The FULL Course On Graphic Design Psychology (2026) transcript

[music] There is one aspect or theory in graphic design that is so important that if overlooked, the designer would likely create designs that simply just aren't good. It's called symbolic interaction and it stretches across almost every single area of graphic design. And by the end of today's video, you'll become a complete master at this topic. To preface exactly how important this theory is, we need to quickly remind ourselves of something equally as important.

Now, we are designers, right? We create visual communication for businesses or brands. But what does that exactly mean to you? And what does it mean to me as a designer? Well, it means our designs need to efficiently communicate something to an audience in the shortest amount of time possible. Now, this could be as obvious as something being on sale like cat food to something as nuanced as communicating empathy or sorrow through a design for a charity.

It's all communication. So [music] this theory or this principle symbolic interaction, it actually refers to a quick and efficient communication of ideas, messages or brand values without the need for lengthy explanations. Everything is just communicated visually and quickly. It's taking what graphic design is at its core and just doubling down on that notion. And so let me show you some real life examples of this in action.

And then at the end of today's video, we're going to test your knowledge on the content you've just seen. The Porsche logo. It's quite beautiful, isn't it? Symbolic interaction has been used on this design in a very clever way. Now, take a look at the horse in the center of the logo itself. And also ask yourself, why is it there? Now, if you do some research into Porsche, you will know the company originated from Stoutgart, Germany.

And that horse is taken from Stoutgart's coat of arms. But this isn't actually true symbolic interaction. Sure, it's a nice little brand story, isn't it? But it doesn't actually deliver the message to the audience quickly. You'd need to do research and find out about the Stutgart connection with Porsche. The true symbolic interaction lies in how the symbolism of the horse conveys [music] a sense of power, speed, and elegance.

This appeals to the emotions associated with luxury and high performance. It taps into the psychology and aspirations of prestige all on a subconscious level. Now, would the Porsche logo work if instead of the horse, the designer placed a cartoony graphic of a car wheel in the middle? No. Now, the story or the message of heritage, prestige, power, and elegance is completely wiped away and gone. Logo design is only one small way that symbolic interaction can be used.

So, let's look at some valid ways that designers use this. And then, of course, again, later at the end of the video, we will test your knowledge. Symbolic interaction is sort of like the fabric of graphic design, if you will. You could even call it the essence of graphic design in the respect that it makes design what it is. Take a marketing design for a new gaming mouse as an example. How might symbolic interaction fit in here on this design?

Well, firstly, the imagery and the graphics. If the advert design showed one static image of the mouse on a desk, it might seem slow, boring, and bland. Instead, as a designer, you might showcase the gaming mouse in action with dynamic images that emphasize speed, precision, and control. [music] You might incorporate neon lighting, dynamic graphics, and elevate the idea of the mouse via imagery. So the psychology of the symbolism here is actionorientated visuals that kind of convey mastery and precision.

And for people who are competitive, this can be quite empowering from a psychological point of view. Gamers often seek tools that make them feel in control and enhance their gaming skills. And the visual symbolism here can even play off of written symbolism on the advert. There could be slogans that emphasize themes of victory, precision, and the immersive gaming experience facilitated by the mouse. So things like dominate the game or precision unleashed, these could be used.

And so the graphics could actually enforce that symbolic manner. Now, here's one fact as to why symbolic interaction is so powerful. Symbolic interaction is the very thing that allows for a brand to actually exist in the first place. Try this for a second. Close your eyes just for a minute and think about the franchise McDonald's. What actually springs to mind for you when you consider McDonald's? Sure, you might have an image of a burger pop up into your mind, but I'm sure many of you would also have a mental image of their golden arches logo.

The Golden Arches are globally recognized and associated with McDonald's. The distinctive shape and color are familiar to the people and they create an ease of identification and this makes it easy for customers to spot McDonald's in any location around the world. Simple, yes. Powerful, almost certainly. And this is why designers need to be aware of symbolic interaction because it does exist in pretty much every aspect of graphic design.

It is also found in something as simple as website icons. Icons on a website often serve as symbolic representations of different sections or actions. An example, a magnifying glass for search. Now, it seems so obvious, doesn't it? But a lot of the time, the most obvious solution is the best. Users interact with these symbols by clicking or tapping on them to navigate through a website, and well-designed icons enhance the user experience by providing visual cues and improving navigation efficiency.

Now just imagine if instead of icons, websites used words for every single clickable button. The websites or the UI would become a mess and navigation around it would be vastly slower to the user. Now before we go ahead and test our knowledge of symbolic interaction, we can actually boil down the whole thing into one simple sentence. Symbolic interaction is the use of visual cues that express a message or action on a design.

And now it's time to check out a design and see if you can detect symbolic interaction on that design. So here's the design by clickable design and we're going to run through it to see if you've grasped the concept of symbolic interaction. And if you haven't, don't worry because this section of the video will clear things up for you. And you can also pause the video if you want to look over the design and then see if you can determine where and how symbolic interaction has been used.

