Color Psychology: What Your Logo Says About You
How do these logos make you feel? What words come to mind when you look at them?
You may have noticed that these companies have no written cues in the logo, but they can still communicate a message using only imagery and color. Some words you came up with for the first logo (Spotify) may be similar to “calming, safe, restful.” For McDonald’s, maybe you thought of “bright, vibrant, hungry, affordable.” For Apple, you might have associated it with “clean, expensive, modern.”
This is because of something called Color Psychology. All sorts of factors decide how you feel when you look at a specific color: the culture you were raised in, recognizable imagery, and even the century you were born (for example: did you know that pink used to be associated with baby boys, and blue was associated with baby girls?)
We emphasize color choices in branding because we know that color can play a huge part in communicating feelings. And feelings have a lot to do with your brand. Choosing your color palette is a crucial element of brand strategy. The instant someone sees your logo, they are making an emotional connection - most times unknowingly. They are associating your brand with their experiences. If you don’t put intention into your design choices, there’s no way to influence whether that will be a positive or negative association.
But instead of getting lost going down the rabbit hole of color theory and trying to figure out whether pink really helps calm inmates in prison or whether too much yellow makes babies cry… let’s leave that to the experts and keep things simple. We’re here to discover your unique message and figure out how to effectively communicate it.
Take a minute to ask yourself some questions. (Write down your answers for the best results!)
What are your company’s values?
What emotions do you want someone to feel about your brand?
What’s the message your brand wants to send?
Take a minute to compare your responses to the chart below and take note of any parallels. Several colors might resonate with you, but that doesn’t mean you must incorporate each of them into your logo. Start with one or two primary colors and build from there.
Think of this chart as a launching pad, not a cap on your creativity. Within these colors, there are a million and one different hues to experiment with. You can choose a theme and lean into neutrals or pastels, a complimentary or monochromatic scheme, or bright neon accents.
When Hive Creative Group was still in the early stages of development, we carefully considered how we wanted to come across as a brand. We chose a hot pink and bright orange to make up the main pieces of our logo, with a turquoise accent color and neutral gray tones for balance. Orange represents confidence, energy, and vibrance. Pink is for creativity, warmth, and femininity.
So, what colors align with your message? If you already have a logo and a brand identity, are they efficiently communicating the unique value that your company offers? How can you use color to highlight your best qualities?
For those without pre-existing brand identities (or those looking for a re-vamp), we’re here to help. Check out our branding portfolio for previous work! We’d love to chat about how we can help you bring out your best!
