You have worked hard to create your very own company. You are ready to open up for business, but you still do not have a logo.
You want a design that will make people think of what your business does and stands for. You also want a color combination that will get people’s attention and reflect the general vibe of your business.
Every color of the rainbow is supposed to evoke a certain subconscious reaction in people. When you select the colors of your logo, you will want to consider the mood people will need to be in to patronize your business. If you choose the wrong colors, you may turn people off your brand.
Understanding a bit about color psychology and what each color represents to people will help you figure out how to combine colors skillfully.
What is color psychology?
Color psychology focuses on the way that certain hues affect the way people act and their energy levels. It is the reason that some foods and medications are enhanced with artificial colors.
Certain colors are said to evoke amorous feelings in different segments of the population. There are colors that are considered trustworthy and pure.
If a pill is a certain color, it is thought to enhance the effect of the medication inside it. Think about the last time you took a pill that was supposed to enhance your energy. Was it a red or purple color? Red is the color that is most often associated with power.
If you took a pill for sleep, there is a good chance that it was blue. Blue is the color of the ocean and sky and is said to have a calming effect.
Contemporary marketing strategies often involve color psychology. You have probably noticed that products marketed to ladies are often pink in color. Red and yellow are said to make people hungry. Just think of all the logos you have seen that have those colors in them.
Color psychology is nothing new. The ancient Egyptians used colorfully painted rooms to get people to feel a certain way. Ancient Chinese medicine also used colors in healing patients.
Color in Jungian Psychology
Carl Jung was one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century, and many successful advertisers use his research in creating their logos. He believed that colors had a symbolic meaning. He studied the color schemes in mandalas, which are paintings that use various geometric configurations to spiritually guide people and induce trances.
Jung often used art therapy to treat his patients. He believed he could understand their psyche by looking at their color choices. He also discovered that color symbolized something different in every culture of the world.
What Colors to Use on Your Logo
When deciding what colors to use for your company’s logo, you should understand what the primary colors are, what they symbolize, and the kind of things they are used for in various cultures around the world.
What the Primary Colors Represent
The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. They naturally pull people’s attention towards them, and it is always a good idea to use one of these colors in a logo.
All other colors are derived from the primary colors. Jung and other researchers thought each color evoked its own set of emotions.
Red
Simply put, red symbolizes power, passion, and excitement. It evokes intense emotions, and it is said to make people think of war.
In China, it is the color of good luck and is the official color of the communist party. A traditional Chinese wedding will involve a fireworks display with red firecrackers.
In Spain, red is used in flamenco dances and bullfighting. The color red is said to evoke anger in bulls, but this is not true. Bulls are almost completely color blind. Humans simply projected their feelings about that color onto the animals.
Color is often used to catch people’s attention. It was used for phone booths in England so that it would stand out to anyone on the street who might need to make a call. It is also used on buses, and you will always see these vehicles coming if you visit London.
Red is one of the colors in the American flag. It is supposed to symbolize the hardiness and valor of the American Soldier.
Red logos are eye-catching and bold. Target, Netflix, and KFC all use red to stand out and look powerful compared to their competitors.
Yellow
Yellow is the color of the sun, and people associate it with good health, optimism, and confidence. It is an attractive color that many American companies use in their logo as it is close to the color gold. It is associated with ideas as well as idealism.
In China, the color yellow represents worship, and in Japan the sun represents courage. It is considered the most noticeable color on the spectrum.
If it sounds like yellow only represents goodness and purity, you should know that it is almost universally used in danger signs on the road. This is because you have a higher amount of peripheral vision for seeing the color yellow.
In Nazi Germany, Jews were forced to wear yellow stars of David on their clothing. The eye-catching color was used to make them stand out in a crowd.
In the United States, yellow is often associated with fear. A person is considered yellow if they are a coward. The expression comes from the fact that sapsucker birds have a yellow belly and are considered timid.
McDonald’s iconic golden arches are a bright yellow color. Denny’s and Ikea have logos that are yellow. The color is an invitation to come in and hang out in a casual, laid-back atmosphere for a while. McDonald’s gets attention by combining the primary colors of red and yellow together.
Blue
Blue is a color associated with serenity, security, and peace. Ironically, it has also become associated with depression and a general feeling of sadness.
Blue flags were once flown when the captain of a ship had died. In some Asian cultures, people will dye their clothing blue indigo to indicate that they are mourning the dead.
In 18th century England the color blue was associated with alcoholism, and a person was said to have the blue devils if they had hallucinations from alcohol withdrawal. This is where American blues music got its name.
When people see blue, they may have a feeling of the kind of comfort that is associated with healing from sadness. Think of the Blue Cross Blue Shield logo; it contains an image of a figure in a Vitruvian pose secured inside of a cross and a shield with a caduceus.
In the American flag, blue is said to symbolize vigilance, justice, and preservation. It is also considered a symbol of honesty and loyalty. If a person is loyal, they are often called true blue
Attention-Getting Combinations
There are a few different color combinations that work well on a logo. You should generally try to keep logo colors down to two or three. If you make a logo too busy, people will notice it instead of your company.
Blue and Pink
When these two colors are combined on a logo, people who see it will think of a brand that they can trust that is sweet and comforting. Both Taco Bell and Baskin-Robbins use these color combinations in their logos.
Earth Tones with a Touch of Yellow and Green
Green is a color that people associate with springtime and new things. Yellow is associated with the sun and growth, both spiritually and physically. When people see subdued earth tones on a package, it makes them think of something that is life-giving and honest.
These colors would be perfect for the logo of a health food company or a company that makes organic household cleaning products.
Pink, Yellow, and Green
When you see these three colors together, you can’t help but think of candy. And many candy stores have these colors in their logo. It will get people in the mood for something that is simple, sweet, and fun.
Use this combination if you sell products aimed at children or teenagers. This color combination would also be good for a company that sells fashion accessories such as hats, umbrellas, and sunglasses.
Brown, Black, and Beige
These three colors look very elegant together and evoke a feeling of sophistication. When people see them on your logo, they will think of a company that represents good taste and refinement.
This color combination would look great on a beer or whiskey label. It would also make a good logo for a publishing company or a magazine.
How do I design a logo?
You can hire an artist to create a logo, or you can make one yourself. Unless you are an experienced graphic designer, you will want to use an online tool to create your logo. You can find how you can make your own logo by just Googling it.
Your company deserves recognition. Creating an eye-catching logo will help give it the attention it needs.