So, the first really obvious way it's being used is, of course, the icons in the lower left. Incorporating icons or symbols that resonate with a target audience helps a design reach that intended audience. [snorts] It's a quick and easy way to convey shared meanings through a specific community. And it's pretty cool how these 3D icons match the focal point 3D nature. But of course, 2D would have worked as well. But what is the second way in which symbolic interaction has been used here?

[music] Well, again, it's use of icons, but this time it's 2D icons. Now, we can see icons and graphics typical to gaming and gamers, but also graphics that belong in futuristic technology- based designs like this arrow or the glass overlay. Now, these work because the designs vibe with the message is technology and futurism. And so, the symbolic use of these 2D icons pushes that narrative further. Also, the focal point is so blatantly futuristic and tech orientated.

[music] We can see the coding over the face and everything about it just appeals to the design message and the target audience. Oh, and as a side note from a past course video, check out the movement and the flow of the arrows and the lines that point left to right. Yeah, I just thought I had to add that into the video. But the next way symbolic interaction has been used is with typography. Fonts and typography carry meaning and the evoke emotion.

We all know this and so selecting fonts with specific characteristics. An example here, modern and futuristic sansera font can influence how the audience interprets a message. In this instance here, it pushes the message and the story of the design being cutting edge and in line with the gaming narrative. A seront here just simply wouldn't work because it would dictate an incorrect symbolism. And there's another pretty obvious use of symbolic interaction here and that is with color.

Blue is a very technology based color and then we see it accented with a vibrant neon red which is almost cyberpunk in style. Red is exciting and together with this color scheme it looks very futuristic and it would appeal to gaming audiences. The next point really puts the interaction in symbolic interaction. And that's because in interactive designs such as websites or apps like this example, we can use intuitive symbols and gestures to align the user's expectations which creates a seamless and meaningful interaction.

And that's relevant here on the discover more section. The arrow symbolizes movement and continuing onto the next thing, which is where the designer would like the user to go. Again, it's simple, but it works, and it's a tried and tested method within graphic design. But can you find any more cases of symbolic interaction on this design? If the answer is yes, slap it down in the comment section below. One way that you as a designer can evoke a message is by including hidden messages or creative elements in a graphic design.

So on this can design, if you look closely, the polar bear's eyes are made up of bottle caps and then the light reflection on the nose is actually an entire cola bottle. That's pretty cool, right? And I wonder how many of you noticed that. But this simply makes the design a bit more interesting to look at, a bit more memorable, and more clever to the consumer. If we quickly move into the world of logo design, here's a logo that's been applauded by designers for years.

It's the Uni Lever logo. So, the Uni Lever logo is designed as a collection of various different icons that represent the company's diverse range of products. It communicates to the audience the variety of brands under the Unibella umbrella. And it also communicates this notion without using any words at all and in one single design. You might not get the message at a very high conscious level. It might just trickle down to your subconscious, which is still really, really useful as a designer.

[music] But what other ways can you tap into your audience and wow your clients with subliminal messaging on your design projects? Well, here's a clever and a powerful method perfectly demonstrated by Starbucks. Starbucks actually incorporates wooden textures in some areas of their branding and actually in a big way on their store design and also their package design, too. The use of wooden textures communicates the brand's connection to nature, emphasizing a rustic feel that aligns with the coffee culture.

Now, I bet that you prefer to go to a coffee shop or have a coffee product that felt more rustic and more natural. And that's over one that is delivered in a plastic or a cold man-made form. Rustic aesthetics tend to convey a sense of warmth and coziness. And of course, that's perfect for coffee shops, but also rusticness evokes a sense of natural authenticity. [music] Basically, it says that it's unique and it's not mass- prodduced.

Using texture or patterns can be a very intimate experience with a targeted audience. Like for example here, luxury hotels often use subtle patterns and textures in their branding and stationery and that's to convey a sense of opulence and attention to detail. I'm sure you've held a business card or a brochure at some point that just felt different. You know, it felt high quality and high-end. And that's not by accident.

That's completely by design. Excuse the pun. Textures like embossed logos or fine linen paper can enhance the perception of quality and exclusivity. Often this message will be evoked to the consumer without them being fully aware of it. Sneaky, sneaky designers. The next way designers can use subliminal messaging on the designs is quite subtle. You know, it's not glaringly obvious when you look at it, but at the same time, it's still really powerful.

[music] Spotify has gained a widespread popularity for its user-friendly interface, personalized recommendations, and dynamic visual branding, but they've used subtle gradients throughout entire brand and app design for subliminal messaging. And here's how. Now, I've not checked recently, so I'm not too sure if this is still the case. But on the now playing screen on Spotify, it features subtle gradients that change dynamically based on the album artwork or the predominant colors of the artwork.

