Color Psychology

• Studies suggest that each culture uses a code of colors, where each color corresponds to an emotion, as reported by Kalyan V. Meola in the Hohonu Journal of Academic Writing. Base your business's exterior color on the science of color psychology. For example, orange causes people to feel exuberant, but people can also associate it with flamboyance. A black exterior indicates a modern business, but might scare people away, as black also is associated with fear. Compare the emotions you want your customers to feel with color psychology charts, found in books or online.
  
  

Surrounding Colors

• Choose an exterior color for your business by looking at surrounding colors. If there are a lot of surrounding trees, for example, consider using deep-red elements on your building. The red stands out against spring and summer greens, while it looks striking against the orange and yellows of autumn trees. To attract attention, use a warm color (red, orange or yellow) against a pervasive cool-toned background (green, blue or purple).
  
  

Spiritual Colors

• If you run a spiritual organization or just follow spiritual precepts yourself, consider looking to your religion or beliefs to choose a color. For example, in Islamic culture, blue and green are considered fortunate and spiritual, according to Hohonu. In Hindi yoga, orange unlocks creativity (useful for an art studio) and blue represents communication (for a telephone sales company).
  
  

Favorite Colors

• When you design a residential space, you can choose from colors that you enjoy. When selecting for a commercial space, however, you must focus instead on your target market. To do this, create a questionnaire for your market and post in a public forum. When you retrieve the answers, narrow the answers to color suggestions from your ideal customer. Use these colors to determine your exterior.