Do you remember in the early 2000s when you were able to purchase purple and green Heinz ketchup? Many consumers felt differently toward it. Suddenly, the number one dip of choice for fries, fingers and grilled cheese was no longer appealing. Although it tasted the same as the red stuff it was viewed differently based on its colour.
This is because there is psychology behind colour—and—it doesn’t stop at what we eat. People judge companies based on the colours of their logo as well. Branding agencies recognize this and will use the psychology of colour when designing a logo to assist in manipulating the way a company’s branding is perceived in the marketplace.
In this 2 minute read, I’ve packed information on the psychology of colour and how it works with branding, so you can choose logo colours that evoke positive emotion and influence purchase decisions among your customer and client base:
1. Which colours represent what feelings
Have you ever wondered why a high number of financial institutions have blue in their logo and many fast food establishments have red? This is by design of course. Certain colours unveil different feelings through psychology. When we see the colour blue, deep down we feel trust. While on the other hand when we see red, we’re more likely to feel a sense of hunger. Graphic designers who play on the colour psychology when designing logos will strengthen feelings harvested toward a brand at sometimes, the very first touch point—the company logo.
2. Which colours are common in what industries
As humans, we associate certain colours with specific industries. Within 90 seconds of viewing a company logo, we have already formed an opinion on the business and 90% of this judgment is based on the colour(s) of the company logo. It’s important to know which colours are common in which industries when choosing colours for your company’s logo. Your goal with your company logo should be to make a lasting impression.
3. Choosing a colour palette that works across the board
Now that you have an idea of the colours(s) you wish to use in your company logo with your newfound knowledge, what’s next?
There are three colour spaces you should be aware of for logo design:
RGB (Web)
CMYK (Print)
PMS (Print)
All of these colour spaces should be used when creating a logo for your company.
The catch? There are far more RGB colour options than CMYK and even less options when it comes to PMS. You want to select colours that can be translated across all three colour spaces, which limits the number of colours you can work with to 3,049 at the time of this writing.
4. Combining colours
Have you ever heard of the colour wheel? There are different colour schemes you can choose from:
Analogous:
Three colours next to each other on the colour wheel with one dominant colour (usually a primary or secondary colour)
Monochromatic:
Three colours that are variations of one colour
Triad:
Form a triangle on the colour wheel that are equally distant from one another
Complementary:
Are colours that are on opposite sides of the colour wheel
Rule of thumb? Don’t use more than three colours for a logo design. I would highly recommend checking out Adobe Color (formerly Adobe Kuler) so you can visually see which colours work with the colour schemes listed above here.
Note: Colours have different feelings around the globe. This article was written based on colours that are North American focused.
Hopefully you’re able to take the colour of psychology and choose colours for your company logo wisely.
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