of the most common mistakes in selecting colors is to not have enough contrast between the colors chosen for the background and the text or graphics,” says Paradi. Ergo, pick your color contrasts wisely. “Good” combinations include white print against a dark blue background or dark purple against a warm beige backdrop. Color combos to avoid include red and green, and orange and blue.
“The further apart the colors are the more contrast they will have and the easier it will be for audiences to see the text or graphic you are using,” says Paradi. To test to see if two color combinations are compatible, try experimenting with this color contrast calculator, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
So when planning that next presentation utilizing an interactive whiteboard consider using these color therapy tips in any upcoming PowerPoint layout. Who knows? Adding some new colors just might brighten up the whole meeting.
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