The Psychology of Colors in the Logo Design Process

You have the power to influence your customer’s subconscious mind.

Seem like science fiction? Most purchases, and decisions on who to work with, happen in the first few moments of the interaction. The subconscious mind has already made most of the decision.

Keep an open mind during the early stages of the brainstorming process.

This is what makes branding and brand design so important. The first step in that process should be color choice. That may seem insignificant but, it is the most important part. Color hooks the subconscious mind.

Here we will walk you through the importance of color in the logo design process. What do the different colors mean? What message you are sending with your color combinations? Let us answer these questions and start you on the correct path to success.

Why Color Choice Is Important in the Logo Design Process

Logo design color is the first step in the design process for good reason. It’s an important decision.

This one thing can make or break a sale. It can encourage a customer to be open to working with you or make them be prone to objection.

So, how do you choose a logo design color? Let’s start with figuring out what different colors mean to the subconscious mind.

The Psychology of Colors

Before you choose your logo design color you need to understand what colors trigger what. Colors can trigger a variety of subconscious reactions. Before starting the branding process, be clear about your business and your customer:

• Who is your ideal target market?
• What is your primary product or service?
• Who are your competitors?
• What will your sales funnel look like?

Answering these questions will make the branding design easier. You’ll be able to cut some options right off the bat. Less choice equals an easier process.

Let’s go through what each of these colors means and how they can affect potential sales.

Blue

The sky. The ocean. Eating blueberries in summer. Blue is the color of relaxation and trust. It is the only color that brings positive subconscious feelings. Blue has no negative drawbacks.

Blue is a great logo color choice for businesses focused on communication and trust. This is why companies like AT&T, Facebook, and Wikipedia have blue logos. It makes people calm, relaxed and trusting.

This gives you a leg up if you will be asking for sensitive information from your customer. It sets them up to want to trust you and your company.

Black

Tuxedos. Nights at the opera. Impressive cocktail parties with passed hors-d’oeuvres. Wealth, sophistication. Black is the color of affluence. It is also the color that represents strength and power.

You’ll find black in the logos of strong and historic companies. The New York Times, Nike, CBS. Black is also found in the branding of high-end fashion lines like Chanel, Gucci, and Prada.

It makes things (and logos) seem chic and worthy of commanding higher prices. Choose black if you plan on offering premium services for an affluent clientele.

Green

Grass. Vegetables. Recycling. Green in business is the color of health, wellness, and peace. You’ll find green in many the meal prep delivery companies logos (Hello Fresh, Green Chef, Home Chef).

You’ll also find green in a lot of grocery store logos. Look at Publix and Whole Foods. Starbucks is another famous green logo.

These trigger a subconscious sense of doing something good for yourself. Green promotes respect and renewal. If you’re starting a yoga practice or a healthy living store, green would be a great choice.

Red

Red can be tricky. It’s a color of heightened, strong emotions. Red denotes love, anger, and impulse. It also stirs feelings of excitement and boldness.

Red makes a good design choice if your target market is younger. It also works if you are more of an impulse buy brand. Notable companies with red logos are Nintendo, Coca-Cola, Target, Pinterest, and Dairy Queen.

They’re associated with fun, youth, and treating yourself. If these are tenets of your business red could be the logo color for you.

White

Doves. Clean countertops. Farmhouse sinks. White is the color of reliability, purity, and trustworthiness. In logo design, white is best used in combination with another color.

Companies like The North Face, Handy, Lego and Fisher-Price sport white logos. Most use a combo of white and blue or white and red.

White adds a fresh feel to your logo. Consider pairing it with another primary logo color to get a design that pops. 

What Role Does Color Play in Brand Design?

Now that you know more about logo color psychology how do you apply it to brand design? This is why you need to have your business model figured out before you build the branding. You must understand your business before you create your brand identity.

Remember the questions we asked you to answer in the beginning? The answers to those questions will help to cut colors right off the bat. Is your target market 45 and older? Red isn’t going to get the job done.

Is your primary product or service a more affordable solution? Black may turn potential customers away. Why? Their subconscious believes it will be an expensive investment.

This lets you know what not to do before you begin. It gives you a leg up on the competition and a subconscious checkmark in the minds of your target consumer.

Details Are What Set Your Business Apart

We know the logo design process can be tricky. The little details that you choose at the beginning are important. They can dictate how successful the business becomes.

There are lots of companies who modify their brand over time. Anytime the business model changes the logo and branding should change with it. If they don’t match you are starting 10 feet behind your competition. The overall logo shouldn’t change drastically, but as time passes and the culture or target audience evolves, tweaking just the color of your logo can be all it takes to convey the right message. 

Apple is a perfect example of this. They are experts at refreshing the brand to match the model. That little apple has been rainbow, silver, white, grey. Each change has brought with it new innovation.

Does this seem overwhelming? Do you think you made the wrong choices in the branding of your business? We are here to help. We have experts in the logo design process who can do this all for you. Contact us here to request a quote for re-branding your business today.