Ordinarily, when your brand idea is in the beginning stages of creation, you may put a good amount of thought into what colors you want to bring your brand to life. Perhaps you have a favorite color or have always felt as if two or three particular colors next to each other are aesthetically pleasing. While these may be solid lines of thought, when choosing colors for your logo, the warm feelings your favorite color bring you may send the wrong message to your targeted audience. In fact, studies suggest that people make a subconscious judgment about a product within 90 seconds of initial viewing, with 90 percent of this assessment based on color alone. You may not even be aware of it, but colors are affecting your perception of a company the second you see their logo.
Before you begin to decide what colors are best for your brand, you must first make sure you are aware of a few key considerations. It is essential to think of your brand colors as one of the most cost-effective ways to make a lasting impression on your potential client. Think about it, when you see yellow and red together, most people will either immediately think of the ketchup and mustard dynamic duo or the fast food giant, McDonald’s. Equally important is jogging your brain for that color theory knowledge we all learned in grade school. Hubspot provided us with an appropriate starting point when choosing colors by explaining the primary colors, secondary colors and tertiary colors. Pick a color that you love, then from there you should refer to a color wheel to find similar and complementary shades; though it’s an essential rule of thumb to stay within monochromatic colors of the same hue. Don’t be discouraged if you do not consider yourself to be a person with an eye for color, when you follow these simple steps, you will find yourself at a phenomenal starting point!
Aside from how to pick your colors, the actual colors you choose have an impact on the people from whom you’re hoping to earn business. Have you ever noticed that some colors can elicit emotions that others do not? You aren’t alone, this phenomenon has been studied on numerous occasions by intellectual powerhouses around the world. Red grabs your attention and evokes passion, blue portrays trustworthiness and security, black boasts sophistication and prestige; the list goes on. If you think about some of the top brands with recognizable logos, it’s not hard to understand what they were trying to portray when designing it. Green is often associated with health, serenity and prestige, so it’s no surprise Starbucks turned to it when starting their upscale coffee house. While simple, the black, grey or white partially eaten apple of Apple symbolizes luxury; it’s also worth noting black is particularly successful in selling expensive products. Pink is associated with feminine traits, so it became Barbie’s signature color to capture the attention of their intended consumers. All three of these companies made very educated decisions in their logo. When choosing a color scheme, focus on your target audience, establish what you’re trying to instill in them about your product or business, and then consider what colors will fit that description.
Colors in logos will increase brand recognition by 80 percent, but there is also a balance in understanding where to draw the line. Use too many colors and you’ll have viewers desperate to exit your landing page before they even have a chance to learn about you. A whopping 95 percent of brands use one or two colors in their logo, and graphic designers warn you should never use more than three, as an onslaught of color can stress out or confuse your audience. Experts also advise brands to usually steer clear of particularly bright shades, which can be hard on the eyes. Always start in black and white, because if it doesn’t look good in black and white, it definitely won’t look good in a bolder color. Mess around with different combinations, while blue may seem like the perfect fit in your head, it may not actually translate onto the image.
At EMB, logo design is a crucial component of our overall marketing services plan. Our team of trained graphic designers works with you every step of the way to bring your vision to life while also offering their expertise. We also encourage you to check out this brilliant logo design guide for seven tips moving into 2019.
