Everyone has a favorite color. For some there are personal reasons, for others, it is just what color works best with the shade of their eyes on a certain day. Sometimes it’s a simple question asked on a first date or an answer to a questionnaire on an online survey. The point is, more than likely you have an emotional attachment to your preferred color choice. However, that favorite color may not always be the best choice to use when designing a logo and establishing a brand. What if you’re painting a nursery and want a serene, peaceful environment for your little one, a bright, vibrant red may not be the ideal choice.
Color generates an emotional response and triggers those feelings without you realizing it. We often use color to depict our feelings. How many of us have ever felt blue, turned green, blacked out, or seen red in a day-to-day basis? While the psychology of color theory is a broad spectrum , there is a general scope of emotions tied to what we see. A few examples are below:
Red: passion, aggression, alert
Yellow: happy, light-hearted, cautionary
Blue: sad, calm, inviting
Orange: excitement, vibrancy, cheap
Green: nature, profit, envy
When choosing a color for your logo, this aspect of its development needs to be a primary focus on the design. So, while the Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown in the Crayola crayon box draws your attention, it may not work best for your business. The color choice needs to be purposeful and represent a visual portrayal about your business. A thoughtful color palette communicates your message across a broad audience. It sets a purpose to your messaging and can help direct the eye through your layout and branding design. Careful consideration needs to be implemented when establishing color guidelines into your brand and identity.
Color is a stimulus and evokes an emotional response which may be difficult to express into words. In today’s age, we are a very visual, and fast-paced society. Even at a quick glance, color becomes recognizable. Properly utilizing color into your visuals helps tell your story and simplifies your message.
So, whether your logo actually utilizes your favorite color, is a color that compliments your initial choice or is a color seen somewhere that stirred up a positive emotional response, your palette needs to be thought out, tested, and incorporated properly to portray who you are as a business.