Big deal, right? Well, actually, this creates a seamless and immersive experience with the background colors harmonized with the visual elements of the current song. The subtle transitions in the gradients enhance the feeling of continuity and flow, and it draws the user into the sensory experience more so on the app. But Spotify goes further than just this. They use subtle gradients across their branding materials, various platforms, including mobile apps, desktop applications, and web interfaces.

This consistency contributes to a unified and recognizable brand identity, reinforcing the idea that users are interacting with the same brand regardless of the device or the platform. But as a smart designer who watches this channel on a regular basis, you are already aware of brand consistency and how important it is. Pretty sure. But do you know about the role of layered imagery in subliminal messaging? Quickly dialing it back a second.

What is subliminal messaging? The pure definition is conveying a message to an audience without them consciously realizing the message is there. Some subliminal messaging is often considered controversial and is not commonly used in ethical design practices. The 2003 tobacco adverts portrayed a man being very cool and desirable while smoking. But the main controversy came from subtle images of cow skulls that were embedded in the billows of smoke emerging from the cowboy cigarette.

The cow's skull is associated with death and danger, and critics argue that its inclusion could potentially appeal to individuals on a subconscious level, associating smoking with risk and excitement. But we're not evil tobacco shills or tobacco brand designers. We want to work on more ethical approaches when using subliminal messaging. And one of these methods is using layered imagery. Layered imagery and graphic design can be strategically employed to convey subtle messages or to create more engaging visual experiences.

Adobe often creates promotional posters for Photoshop, and these feature intricate and layered imagery. And if you know or you use Photoshop, you'll perfectly understand why this is relevant, but also smart. These posters showcase the software's capabilities by blending various different elements seamlessly. Though the layers not only highlight the versatility of Photoshop, but also on a subliminal level, they communicate the idea of a creative possibility and boundless imagination.

And here's the master trick for using subliminal messaging on your graphic designs. Know the design's message and then see if you can work in a method. Like with Adobe, the message they wanted to convey was the capability of Photoshop to build intricate designs that look good. know the design's message or the goal of the design project and then you can maybe perhaps work in a subliminal message into that design. Now, we want to use several psychological design techniques to vastly improve this design, but what would you do on this design to make it more effective and potentially just look quote unquote good?

The first thing that strikes me personally is that I feel like the layout is just too messy, too complicated. This design is meant to be a social media marketing piece or just a part of a website aimed towards modern fashion trends. And so if we consider something like Gestalt theory, we can think about the viewer's eye as they travel along this design. We really don't want a cluttered or difficult to navigate design from a psychological point of view.

We want the viewers to interact with the design with ease. That goes without saying basically. So yeah, a cleaner, more minimal layout will be a good start on this design. Next, I want to focus on the top of this design and consider the audience and also the goal of the design. It's about fashion and keeping up to date with new trends. People who are potential targets for this design can be influenced by the psychological technique of FOMO or fear of missing out.

So, if we include some text that literally states fashion trends and new era, this might suggest to the audience subconsciously that if they choose not to interact with this brand, they potentially are going to miss out on fashion trends and new aspects of the fashion world. And importantly, we're adding this at the very top of the design. And so, it's likely going to be one of the first things they read or interact with.

And the typography at the bottom is not only quite hideous, but it just fails to make use of some smart psychological techniques to further the quality of this design. So, first, let's get rid of this playful type face. It just doesn't work here. After all, this design is aimed at very trendy people in a very fast and modern niche sector. So, of course, naturally, we should use a modern and clean type face that aligns with their psychology.

Something like this here, Ailon. That is in of itself a psychological based decision. But we can actually go a step further and use the psychological technique of emphasis mixed with more FOMO. And to do that, I'm going to make one specific part of this text bold and bright pink. This obviously makes it stand out, but at the same time, the text I've chosen to apply this technique on is text that will hopefully make the audience intrigued in this brand and also FOMO into becoming a part of the community.

This is the main part of the message that should speak to them. Then we can add a learn more clickable button in the bottom right. And this is because this is the area where the viewer will likely finish their eyetracking journey along this design. So to quickly recap, we've made some psychological adjustments. So the red graphic in the middle acts like a kind of a focal point, and it's something that lures in the audience.

[snorts] This plays back into the psychology of Gestalt theory, which is a very broad and a very deep theory of design principles. We then cleaned up the layout for easy navigation and used techniques to generate FOMO in the audience. We tailored aspects of the design so it speaks the language of the target audience, such as typography choices. So, Udon Ramen, one of my favorites, but this design right here, it's ultra generic and has several issues with it.

So, yeah, let's put on our psychological graphic design hats and let's boost this design to the next level. First, we should ask ourselves, what is the purpose of this design? And from what I can gather, it's a poster to inform people that there is an offer on noodles. Buy one, get one free. We want to make the offer obvious, but also maybe we should create a statement or impact style on this design because we literally want to alert people to the offer.

