Color Psychology - Logo Design

When we see colors, we connect with them instantly on a subliminal level. No one can be sure if our reactions are the result of our very human nature or if they are shaped by our socialization, but the reactions are very real. The human mind is hardwired to respond to color.

Marketing experts know about that powerful connection between consumers and color. They’ve done a great deal of research using carefully controlled experiments and have decided that color does have a big role in forming people’s perceptions of products and logos. That research is confirmed by real world actions, too. Companies have found that changing a logo’s color scheme even a little bit can have a giant impact on sales.

When we see colors, we react right away. It happens faster than we can read a single word. In fact, the mind makes color connections and forms opinions before the conscious mind even knows what we are looking at!

A logo is the most repeated and frequently displayed symbol of your business. It’s on your letterhead, your website, business cards, products and more. It’s your “brand” and it’s an inseparable part of your business.

When you think about how important your logo is and consider the power of colors, it’s pretty obvious that color psychology should be a big part of logo design. If you overlook the color choices in your logo, you might be “turning off” possible customers instead of attracting new buyers.

Using color psychology to your advantage isn’t easy. You can look at a simple chart that lists common colors and explains what they tend to represent--one is even included with this article just to give you some ideas. Doing that, however, really only scratches the surface of what color psychology is all about.

An effective logo designer will go beyond those simple color connections. He or she can take that information and combine it with knowledge of negative color connotations. A logo design specialist will also understand how people react to different combinations of colors and will be able to merge the messages of color psychology with great design skills. The result will be a logo that is both memorable and optimized for color use.

Today, many of us are in love with the “do it yourself” plan. We think that if we do a little research and work hard, we can do things just as effectively as can a professional. That might be true in some cases, but logo design is a perfect example of when we really need an expert’s help.

Logo experts understand design. They recognize the power of various forms and can create logos that communicate the nature of a company instantly. They have special skills and knowledge that helps them produce winning logos that look a lot better than our amateur creations.

The wise use of color psychology is a perfect example of how the talents and knowledge of a professional logo creator can make a lot of difference. A good designer will know how to choose colors to communicate a client's message effectively without risking the mistakes "do it yourselfers” often commit.

If you are in the market for a logo, consult with a talented logo expert who can use the science of color psychology to your advantage!

Color Psychology Basics

Here are some of the most frequently used colors and the positive messages they communicate. As noted, this basic chart isn’t comprehensive. It doesn’t list negative associations and it doesn’t discuss the best ways to combine colors. However, it is an interesting introduction to color psychology

BLACK: Mystery, secrecy, tradition.
BLUE: Power, calmness, success, trustworthiness.
BROWN: Earth and nature, simplicity, seriousness.
GREEN: Harmony, health and healing, nature and animals, money.
ORANGE: Affordability, fun, youth, creativity, celebration.
PURPLE: Fantasy and dreams, justice, royalty.
RED:Excitement, action, adventure, love, passion, food.
WHITE: Simplicity, cleanliness, innocence.
YELLOW: Cheerfulness, playfulness, curiosity, amusement.