A compelling logo design is impossible without colours. Colours play an integral role in it by influencing the emotions and perceptions of your target audience. Furthermore, the colour used in your logo significantly decides how people are going to remember your brand. Therefore, businesses must understand the psychology behind different colours, analyse how colours in a logo impact brand image and recognise the importance of choosing the right colours for a logo.
Colour psychology
Colour psychology studies how colours influence human behaviour and emotions. Different colours induce different feelings, making them powerful assets in branding. Following is the breakdown of some common colours and their psychological influences:
Black
• Association: Sophistication, formality and mystery
• Emotions: Authority, intricacy and power
• Usage: This colour is used to make a timeless logo that promotes elegance and versatility in designs.
Blue
• Association: Peace, reliability and stability
• Emotions: Calmness, professionalism and trust
• Usage: This colour fosters a sense of security and trustworthiness; therefore, often used in corporate sectors and tech industries.
Green
• Association: Health, nature and sustainability
• Emotions: Freshness, growth and serenity
• Usage: This colour is used by such brands that aim to create a sense of wellness, harmony and eco-friendliness.
Purple
• Association: Luxury, royalty and mystery
• Emotions: Ambition, joy and nobility
• Usage: This colour promotes uniqueness; therefore, commonly used by beauty, fashion and luxury brands.
Red
• Association: Love, power and energy
• Emotions: Excitement, passion and urgency
• Usage: It is used to grab attention instantly. This colour is often used in food, entertainment and sports industries.
White
• Association: Innocence, purity and simplicity
• Emotions: Care, clarity and goodness
• Usage: This colour enhances the impact of other colours; thus, used as a complementary colour in logo designs.
Yellow
• Association: Cheerfulness, clarity and creativity
• Emotions: Gratification, positivity and warmth
• Usage: This colour is famously used in the marketing and retail industry to evoke optimistic feelings among the target audience.
Choosing the Right Colour(s) for your Logo
1. Align with your brand identity: Colours used in your logo must align with your brand image. It is crucial to choose colours that reflect well with your brand’s core values and convey actual business objectives. For instance, if your business emphasizes environmental sustainability, green colours might be the right choice.
2. Understand your target audience: Since colours have psychological impacts, it is significant to understand your target audience. Brands need to analyse demographic factors, cultural associations and interest to have a tailored colour selection approach. For instance, vibrant colours can be selected if the target audience is young consumers, while muted tones can be preferred to appeal to older consumers.
3. Limit your colour palette: Brands need to maintain simplicity and coherence; therefore, the colour palette needs to be limited to two or three colours. Using too many colours can create an overwhelming experience, making your logo less appealing and memorable.
4. Be mindful of industry norms: Brands need to be mindful of industry norms to design a relevant logo that withstands the challenge of time. Specific colours are associated with specific industries based on their psychological impacts. For instance, white colour is associated with the medical industry because it fosters a sense of purity and care.
