Logos are designed to be memorable, to stay in the potential customer’s mind so they have a way of identifying a certain brand easily. A big part of this can, undoubtedly, end up being the process of choosing logo colors. Think of Starbuck’s famous green design, or Coca-Cola’s signature red. These colors resonate worldwide and are easily associated with the company.
To really grasp the importance of color, simply imagine changing the color of your favorite brands’ logo. Weird, right? So, how can you make sure you’re picking the right logo color to represent your brand?
Understanding the Meaning of Colors
Different colors can mean different things – both subconsciously and consciously. Yellow may evoke a sense of optimism to your customers, while blue may be more of a calm feeling. Playing with these feelings in the best possible way can prove a very smart choice, and your choice can end up communicating a lot about your brand.
Color is the first thing a customer will notice from your logo, so here’s a little guide into your options to help you in choosing logo colors.
Red
Used by companies like Coca Cola, red alludes to energy, excitement and passion. Companies that use red are often assumed to be bold and thrilling. 38% of Forbes most valuable brands use red in their logo – often because it is more likely to lead to action on the behalf of customers.
Orange
Companies such as Nickelodeon and Fanta use the color orange to emphasize joy and friendliness.
Green
Some pretty famous logos are green: think Starbucks, Spotify or Subway. Which is unsurprising once you learn that green is likely to be associated with growth, and freshness.
Black
Black logos are a sophisticated bunch, including the BBC and the Hilton. The logos bring about a notion of authority and luxury.
Blue
Blue emphasizes security, strength and trustworthiness, which is probably why companies such as Facebook, Visa and Ford have adopted the color for their brands.
Yellow
McDonalds, Ikea, and Shell have all gone for the color yellow – which is represents confidence, innovation, logic, and optimism.
Purple
Purple is the color for the imaginative brands, such as Yahoo. It’s can also be associated with luxury and elegance, as is the case with Cadbury.
Multicolor
Multi-color logos, think Google or NBC, are boundless and bold. They can also allude to a playful nature.[
What should I know before picking a color?
But before choosing logo colors – there’s a couple of things you should consider. For starters, logo color isn’t everything. Make sure your design works in black and white, before adding in the color. Your design will often have to work without the color, so you shouldn’t rely too heavily on it.
Secondly, if you’re going to combine colors, make sure you do your research to check that they complement each other. A bad combination may reflect on your brand and make it seem less professional than it is. Be careful and purposeful with your color choices.
Finally, it is always an option to let the designer choose certain colors for your brand. If you’ve created a coherent briefing that sheds light into your brand’s personality, goals and unique aspects – they may be the most experienced in making this choice for you. Designers should know all about color, their meanings, and color combinations. So, when in doubt – let them take the lead. In the end, you can always ask for modifications.
Time For Choosing Logo Colors That Make an Impact
Hopefully, you’re ready to pick the logo color that will represent your brand, or maybe make a change with all this new information. Whether you’ve chosen a color or not, DesignBro’s experienced and professional designers are ready to make your logo work and become a success. They’re extensive knowledge of color choice is sure to come in handy when getting your logo design. If you’re ready to get going, simply start your project today, and within days you’ll have the logo design you need.
Besides having grown up in the design Industry, Christiaan has advised some of the world’s largest companies on their branding & packaging designs. Has been the resident judge for design awards, and has spoken at numerous global design & marketing events. Christiaan founded the London office of the award-winning Cartils agency, and has founded the DesignBro.com platform.