Using colour when designing a logo
Colour influences human emotion and behaviour and, when it comes to logo design, can be used to evoke very specific responses from your customers or clients.
Colour can be used to encourage people to buy, it can convey stability and professionalism or represent fun and creativity, it can be calming and romantic… the list is endless. When developing a brand and designing a logo, the choice of colour (or colours) is just as important as the choice of font and graphics.
| Colour | Associations | Notes |
| Red | Fire, blood, sex | Intense. Most visually dominant colour. Suggests speed and action. Stimulates the heart rate, breathing and appetite. Evokes action, emotion, passion, trust, love, intensity and can be seen as aggressive. |
| Yellow | Sunshine | Associated with energy and the joy of sunshine. Yellow is the first colour the human eye notices. Speeds up the metabolism. The most fatiguing colour and can irritate the eyes. Pale yellow can enhance concentration. Evokes joy, energy and freshness. |
| Blue | Sky, ocean | Is relaxing as it causes the body to produce calming chemicals. Symbolises loyalty and trust. Unappetising and suppresses hunger (blue food is not found in nature). Associated with depth and stability and evokes comfort, faith, understanding, confidence, calm and trust. Can be seen as conservative. |
| Green | Plants, nature, the environment | The harmony of nature and the environment. The easiest colour on the eyes. Calming and refreshing. Means “go”. Evokes calm, trust, peace and helpfulness. Gives a sense of peace. |
| Purple | Royalty, spirituality | Has a feminine, romantic quality. Rare in nature so seems artificial. Can enhance imagination. Is often associated with the luxury of royalty. Evokes glamour, power, nostalgia and romance. |
| Orange | Autumn, citrus | Associated with sunshine. Conveys friendliness and fun. Used for visibility and enhancement. Orange rooms get people talking and thinking. Orange is an appetite stimulant. Evokes enthusiasm, creativity and determination. |
| Black | Night, death | Associated with formality. Makes other colours look brighter. Boosts self confidence and strength. Black is bold, serious and can convey luxury. It can also be seen as intimidating and unfriendly. |
| White | Light, purity | Implies efficiency and simplicity. Evokes fairness and order. |
| Grey | Neutrality | Can be used to as a good background for other colours. Implies security and reliability. Silver is a modern, sophisticated colour that is calming yet uplifting. |
| Pink | Feminine | Pink is a non-threatening colour that is often associated with love and romance. Conveys warm, love, warmth, sexuality and nurturing. |
| Brown | Nurturing | Evokes reliability, support and dependability. Conveys the nurturing traits of Mother Earth and the outdoors. |
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