Color plays a huge role in logo design and not just in regards to the aesthetic but also in regards to psychology. You see colors invoke emotions and feeling they also reflect purpose and meaning. You might say that the colors you use in your logo have more of an impact than the shapes or design your use.
So, no matter which way you design your logo, through a logo maker or with a logo designer, you should be aware of how the colors you use have a massive impact on how your logo is received.
Importance of color in logo design
1. Red
Red is the color to choose if you want to evoke the feelings of excitement and warmth in your target demographic. It’s also considered a sexy color which is why some of the biggest brands in the world use it in their designs. For instance, Coca-Cola uses red to portray its beverages as energetic drinks.
You can use red to instill a feeling of urgency in the people as well, as Target does to push the visitors to buy more and more products from its stores.
2. Blue
If you have read any of the books for logo designers, then you may know that blue is one of the most popular colors in logos because it reflects trust, credibility, and reliance.
Just like you get a sense of peace and calm when you look at a blue sky or a vast blue ocean, your subconscious mind registers a blue-colored logo as something that can give you comfort. You also find it easier to trust something when it’s blue compared to other colors. There are many good logo examples to consider this which include HP, PayPal, Visa, etc.
3. Purple
The color purple is linked with royalty and wealth and there is an actual story to back it which you can read here. However, the short version of that is the dye that was used to color clothes and other items purple was originally quite expensive and rare. Even though today purple is as cheap as other colors, our minds apparently continue to associate it with luxury and lavishness.
Apart from reflecting royalty, purple is also widely used for attributes like wisdom, creativity, and mystery. Some of the popular logos that use it include Yahoo!, FedEx, Hallmark, and Twitch.
4. Black
Black is the color of authority, formality, and class. Brands that use this color in their logos usually just want to tell others that they mean business. You can also use it in your designs to showcase yourself as a mysterious entity or to signify simplicity. The best part about it is that it can be used with just about any other color- green, red, yellow, etc.
5. Green
As you might have guessed, green is the color of nature and growth. It’s widely used by “eco-friendly” and “organic” brands such as Whole Foods, Starbucks, etc. However, there are brands that have pulled it off even when they belong to different domains viz. Nvidea, Acer, Land Rover, etc.
6. Orange
Orange is a vibrant and positive color. Since it also exudes confidence, brands often used it to attract customers. A good logo to evaluate is Nickelodeon as it used orange to grab the attention of young kids. The color has also been used by top brands like Penguin, Home Depot, Etsy, etc.
Conclusion
As you can see, different colors carry different emotions. So, brands can, and many actually do use the psychology of color as a competitive advantage. The key is picking the colors that speak the language of a particular brand and keeping the variety to a maximum of 3 in a single design.
