The choice of color is one of the most important decisions in logo design and brand identity. The era when color simply had aesthetic value is over – now, many studies in consumer psychology have revealed the great influence of color in expressing personality and conveying brand messages, as well as impacting the thoughts, perceptions and behavior of customers:
- 84.7% of consumers say they chose to buy a product because color is the prime reason.
- 80% of consumers believe that color improves brand recognition.
- Somewhere between 62% and 90% of a consumer’s initial impression of a product or brand is derived from color alone.
- Color can increase brand recognition by 73%, advertising recall by 68%, and learning abilities by 40%.
So what is the meaning of color in logo design – have you and your brand truly understood it?
Red Logo Design
Perhaps due to its striking prominence and undeniable allure, red is one of the most widely used colors in logo design with various different shades. Red can evoke the powerful dynamism and passionate vigor of youth, the romantic and seductive passion of love, or even a sense of urgency and danger in certain cases.
Many studies have shown that red is capable of directly causing physiological changes in viewers, making this color suitable for certain distinctive industries. The red hue has a very strong appetite-stimulating effect, so you will often see restaurants using red extensively in their brand designs like logos, food packaging, and store decor. This principle is also thoroughly applied to many other food brands such as Coca-Cola, Sriracha sauce, or Kellogg’s cereals.
Moreover, red also has the effect of accelerating the viewer’s heart rate. In the case of news agencies like BBC and CNN, this can create a sense of urgency to emphasize the immediacy of breaking news, making the use of red in logos quite popular. For the entertainment industry, the heart rate-accelerating effect of red is used to excite viewers, typically seen in video game publisher Nintendo and online movie streaming service Netflix with their simple yet striking word logos.
Yellow Logo Design
Being the color of the sun, yellow radiates a warm, positive energy that is bright and soothing, creating a pleasant and approachable feeling, while still being hard to overlook amidst a multitude of other colors. Similar to red, yellow also has the ability to stimulate the appetite and eating speed, making it a particularly favored combination for fast food restaurants like McDonald’s or Lotteria. Additionally, some studies suggest that yellow can enhance cognitive processing in the brain – which is why yellow is also associated with creativity or superior thinking.
However, different shades of yellow can evoke completely distinct connotations. The yellow in McDonald’s familiar logo conveys a sense of cheerfulness, family-friendliness and child-appeal, but for logos like IMDB or UPS, the metallic golden hue – especially when combined with black or brown – implicitly represents maturity as well as prestige or even a touch of elegance in certain cases.
Blue Logo Design
Blue can be considered the king of colors in logo design, as over half of the world’s logos feature this shade. This is particularly common among large corporations, as blue seems to embody the brand personalities that most of these companies strive for. While service companies favor blue for the professionalism it conveys, machinery and equipment manufacturers focus on the reliability and robustness it represents. Many technology brands like Dell, IBM, or Intel also use a lot of blue in their branding to convey messages about the intelligence and trustworthiness of their products. Additionally, blue is closely associated with the image of power and success – which is why it is often chosen by financial institutions or government agencies for their logo designs.
Moreover, similar to green, blue falls within the range of natural colors – linked to water, the sky, the ocean, and all that is pure and serene. Therefore, this shade of blue is also a decent choice for purified water products or brands that emphasize honesty, gentleness, and tranquility as their core values.
Green Logo Design
Unlike the colors above, green (the color of leaves) is not strongly associated with brand personalities such as the power of red, the warmth of yellow, or the professionalism of blue. However, green carries very distinctive connotations, mainly related to the environment and finance.
The connection between green and environmental waves is becoming increasingly strong – to the point where “green” has become an adjective referring to environmentally-friendly activities or lifestyles beneficial for health, as the color of leaves is often used in relation to nature or fertility. Therefore, this serene, cool shade of green is commonly an essential part of brand identities for organic, fresh products derived from nature that are eco-friendly and healthy.
Moreover, green is also frequently used in finance and monetary-related activities, due to its direct association with the predominant color used in the American monetary system.
Purple Logo Design
Elegant, unique, distinctive and truly eye-catching – that’s what a purple logo design conveys. Most familiar is perhaps the deep, rich shade of purple that exudes an aura of royalty, nobility and a touch of mystery, especially well-suited for positioning luxury, high-end product brands. On the other hand, a brighter, more vibrant purple hue carries connotations of wisdom and boundless creative imagination.
Orange Logo Design
Not lacking in vibrancy compared to red or yellow, orange is also commonly used in logo designs and brand identities that aim to convey a more friendly, approachable, enthusiastic, confident, cheerful, and playful feeling, and above all: always brimming with energy.
Neutral Color Logo Design: Black, White, Gray
Black is the quintessential color of sophistication and refinement, with a touch of mystery and powerful yet elegant authority. White symbolizes purity, innocence, clarity and simplicity – and makes the perfect contrasting backdrop for black to shine. Standing between these two extremes, gray seems to take on a bit from both sides to become the color iconic of sleek, modern minimalist designs, particularly exuding more prestige and class when a silver sheen is added – which is also why the silvery gray shade is highly favored by automotive brands.
Conclusion
It’s evident that color is an essential part of logo design and brand identity, with significant impacts on consumer psychology. Choosing the right colors that best match a brand’s personality and positioning for the logo is the crucial first step towards building a strong, enduring brand.
Do you have any other questions about logo design and branding? Feel free to contact us so XDevLabs can provide consultation to help you and your brand!