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Effective Colors For Your Brand Logo

logos, different design of logos, different colors of logo

According to neurologist Antonio Damasio, customers’ feelings towards a brand have more influence than their thoughts. Various colors elicit specific emotions, and your brand colors have the power to influence your sales or performance even more than the items you provide.

Color can spark people’s curiosity and engage their emotions. When creating a brand identity and brand assets such as a logo, this is exceptionally crucial. Furthermore, using the same hue repeatedly might help to raise brand recognition. When was the last time you saw a Coke can in color other than red or a Twitter bird in a color other than sky blue? Colors get associated with a brand after enough exposure. Therefore, you want to foster this connection by utilizing your brand colors regularly.

It might be challenging to choose the appropriate color combinations. Color theory is a science that will make choosing your brand colors a lot easier.

Color combinations color wheel, variation of colors

When it comes to picking your logo colors, the color theory wheel is the ideal place to start. Warm colors (red, yellow, orange) are on the left side of the color wheel, while cool colors (blue, green, and purple) are on the right. The key to effective design is understanding the connection between colors and how they interact on the color wheel.

Complementary color pairings are colors on the opposite sides of the color wheel. The contrast between these two hues creates high-impact, legible brand designs.

Analogous color combinations are two to five colors on the color wheel that are next to each other. These colors are known for their ability to bring forth a sense of harmony and balance. In nature, analogous color schemes are typical, with one shade dominating and the others supporting its depth.

Triadic color combinations are rich and vivid. If you want a vibrant three-color palette, use the triadic color theory. Draw a triangle on the color wheel, and you’ll get three equally spread colors.

Brand Design Standards 

McDonalds logoDesigning a logo is a difficult task. You want a logo to be unique and stand out from the crowd. On the other hand, people want you to adhere to the design principles that govern your sector. Have you noticed that the most popular color in the restaurant business is red? This is because red is a vibrant hue that generates feelings of enthusiasm, vigor, and hunger.

Blue is the most popular hue for the IT, financial, and communications industries because it represents confidence and security. Green is a common choice for eco-friendly companies, while purple is a popular choice for luxurious or imaginative items. Luxury brands choose black, whereas yellow is excellent for products that promote confidence and optimism.

As a beginning point for your ideas, look to industry norms. It’s good to be unique, but it should never happen by chance. Make deliberate branding decisions that add to your story if you wish to deviate from the standard.

Brand Personality and Values

FedEx logo, FedEx van, logo on van

You wouldn’t usually judge a book by its cover. However, when it comes to logos, it’s best to start with the basics. You may affect a viewer’s visceral reaction by using colors with powerful connotations. To explain your brand’s personality, make a list of qualities, emotions, and action phrases. Is your company well-known? Traditional? Upbeat? Playful? Trendy? Edgy? Innovative? Sophisticated? Quirky?

When you consider your brand’s principles, what colors come to mind? Do you have more than one color in mind? Colors that work well together visually and branding are the ideal foundation for a logo color scheme.

Take a look at the logo for Dunkin’ Donuts for ideas. It combines orange’s warmth and friendliness with pink’s pleasant, joyful vibe. The overall design is cheerful and lively since both hues are taken from red. The final touches of brown harken back to the earthiness and warmth of freshly ground coffee and baked foods.

Brand Standing

Oreo logoColor choices make a statement of where you stand in the business compared to other companies. For instance, two companies might sell comparable goods but have little else in common.

Consider the contrasts between Subway and Panera Bread, two sandwich shops. Green is used in both designs to signify fresh, dependable food. The yellow of the Subway emblem, on the other hand, emphasizes the brand’s quick service and fun marketing. When you consider the whole picture, Subway is correctly depicted as a lively, fresh, and inexpensive eatery.

The Panera Bread logo’s green and beige color scheme takes a distinct approach. The earthy color scheme evokes a welcoming, healthy eatery with fresh bread and organic ingredients.

Color Fundamentals

Mozilla Firefox logo

Monochromatic Color Palettes

Color variations from the same base hue are used in a monochromatic color scheme. To alter the color of anything, you can utilize one of three methods. A tint is created by adding white, whereas a shade is created by adding black. A tone was made by mixing several shades of gray with a color.

Examples: Animal Planet, Oreo, and Willy Wonka Candy Co. 

Primary Color Palettes

All colors are built on the foundation of red, yellow, and blue. Try using white to break up the vivid, saturated colors or restricting one color to a limited area. You may also go with only two colors instead of the whole trio.

Examples: Burger King, Ikea, McDonald’s, and Pepsi 

Secondary and Tertiary Color Palettes

Primary colors are usually blended into other hues to create secondary colors. Tertiary colors are created by combining the primary color with a secondary color that is close by. Red and orange, for example, make red-orange, whereas yellow and orange make yellow-orange. Secondary and tertiary colors, like primary colors, are uniformly dispersed across the color wheel. As a result, they provide visual equilibrium.

Example: Phoenix Suns, FedEx, and Slack

Complementary Color Palettes 

Have you ever marvel why the most popular Christmas colors are red and green? They work well together. On the color wheel, complementary colors are the opposite: blue and orange, yellow and purple. All have a warm and cool hue combination, which satisfies our innate craving for contrast.

Examples: Mountain Dew, Taco Bell, and Mozilla Firefox

Analogous Color Palettes

Do you want to see less contrast? A color combined with two (or four) neighboring colors in an analogous pattern. Assume you began with yellow-green. Yellow and green, like in the BP logo, are the two adjacent hues. For gradient logos, analogous color schemes are a common choice.

Examples: BP, Instagram, and Mastercard 

Changing a color’s tone and saturation might help you customize a palette to match your brand. Do you want to be daring? Increase the contrast and saturation of your image. Do you prefer a more conservative appearance? Reduce the number of colors used or their intensity.

Logo Style

Instagram logo

Allow your logo’s style to decide how much or how little color you employ. A single color can have a significant impact on a minimalist logo, whereas mascots and shields are frequently detailed. Maintain the design’s readability as much as possible.

Consider how you’ll use color to break up the pattern. Brands like NBC and Google demonstrate that you can mix and match colors.

The possibilities for color combinations are limitless. It’s up to you to come up with a color scheme that conveys a strong message about your company.

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