And so a bold red color as a background might be a great first step forward. And I'm actually going to flip the layout so the bowl of ramen is at the very top and the offer is below. And I actually did this for two reasons. Firstly, the ramen itself will be a good focal point and psychological trigger to the audience. It's kind of like bait, if you will, a lovely, delicious bowl of noodles. Viewers will start their journey at the top and then move down to the information of the offer.

So, they see the thing they want and then they see there's an actual offer on it. It's a quick two-step psychological process. But I've gone for this layout also because there's a specific style that we can run with on this design. The text buy 1 get one free might be a bit confusing. But for this video I'm using downloadable designs from Invato just as quick examples of how we can change designs. So I'm just going to keep the text and run with it even though it's a bit confusing.

So to suggest a sense of authenticity and that this is a genuine product, we can use illustrations and handdrawn elements on the design. This steers things away from a corporate and cold product or brand and does help to make food products seem handmade and rustic. It's a good selling point for something like this actually. And so an illustrative hand with chopsticks would be a good move here. And then other elements dotted around the design too.

If you set the new design next to the old original design, you can see just how much more impacting the revised design is. And it has just way more character about it. Again, we thought about how we wanted the audience to feel here on this design. And that was by showing them the food item they potentially want and then leading them to the information offer. This was all encapsulated on a bright and above background that was very visible and noticeable from afar.

Then we pushed the psychological narrative that these ramen noodles are rustic and handcrafted with unique illiterative motifs. These psychological decisions and changes have made the design vastly superior. All right, a quick pause because if you're using AI for videos right now, this is worth knowing. Seance 2.0 is now live on our list. And it's essentially an all-in-one AI video toolkit built directly into the platform.

With universal tagging, you can define your first frame using image references and guide camera movement using video references. So, you're actually directing the scene like an actual director instead of just prompting and hoping. It also handles cinematic continuity properly, meaning you can generate one take sequences that stay consistent across different cuts. So, no random character changes or broken environments.

And you can actually combine up to 12 assets in a single generation. So, text, images, video clips, all inside one prompt. And there's native audio video sync as well, so sound effects and music match the pacing of your video, which is really cool and important. And on top of that, you get proper editing precision. You can swap characters, add or remove video clips, and soon even extend scenes from any frame. And if you're creating still visuals as well, Cream 5.0 is also live on our list.

It delivers native 4K outputs, stronger character consistency, better physics understanding, and much cleaner topography rendering. Now, let me show you what this actually looks like in action. Everything you're seeing was generated inside our list using Cance 2.0. So, instead of juggling multiple AI tools, you've now got video, images, music, and sound effects all in one ecosystem. And if you want to try it for yourself, just check out Sea Dance 2.0 on Art List via the link in the description box below.

Well, if I told you that if you could master shape psychology, it would actually change how clients look and respond to your work. By the end of this course, you know exactly how to use shapes to influence emotions and perceptions on your graphic designs. But before we move into the advanced sections or look at tips and tricks when it comes to shape psychology, we absolutely have to 100% be clear on what each shape evokes psychologically speaking.

And first we have the geometric shapes. [music] And we're going to start with circles which are very heavily psychological in graphic design. They have no beginning or no end. They are symmetrical, smooth, and enclosed. Circles are often associated with unity, wholeness, and harmony. They feel comforting, stable, and protective because of their infinite form. Pepsi circular logo tries to convey friendliness and community matching its inclusive, refreshing brand identity.

And car brands often use circles in the logos because of the secure and safety factor. And if you're someone who doesn't buy into the whole shape psychology thing, well, watch the entire video because we do have some hard evidence for it actually working and being a legitimate thing. Next, we have squares. Now, squares represent stability, reliability, and professionalism. They often convey a sense of order, structure, and trustworthiness.

Microsoft's Square logo shows a brand's four core products while reinforcing a sense of structure and consistency. And this is ideal for tech giants. Triangles are quite interesting as they can represent a few different things depending on which way they are pointing. Triangles can signify action, energy, or movement depending on their orientation. Upward triangles can suggest stability and progress, while downward triangles can imply instability or focus.

The play button icon, typically a triangle pointing right, universally conveys movement and forward progression, and this enhances its function for media and entertainment purposes. Like squares, rectangles feel sturdy and dependable, but add a kind of directional elements that can lead the viewer's eye. They feel secure and organized. National Geographic's yellow rectangular border frames its content with a sense of exploration and focus, encapsulating the brand's emphasis on storytelling.

Now, hexagons imply connection and efficiency, often associated with technology or collaboration due to their natural fit in patterns. The logo for Slack uses interconnected hexagons to represent the collaboration that does define the brand, and this hints at a teamwork and communication element. Ovals feel organic and feel gentle, often symbolizing motion or the flow of time, and that's with a calming and approachable kind of vibe.

The Ford logo uses an oval to give a sense of stability and approachability, softening the brand's powerful automotive image. And that moves us briskly into the next category of shapes, which is the organic shapes. Organic shapes are simplified or stylized representations, often suggestive rather than literal. They typically have curves and aren't all that geometric. But what about the actual psychology of these shapes?

