The significance of packaging colors on consumers buying decisions and measurement of graphic design students awareness on this issue

In the research, the effects of the colors used in package design on consumers and the awareness of graphic design students on the issue are analyzed. The part in which packaging, package design and the effects of colors on consumer?s buying decisions are explained in detail constitutes the theoretical background of the research. Packaging is discussed under five subtitles which are functions of packaging, elements of packaging, the psychological effects of colors on consumer behavior, buying decision process of consumers, and the relation between color of package and consumers? buying decision.Packages are among thousands of products struggling to attract attention, in the same environment with their rivals and in an environment where the costumers in a rush take a look at them for a few seconds or never look. In this competitive environment, packages are obliged to impress consumers affectively. Apart from this, they serve for selling the product inside them. In the process of package design, the choice of color is at least as important as the other elements of design. Successful graphic design students should realize that package is the product itself on consumers? part and choose the colors they use in the illustrations of packages they design keeping these concerns in mind.In accordance with all this information, graphic design students? knowledge of chromatics and the graduates? opinions on the importance of the issue are analyzed in the research.In the light of the findings obtained in the research;It is found out that there are students who don?t know the story of how colors are formed. It is also seen that while these same students mostly answered the questions about primary and secondary colors and the contrast of warm and cool correctly, when they were asked to state seven color contrasts, almost all of them answered incorrectly.When the answers of the question - given the certain groups of products which colors do you prefer for that product? ? were analyzed, it was seen that most of the participants choose the colors according to the content of the products.Contrary to the students, graduates believe that fashionable colors shouldn?t be used in packaging. The graduates stated that the education they got in the school is not satisfactory, they improve their knowledge of chromatics after graduation and the knowledge of color is absolutely useful for package design.In accordance with the findings, it was found out that knowledge of chromatics that the students have is not enough for package design and participants improve their skills in the sector after graduation.Keywords: Graphic, Graphic Design, Packaging, Color, Consumer, Physiological effects of colors