<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">After five years, I've decided it's time to revamp <a href="http://judythemorgan.com" target="_blank">my website</a>.</span></span>

<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Branding has been a big component of my thought process as I work with a web designer to create an updated site.</span></span>

<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">I’ve written several popular blogs on the topic. You can check out the three part series (1) </span><a href="http://wp.me/p1tg5L-Lu" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;font-size:medium;">here</span></a><span style="font-size:medium;"> or (2) </span><a href="http://wp.me/p1tg5L-M0%20" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;font-size:medium;">here</span></a><span style="font-size:medium;"> or (3) </span><a href="http://wp.me/p1tg5L-Me%20" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;font-size:medium;">here</span></a><span style="font-size:medium;"> and another </span><a href="http://wp.me/p1tg5L-5r" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;font-size:medium;">here</span></a><span style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span>

<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">I thought I had a good handle on branding until the designer asked me a basic question. What color scheme do I want? </span></span>

<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Now, I’m thinking lots about color. </span></span>

<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Research shows </span></span>
<ul>
	<li><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Strong color elicits strong visceral responses. For example, red is energizing, blue affects introspection, and golden light inspires the spiritual or enlightened.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Using colors can set up an audience or a reader to anticipate particular actions and/or things.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Ever notice how movie producers employ color to set the viewer’s expectations. Gwyneth Paltrow’s bedspread in <em><span style="font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';">Shakespeare in Love</span></em> and Nick Cage’s bedspread in <em><span style="font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';">Moonstruck</span></em> were a hot orange-red...a color which suggests heat and activity. And, guess what - lots of lusty activity happened on those orange-red bedspreads.</span></span><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span>

<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Colors do symbolize and, either blatantly or subtly, enhance the mood of the reader or viewer. </span></span></span></span>

<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Suddenly, c</span></span></span></span><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">olor became be a critical component for my new brand. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">I searched and found a </span><a href="http://bit.ly/1geAImj"><span style="color:#0000ff;font-size:medium;">color symbolism chart</span></a><span style="font-size:medium;"> on a fascinating website. </span></span>

<span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;">Only trouble is, with all that knowledge, <span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;">I'm having a hard time deciding w</span></span><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">hat color would make a viewer think of women's fiction with romance and literary flair?</span></span>

<span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Here's the list. You'll see what I mean.</span></span>

<address><b><span style="color:#555555;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"><span style="color:#ff0000;font-size:12pt;">Red</span>:</span></b><span style="color:#555555;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate, sincerity, happiness (Only in Japan)</span></address><address> </address><address><span style="color:#ff99cc;"><b><span style="font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Pink </span></b></span><span style="color:#555555;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;">symbolizes love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.</span></address><address> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><b><span style="line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Beige and ivory</span></b></span><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> symbolize unification. Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity.</span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><span style="color:#ffff00;"><b><span style="line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Yellow</span></b></span><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> signifies joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.</span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><span style="color:#0000ff;"><b><span style="line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Blue:</span></b></span><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.</span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><span style="color:#00ffff;"><b><span style="line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Turquoise</span></b></span><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> symbolizes calm. Teal symbolizes sophistication. Aquamarine symbolizes water. Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal.</span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><b><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;"><span style="color:#800080;">Purple</span>:</span></b><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, honor, arrogance, mourning, temperance.</span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><span style="color:#cc99ff;"><b><span style="line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Lavender</span></b></span><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> symbolizes femininity, grace and elegance.</span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><b><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Orange</span>:</span></b><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.<b> </b></span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address><span style="color:#339966;"><b><span style="line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Green:</span></b></span><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.<b> </b></span></address><address> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><span style="color:#993366;"><b><span style="line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Brown:</span></b></span><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.</span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><span style="color:#808080;"><b><span style="line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Gray:</span></b></span><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.</span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><b><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">White</span>:</span></b><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical.</span></address><address style="line-height:140%;"> </address><address style="line-height:140%;"><b><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:12pt;">Black:</span></b><span style="color:#555555;line-height:140%;font-family:'Verdana', 'sans-serif';font-size:9pt;"> Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, death (Western cultures), austerity, detachment.</span></address>
<p style="line-height:140%;"><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;">So what colors would you choose?</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%;"><span style="color:#444444;font-family:'Helvetica', 'sans-serif';"><span style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p>