Well, abstract shapes give a brand or a design a modern, often open-ended feeling, allowing viewers to often interpret meaning freely. Organic shapes are often linked to natural products or messages, but of course, not always. One example of not always is the Nike swoosh as that's an abstract shape that suggests speed and movement. And this enhances the brand's athletic and empowerment identity. Now, one really important part of graphic design is symbolism.

And that's where symbolic shapes come into play. Symbolic shapes carry a widely recognized meaning and are often tied to cultural or sociological associations. So things that are literal such as hearts, stars, crosses, arrows, etc. In graphic design, they bring immediate associations and clarity like hearts for love or stars for excellence. This can be incorporated into concepts for any kind of design. For example, the heart shape in the Airbnb's logo which symbolizes belonging and feeling at home.

And this aligns with their brand mission. Also on this design here, we can see the animated arrow carrying the typography, but the arrow literally suggests movement in the direction of the basketball player. Again, symbolic shapes are very, very literal and they evoke a message instantly. That's basically their job. Then we have lines or line base shapes. [music] These are typically linear shapes or boundaries without fill and of course can range from straight to wavy lines.

Lines can direct focus, suggest movement or create rhythm, adding either calmness or energy. But in general, vertical lines are dominant and energetic, [music] and horizontal lines are more peaceful and more stable. IBM's logo uses horizontal lines within its lettering to create a sense of stability and rhythm while suggesting modernity and connection. [music] Now, some of the juicy and usable tips that you can use on your designs when using shapeology.

We're talking about the pro tips and the hacks and so forth. And yes, we're also going to look at hard evidence on how this stuff isn't just hocus pocus voodoo BS. So, the first hack or pro tip is that triangles are the ultimate tool for creating a sense of movement. You can strategically position triangles to direct the eye and add urgency. Try using upward pointing triangles to imply growth and ambition or downward ones for grounding and stability.

You can position triangles at image corners to point towards your focal points. And the triangles don't have to be totally obvious. As you can see in the black space towards the bottom of this design is a right-facing triangle. And also the triangle shape itself doesn't have to be that obvious. It could just be subtle and abstract. Considering that squares or rectangles can create order or stability, it can be a good idea to use these shapes for educational or informative designs.

And here's how. Try a grid-based layout that uses squares or rectangles for image frames or text boxes. This approach not only organizes content but it visually conveys dependability and straightforwardness. When information is laid out in this way, it achieves a more serious and a more direct manner. Also, these rigid and balanced shapes help the information to be processed easier to the viewer. And two points to you if you notice the triangle arrows pointing the viewer around the second design.

If you want a design's message and visual language to be more approachable and more informal, rounded corners on squares and rectangles soften the design and make it feel more approachable. And this is excellent for friendly or casual branding or designs in general. You can see on these examples how more friendly and non-serious the design appears simply because of the rounded corners on the shapes. The next tip is one of my most favorites.

Try to combine shapes with colors that evoke the same emotion. So if you're using organic circular shapes that are calming, use desaturated calming colors as well. It seems obvious, but many designers don't even consider or think like this. Slanted or angled shapes add a sense of movement. So for example, maybe for a sporting design, you could arrange angle shapes around the athlete or just simply to imply motion. Use triangles in the background to intensify the sense of speed and action and slanted lines can also evoke a sense of modernity and futurism as they do suggest moving into something new.

Asymmetric designs create a sense of action and movement which can energize a layout and draw attention. A dynamic website landing page featuring an asymmetrical grid layout with images and products offc center can evoke excitement and encourage exploration, making the page feel more lively. This shape psychology refers more to the layout rather than the actual shapes themselves. Now, if you're working on a design for something like skincare products, wellness, or something along those lines, one easy way to make a home run hitting design is to use organic free form shapes to create a sense of comfort.

This is instantly often associated with nature and human connection. As example, a wellness brand could use wavy organic shapes in their package design. This not only creates a calming visual effect but also communicates a connection to nature and holistic health. And now to dispel the myth that shapes psychology is a bunch of hoie and doesn't have any place or relevance in reality and graphic design because it does.

Now it's been shown in scans that the brain has dedicated areas for processing basic visual elements including shapes. [music] The primary visual cortex and regions of the optical and parietal loes help us interpret shapes and assign meaning based on learned and intuitive associations. For example, fMRI scans show heightened brain activity in the amygdala, a center for emotions, and that's when viewing angular or sharp shapes.

This supports the idea that these shapes evoke stronger, often more intense responses. But get this, the influence of logo shapes, including those of brands like Pepsi, has been studied to understand consumer perception. Research often cited in this field includes a 2015 study by Dr. Milica Mormon and Dr. Andrew A. Mitchell and this examined how shape affects brand perception. Their study shapes, colors, and brand identity exploring the role of visual properties in consumers which was published in journal of marketing research found that circular logos tend to evoke feelings of warmth, community and harmony whereas angular logos were associated with durability, strength and professionalism.

