Understanding Color Concept

Every colour, including black and white, has implications for logo design. To keep things simple, here's what we think: Bright and bold colours are attention-grabbing but can appear brash. Muted tones convey a more sophisticated image. Here are a few other break downs of color theory. 

• Red implies passion, energy, danger or aggression; warmth and heat. It has also been found to stimulate appetite, which explains why it is used in so many restaurants and food product logos.
  
  • Choosing red for your logo can make it feel more dynamic.
• Orange is often see as the color of innovation and modern thinking. It also carries connotations of youth, fun, affordability and approachability.
• Yellow requires cautious use as it has some negative connotations including its signifying of cowardice and its use in warning signs.
  
  • However it is sunny, warm and friendly and is another colour that is believed to stimulate appetite.
• Green is commonly used when a company wishes to emphasise their natural and ethical credentials, especially with such products as organic and vegetarian foods.
  
  • Other meanings ascribed to it include growth and freshness, and it's popular with financial products too.
• Blue is one of the most widely used colors in corporate logos. It implies professionalism, serious mindedness, integrity, sincerity and calm.
  
  • Blue is also associated with authority and success, and for this reason is popular with both financial institutions and government bodies.

• Purple speaks to us of royalty and luxury.
  
  • It has long been associated with the church, implying wisdom and dignity, and throughout history it has been the colour of wealth and riches.
• Black is a colour with a split personality.
  
  • On the one hand it implies power and sophistication, but on the other hand it is associated with villainy and death.
    
    • More mundanely, most logos will need a black and white version for use in media in which colour is not available – and there is currently a trend for bold monochrome logos and word marks.
• White is generally associated with purity, cleanliness, simplicity and naiveté.
  
  • A white logo will always need to stand in a coloured field to make it show up on a white background. 
• Brown has masculine connotations and is often used for products associated with rural life and the outdoors.
• Pink can be fun and flirty, but its feminine associations means it is often avoided for products not specifically targeted at women.

​Sited: Martin Christie of Logo Design London