A customer’s first impression of a product or service is inevitably through the logo. No matter the quality of one’s offering, a poorly-designed logo sours that first impression as much as a limp handshake or bad breath.
Anyone serious about promoting a product or service cannot afford to ignore the psychology of color in design. Here are a few facts of which you should be aware in order to make the best first impression you can.
Green
The green of shade trees, public parks and playgrounds is a very popular decorating color right now. Green calms, and evokes our natural environment, making its presence indispensable for anyone marketing an organic or earth-conscious product.
Good health, exercise, nutrition, and the outdoors are all important associations of this color.
Purple
The color of royalty, purple has acquired a strong connection with children’s entertainment. For anyone looking for associations with the world of dreams, and imagination, purple is an essential choice.
It may seem like the ideas of royal power and kids at play are contradictory, but perhaps the image of a king reflects the emotional security we want for all of our children.
Orange
Quick, fiery, active, and energetic, orange is a color of communication. Important messages of caution are marked with the orange of traffic cones and life-vests.
While some find the color too aggressive, if you have a warning that must be seen, or a service that deals with security, orange is the color for you.
Pink
Pink was once considered a masculine color. It is only in the past hundred years that blue has become for boys and pink for girls. However, pink has another important quality.
Jail cells painted pink have been shown to pacify prisoners. Locker rooms painted pink have weakened football teams. Use with caution.
Yellow
Bright like the sun, yellow is considered to be the most luminous color in the spectrum. This is a color of happiness. After all, who hasn’t heard the phrase ‘a sunny disposition?”
Even so, it is also to be used with caution. Too much yellow can really irritate the eyes.
Red
A color of fire and energy, use red when you need to create associations with work, strength, combat, and exertion.
It is a color strongly connected to medicine. Hospitals often marked with the red cross. Because we all need to eat after working hard, it is used in many restaurant logos.
Blue
The most liked color, the blue of skies and peace is also associated with productivity. Think of how many workplaces you have seen where blue predominates.
Weightlifters note an increase in performance when surrounded by blue. Use blue when you need to show how solid, reliable, and hardworking your company is.
Black
Of course, black has sinister associations. However, black also stands for elegance and sophistication–the little black dress, the black luxury sedan.
Use black for these associations, and if you wish to project power, stability, and seriousness.
Grey
Sometimes you don’t need to show anything exciting. Instead, you may wish people to notice the neutrality, impartial, or detached nature of your product or service.
Consider how often computer technology is packaged with greys, and you may see the use of this humble color.
White
Purity, marriage, cleanliness. We like to see white in kitchens and in hospitals. A white shirt is a common feature of male formal wear. A white dress is worn when a bride walks down the aisle. We take our notes and print our reports on white paper.
When cleanliness and purity are important associations, you may want to incorporate white.
These are a number of associations that colors evoke in the mind of the viewer. Take some time to consider them, whether you are presently drafting a logo for your start-up, or if you have an established business that needs a fresh face.