But the researchers of a different study in 2013 which was published in the journal of experimental social psychology presented participants with images containing basic geometric shapes such as circles, squares and triangles. And this was in neutral colors as example black or gray. The simplicity of the shapes helped isolate the emotional impact specifically related to the form rather than other design elements like color or texture.

Participants also viewed a mix of smoothged and sharpedged shapes to analyze the psychological effects of curvature versus angularity in design. The primary tool for measuring emotion was the positive and negative effect schedule or panas scale. And this allowed participants to rate how each shape made them feel in terms of emotions like calmness, excitement, anxiety or trust. This approach helped quantify emotional reactions on a standard scale, making the response comparable across participants and cultures.

The results concluded that shapes do evoke specific emotion that can transcend cultural boundaries, though cultural nuances influence how strongly these emotions are felt. They suggest that designers can utilize these findings to create more targeted visuals, choosing shapes that align with the desired emotional impact of a brand or message, such as circles for inclusivity or squares for stability. So, when you're next looking at a graphic design, or better yet, looking at your screen while designing your next project, really do consider how shape impacts psychology.

Graphic design is visual communication and shapes are some of the most hard-hitting tools when it comes to evoking messages, emotions, and feelings to our audiences. And they won't be able to attract those higher paying clients. Your brain has been hacked not by technology, but by smart graphic design. Let's start with Squid Game. Those faceless guards in pink uniforms marked only by a triangle square circle which became universal icons in a matter of days.

It uses a technique known as geometric reduction and symbolic contrast. Now they work so well because the human brain is drawn to clean high contrast shapes. These are often the first forms we ever learn to recognize as people. squares, triangles, and circles, which appearing in isolation and bold color fields hit the brain like visual exclamation marks. Now, if you think about it, it's the same reason you instantly recall the Apple logo.

They both rely on stripped down geometry that the mind can store in a single glance. Squid Game used the same principle in storytelling form. Its shapes function like a logo system for the entire show. Instantly recognizable across all branding materials and marketing tools, even without text or context. This was one of the main reasons it became so incredibly iconic. But why exactly does this matter to your next graphic design project?

Well, the point here isn't to make everything minimalist. It worked for Squid Game because it needed to be universal and have a state of control. Basically, ideas that suit geometric reduction in a tech brand or corporate campaign, minimalism can sharpen clarity and memorability. But for projects built on warmth and storytelling, like say community arts posters or a local cafe brand, the same approach might feel pretty cold.

Smart and good design is about refining intention. So ask yourself, what's the one feeling or idea that I want people to take away from my design? Then build every element around the idea. Use geometry, color, space, and different tools for meaning. Minimalism works when the brief calls for clarity and power. The key is knowing why you're reducing. And when reduction serves meaning instead of aesthetics, that's when your design crosses from clean to iconic.

The symbolic nature of the Squid Game design also plays into the childlike mentality of a game while also referring to different ranks among the guards. Now, if you're old enough like I am, think back to the PlayStation 1 startup screen. The moment that logo appeared floating against the black void, you knew exactly what was coming. That sound, a deep resonant cord with a almost swordlike sweep. It felt like a ritual, like the console was awakening.

And don't get it twisted. This wasn't just a startup sound. It was pure anticipation turned into design that fueled an experience. That sound still runs right through me. And actually, it takes me back to when I was playing the PS1 in my friend's lounge back in the uh the late '9s. And this is what is referred to as sensory branding. The pairing of sound, motion, and imagery to anchor emotion in a heavy deep rooted memory.

[music] Sony absolutely nailed this by combining visual restraint with sonic tension. [music] We have minimal visuals, maximum atmosphere. It conditioned a generation, as myself included, of players to associate that sound and logo with excitement, focus, and identity. [music] And you can create the same kind of effect visually in your own design work by repeating consistent sensory cues. Not necessarily sound, but elements like light directions, contrast, rhythm, or spatial structures.

So if you are working on a brand identity, use them repeatedly across your design so they form a kind of recognition loop. For example, a certain grain texture, a subtle gradient, or a compositional balance that always feels like it's yours. Over time, that repetition builds emotional memory. Your audience will feel it before they even realize it. And this can also be achieved across your portfolio of work as well, which will give you a kind of embedded signature that is totally yours.

Now, we're going to jump to color psychology and one of the most genius examples of it ever being used, the red notification icons on Facebook and IG. That tiny dot on Facebook and Instagram is practically a case study in neuro design. But you'll have that subconscious emotional reaction when we see a new like or comment ping up, maybe even a DM. That reaction is built around two main principles. Something called color salience and then also variable reward.

And red is the most easy color to spot by humans and that makes it a perfect tool for hacking your brain. It signals urgency, danger, reward or opportunity depending on the context. [music] Then comes the variable reward part. Sometimes the notification holds something exciting, something new, or something not at all. That uncertainty triggers dopamine releases. The same mechanism behind gambling addiction. But before you think that this only applies to UI, remember that attention is a limited resource in any kind of design niche.

