How To Properly Use Psychology In Graphic Design

very few designers talk about the most important part of graphic design which is the psychology of design and yet even fewer people teach it in the way I'm going to teach you today I'm going to show you some real life situations where designers can use psychology to elevate their graphic designs and the success of the designs to the client and I'm even going to sprinkle some bonus tips along the way so let's get it the first situation is at the very start of any project and that is to define the objectives without defining the design

object objective you will automatically fail in terms of psychology on your design the design will be completely lost from the GetGo the power move is to State your objective in one clear sentence and imagine how that would be explained in just a 5-second conversation and this is how that should actually look so on a gym poster as a designer we want people to sign up and to get contact information from this poster so the goal or the objective here could be get people to feel an urgent need to sign up now because they're missing out

otherwise that's the objective and it's very concise and we know exactly what the design should achieve here but as you can see knowing this simple goal means we can make changes and design choices like this and that changes the design structure and so on knowing the goal means we put more emphasis on the CTA being easily seen on this design it stands out more and the structure is very different to the first design and that's because the first design was more focused on the guy in the middle and the slogan itself and that means it

had a different go driven narrative but the next graphic design psychological tip is based around faces and in this case of this design here a cute face of a doggo humans are naturally drawn to images or faces especially those that evoke emotion but the question is why should you even care about this many numerous Studies have found that designs which connect emotionally are more memorable and more impactful they tap into view as intrinsic motivations making them more likely to engage share act and so on so if you can match up an emotion with the Project's

goal or the brief you are then ensuring Your Design will be highly effective a somewhat sad puppy with pleading eyes for example triggers empathy and compassion and that compels people to take action using emotionally charged imagery aligns with the audience's feelings with your message and so look at this poster here that aims to promote an event around a dog charity sure we have a 2d illustration of a dog and a man but the faces here will not likely trigger that much of an emotional response in the viewer so we can use a more realistic image

of an actual dog one with cute pleading eyes and this will surely appeal to to the empathy of a viewer in a greater way I mean who can actually say no to this cute little thing here right it's simple yes but as a designer you need to consider these small yet highly effective psychological moves on your designs and here's a bonus tip use the mirror neuron effect when viewers see an emotion on a face they subconsciously mimic and feel that emotion and if you pair this with a clear CTA for example adopt me today this

will reinforce that desired action but let's break down this design here in terms of emotional imagery do anything stand out to you that could be seen in a way as psychologically appealing to someone's emotions in the graphics or the imagery well firstly the large bold Club social text dominates the design immediately drawing the viewer to the idea of community and inclusivity the hashtag symbol reinforces the feeling of social engagement as being part of a digital movement now emotionally this creates a sense of unity and belonging tapping into the viewer's desire to join a collective or

exclusive kind of group then also take a look at the neon green arrows and circular get started for free button these provide an energetic inviting kind of vibe green is often associated with growth and progress and opportunity and psychologically the arrows guide the viewer's eye through the design subtle encouraging actions by creating a visual path as well as emotionally conveying positivity and progress this design uses emotional imagery effectively by combining bold energetic elements with trust building visuals like blue tones and personalized avatars it leverages feelings of community excitement and Trust to influence the viewer and

encourage engagement now as a graphic designer how you decide to use emotional imagery is completely up to you you can do it really obviously like the puppy dog expression or you can do it more subtle ways such as the nft design we just saw the next psychology technique that the pros know how to use well is so important and truly a superp power move it's the art of using familiar aspects to a design and let me explain this by truly picking apart this beautifully designed style guide for the brand Cadillac and by the way you

can actually find loads of style guides at branding styu guides.com but The Branding of Cadillac is a master class in using consistent Design Elements to foster a sense of dependability and reliability but why should you actually care about using familiar design assets to the design audience consistency builds a sense of something familiar and also it builds trust with the viewer now you need to use this wisely on your designs and especially in branding Cadillac branding is a masterclass in trust building they're 2D Crest and they goth type face is always present and always consistent whether

it's on an ad a website or a car reveal now this Taps into something called the Mia exposure effect the more we see something the more we trust it then there the Heritage script used sparingly like a signature on a masterpiece it ties their modern identity to a rich history blending past Prestige with future promise and it works well on any luxury brand and then the gradients a perfect balance of consistency and adaptability whether in print or digital Cadillac colors stay unmistakenly on brand reinforcing trust while keeping things fresh and never repetitive but things do

go far deeper with this psychological technique the style guide incorporates cultural relevance into their design and by adding subtle cues like Regional patterns or local landmarks they make their messaging feel personal and Rel atable which further builds trust in diverse markets and to Briefly summarize consistency in your Design Elements and creating a familiar sense with colors type faces and logos does build trust whilst maintaining adaptability and keeps things engaging look closely at this perfume branding there is a psychological trick that's woven into the design that you might not even notice and it's called anchoring first

the logo it's an intricate design with a bold tight face and it's not just there for style It's actually an anchor it sets the tone saying hey we're luxurious we're Timeless this first impression influences how you view the rest of the design thereafter and speaking of thereafter we have the bottle the Deep Amber and gold accents mixed with a pristine cut design signal premium quality these rich colors and intricate design Style anchor your expectations of a higher price or better quality making the cost feel Justified even the photography helps the softly blurred background allows for

the product and the logo to be anchored even more so and psychologically speaking anchors work by creating an initial reference point that influences your subsequent judgments whether it's about value or exclusivity and as a designer you can use anchors like logos colors or settings to guide how your audience perceives your product or your design and when done correctly this technique not only grabs attention it shapes your audience's expectations okay let's take another design and again we're going to look at this one with the view of psychological anchors first the athlete in midair is all about

motion this creates a dynamic anchor that ties the viewer to feelings of Freedom or breaking boundaries also it's an action shot that leads right back to the AUD of Adidas being sporty and dynamic the Modern urban backdrop features glass and steel architecture and this anchors the viewer to the idea of innovation and progress this somewhat Sleek futuristic setting complements The Branding and reinforces a forward-thinking modern identity so you can see that the main anchor or the first thing you see a notice can be conscious or subconscious for the viewer but it does set the stage

and influences everything else from there from the first impression and to summarize First Impressions count a lot but on your design the anchor is the psychological first impression that should tie back to your brief and the message now these psychological tips I'm sharing you today really tap into the true nature of graphic design or should I say proper corporate graphic design now if you are learning about graphic design and the resources that you're using never ever speak of this sort of thing you are missing entirely especially as now with AI the human decision making and

application of psychology is more important than ever and that is something only we can do efficiently and if you do want to learn a new and a useful design process for 2025 just click that video on screen and until next time guys design your future today peace