The psychology of packaging design
- Katja Wagner
- Apr 27
- 2 min read
Why blue doesn't taste good.
Did you know that 90% of the spontaneous assessment of a brand is based on its color scheme?
What actually happens in the brain when we pick up packaging at the POS? More than we realize – colors activate neural responses, influence emotions, and guide decisions.
The neuropsychology of color is an important tool in packaging design. And some things seem so obvious – yet are so often overlooked.
Therefore:
Here is a short color journey through the brain – with concrete learnings for food packaging:
🔴 Red increases heart rate and blood pressure and has an activating and appetite-stimulating effect
👉 Ideal for high-energy or intensely spiced products
🟡 Yellow stimulates the dopamine system and awakens curiosity, optimism and good mood.
👉 Works well for playful children's products or impulse purchases
🟠 Orange combines the activation of red with the warmth of yellow—the limbic system responds with openness and appetite. Associated with fruit in all languages, it is also associated with refreshment, aroma, and sweetness.
👉 Perfect for comfort food or social products.
👉 And of course for everything that should be associated with orange flavor.
⚪ White calms the brain by reducing visual stimuli and represents purity, simplicity & security.
👉 Ideal for brands that focus on transparency, naturalness or minimalism – e.g., dairy products or clean label concepts.
👉 Caution: If used incorrectly, white can also have the exact opposite effect and be associated with cheap retail brands.
🟢 Green calms the nervous system and is associated with peace, nature, health and security.
👉 Best choice for organic, vegan or sustainable food.
🔵 Blue lowers the heart rate—and the appetite. The color is rarely found in foods in nature and appears cool and tasteless.
👉 Therefore goes wonderfully with light products or water, but not with luxury products.
Conclusion:
Even if these are general effects that don't apply to everyone, it helps to use colors strategically to reach not only the eye but also the subconscious.
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#integritydesignhamburg #brandtransformation #BrandStrategy #PackagingDesign # Neuromarketing
LinkedIn Post: April 23, 2025 by Katja Wagner
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