You can use the same logic on a print poster, a social post, or website banner, or pretty much anything. Start with a calm balance palette. Then reserve one powerful accent for your key element. Let's say your entire layout is grays and cool blues. Adding a single red or orange accent behind your CTA logo or focal point gives instant hierarchy. The viewer's brain automatically treats this element as the most urgent part of the design.

The trick is also restraint. However, too many urgent elements cancel each other out. So, use the red dot principle to train your audience's eye exactly where to look first or where to remember. Next, let's shift gears into something more emotional. Nostalgia as design. [music] And you might be surprised that we can find a whole bunch of graphic design techniques in the GTA 6 trailer. When it dropped in December 2023, it didn't just break the internet because of hype.

It tapped into a shared memory. Anyone who played Vice City back in the 2000s instantly felt it. That Miami glow, those pastel skies, the sun bleached pinks and teals. The palette was anything but random. It was emotional shorthand for a time, a place, and a feeling. And I can almost guarantee that people at Rockstar Games sat around a meeting room table and discussed different concepts. And one of them was likely the demographic of GTA players who remember Vice City and now have fond memories of it.

It told longtime fans that you're home again. While some of the fast Tik Tok style cuts in the trailer and handheld social media shots pulled in a new generation who live inside short form rhythm. It's kind of like old meets new. nostalgia fused with cultural relevance and that's one of the reasons why this trailer did stick in everyone's mind and you can recreate the same kind of hook in your own projects. So start by thinking about what visual nostalgia looks like for your specific audience on that project.

It could be a certain color tone, a photo texture, or even a font style that reminds them of a cultural moment. Then simply just modernize it. Pair those familiar cues with contemporary rhythms, bulk typography, cropped motion stills or asymmetrical layouts in a poster or carousel. This might mean combining vintage pallets or retro patterns with dynamic short storytelling sequencing. That is what Rockstar has mastered with GTA 6, and it's what great design feels like, too.

Now, back to some more emotion. Shepherd Afair's Obama Hope poster in 2008 remains one of the most effective uses of emotional design ever created. But what makes it so iconic and smart? Well, the genius lies in the combination of a limited pallet, visual contrast, and that directional gaze. The human brain reads faces faster than any other object, and a face looking upward subconsciously signals aspiration and strength. combined with patriotic hues of blue and red.

It became a perfect visual of optimism. If you agree or disagree here is kind of irrelevant because we are just looking at things through the perspective or the lens of a graphic designer. Now in your own designs, you can apply this by defining a single emotional direction before you even begin. Do you want your design to inspire calmness, defiance, joy, power, whatever? Anchor every element from color to composition around that one feeling.

For example, imagine you're designing a premium [music] skin care package. If the emotion you want is calm and purity, you might choose soft neutral tones, generous white space, and a gentle serif type face. But if you're designing for a bold street wear fragrance, you'd flip that. You'd maybe use deep blacks, metallic highlights, compressed spacing, and a strong diagonal layout to communicate energy and defiance. And ask yourself, [music] can someone understand the emotion of this design in under a second without reading a single word?

And if they can, you've achieved emotion clarity right here. It's the mark of timeless design. And then there's the Trump mug shot. one of the most instantly recognizable images of modern politics that was me'd and used as design for a ton of merch. Now, setting aside ideology, it's a brilliant case of narrative compression. It simply tells a story, the defiant tilt of the head, the harsh lighting, the stark composition.

The thing is, humans are very tribal at the core. Think of sporting teams, politics, country borders. We are a very primal and tribal specy and that's one reason why the image exploded into memes, t-shirts, posters, mugs and so on. It symbolized two completely opposite interpretations at once. The design lesson here is emotional polarity. When a design sits comfortably in the middle, it's forgettable. But when it's confidently picking an emotional direction, even if it alienates some viewers, it becomes memorable.

Now you can apply this by identifying the emotional axis of your project. If it's a youth streetear brand, maybe your axis is rebellion. For a luxury brand, its desire and exclusivity. Everything, the tight face spacing, the photography, and the tone should align to reinforce its axis, which essentially targets a specific group of people. The result is emotional singularity, which gives your work strength and identity.

A graphic design ultimately is there to hack your mind. Everybody's mind for that matter. And today you've heard about some of the ways that can actually happen. Every good graphic design course teaches it and every good designer knows about it. But does it actually work in real life on real people? That's exactly what I wanted to test and find out. And to do so, I made three different tests when combined should give a clear picture on whether or not color theory is bogus or beneficial.

Test one, a simple YouTube poll. Test number two, testing several designs on Twitter audiences. And test number three, using a YouTube thumbnail analyzing software that can detect changes in color and how that might affect a video's performance. Oh, and a huge thanks to AI image upscaler from media.io for sponsoring today's video. More about [music] that later. The first test was the most simple, and this is the one I expected to work the most efficiently, to be honest.

The premise was that in color theory, we as humans are hardwired to feel certain emotions that certain colors evoke. As example, blues are meant to be calming, but also they can be cold or how reds excite our emotions and raise our heart rate. But does it actually work in practice in real life on real people? I posted a YouTube poll and the question was actually very simple with zero context. Which color group makes you the most happy?

It should be noted that this question wasn't which color group do you like or which would work well on a design. It was actually a very very simple question just which one makes you the most happy. Now according to color theory it should technically be yellows and oranges because these are positive and kind of uplifting colors. But of course there are always exceptions to the rule and some people even felt tricked by this question.

And I found it really interesting how some people manage to get even angry at the simplest of questions on a social media platform. Anyway, how YouTube polls work is that you cannot see the results or what people have chosen until you choose one yourself. So, in the end, this leads to a total individual choice that's pretty unbiased. And as you can clearly see, the yellows and the oranges have a large majority. And I'm not surprised that number one is the second most chosen.

And that's because the colors have a low saturation, which according to color theory is peaceful and calming, which to some people would result in them being happy. As someone suggested, it would be a good idea to post just one color group and then have options of emotions and see what people feel from just that one color group. But from this first test, we can see that in theory, color theory does work on instinctive and reactive emotion.

If you were designing something or selling something that wanted to evoke happiness, a yellow or an orange color palette has a good chance of helping to evoke just that. And that's at an almost 2/3 of people reacting in that desired way. And the second test that was conducted on Twitter. But before we dive into color theory on Twitter, there's something I've been using recently that's made my workflows that much better.

As designers, we sometimes get given lowquality, low res, and ultimately just annoying imagery to work with. Or perhaps say when you're scrolling through Google looking for things to make use of on a project, you might only ever come across those 200, 400, 700 pixel images. I know the pain. AI image upscaler by Media.io changes everything. It utilizes an easy to use image upscale function where you can take unusable lowres images and convert them into design assets with just a few clicks.

There are other useful functions as well, but you'll notice how this thing really packs a punch and sharpens up images to amazing qualities. From one designer to another, I'm sure you'll be able to use this in your workflow and make great use of it as well. But anyway, let's jump back into test number two for today's color theory video. Now, for this test, I made three designs, all of which were the same design essentially, apart from the color scheme.

I then asked a Twitter audience which of these three designs would most likely persuade them to buy these headphones. For this experiment, I thought a background that is complimentary in color to the blue headphones would get the most reaction. And according to color theory, that would be orange. This would in theory help the headphones stand out more and also according to color theory complimentary colors are visually appealing on a subconscious level.

However, there was also an argument for the white design having a good chance as well and that's because the price tag was very emphasized with the white background and also so were the headphones. But anyway, on Twitter I asked people to post either a purple, an orange, or a white heart to cast their votes. And [snorts] of course, some people didn't read that or they just didn't take notice of it. But for those who did, we can see that the orange design has a slight edge majority and white comes in runner up.

Using color theory as a designer is not about getting things 100% correct for everybody. We want to design for the majority. And that's one way that color theory is so powerful in graphic design. But what about the next test? Test number three. Test number three involved using some software that I use almost every single day and that is thumbnailest.com. Now, I use this to analyze and test thumbnail designs and how they might interact with audiences, but also as well titles.

And for my cutter theory test, I had the perfect scenario to play out. A few weeks ago, I made a video about UI and UX design. Now, I do know that a large portion of my audience doesn't care about this topic, hence why the views aren't that great. But the thumbnail design also wasn't that great, too. It was cold and it didn't have much contrast. And yes, the blues and purples can actually be linked back to the tech sector.

But as people scroll through YouTube, it is wise to use colors that are heavily contrasted and which are bright and bold to look at. This catches people's attention really, really easily. That's the theory anyway. But did it actually work? Well, I redesigned the thumbnail so it now has a big contrast between black and orange. And of course, orange is more noticeable because it's really bright and bold in theory. I then hopped onto the software, chose the video in question, uploaded a new thumbnail, and then set the test to run for 48 hours.

The software would show one thumbnail for 1 hour, and then flick over to the other one over and over again for 48 hours. After that time period, the results were in, and here they are. The views are still not great, but again, that's mainly due to my audience not jing with this topic. So, well, the new thumbnail pulled in more views. However, importantly, the CTR number is very, very telling indeed. CTR is clickthrough rates, and YouTube measures this by how many clicks a video gets after showing the thumbnail or the video to 100 people.

The new thumbnail had around 35% more clickability than the original one, and that just plays right into the effectiveness of the color theory basis I laid out before the test. Some of the other metrics are pretty positive, too. That suggests the viewers who came to the video from the new thumbnail stayed longer and interacted with the content more. So, granted, these tests were not too indepth, but they do hint at how color theory is useful to designers or even people just working in business or online.

But until next time guys, design your [music] future today. Peace. [music]