21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

(https://blog.logodesignguru.com/meaning-and-uses-of-colors-in-logo-design/)

Meaning and Uses of Colors in Logo Design

 Shyrose Vastani  Mar 19, 2012

Featured Image Source: Pixabay/maciej326

If you don’t know about colors, you’re going to have trouble becoming a
professional designer. It is crucial for designers to understand the essential
things about color (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/essential-things-about-
colors/) and its impact on design. Lack of an understanding can result in
undeveloped and redundant color combinations which can label you as an
amateur designer. As a graphic designer you must study, research and find
ways to use color to bring your designs to life.

Various Color Representations in Logo Design

Here’s a brief look into the emotions represented by the ten most common

colors and their use in logo design for specific industries.

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21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

Black
Represents: Authority, Power, Mystery, Boldness, Elegance and Sophistication

(https://d1qhuz9ahqnrhh.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/black-
logos.jpg)

Black is used to commonly target youth and a high-end audience. It creates a

mystery while representing power, authority and elegance in the logo.

Red
Represents: Passion, Love, Anger, Hunger, Health, Excitement and Life

(https://blog.logodesignguru.com/red-logos-inspiration-for-your-brand/)

Red is generally an attractive, energetic and powerful color used in logos of


brands belonging to the food, health, beauty and entertainment industries.
Several famous brands have colored their logo red such as Coca-Cola,
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21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

Kellogg’s, Red Bull, Canon and YouTube etc. These brand logos in red are no
doubt memorable.

Red logos grab customer attention, and if you want to attract your target market
towards your brand, use the color red. There are many amazing ways to use
red in your logo to make the design unique, interesting and prominent. These
red logo inspirations and tips (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/red-logos-
inspiration-for-your-brand/) will get you started! So make a logo design in red
and boost your brand recognition.

Yellow
Represents: Happiness, Warmth, Innovation and Caution

(https://d1qhuz9ahqnrhh.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/yellow-
logos.jpg)

Yellow is a warm color that invokes the feeling of happiness, warmth and
relaxation. Generally it doesn’t play a central role in logos and is sparingly used
to highlight important features of a logo. Used alone in bright shades, the color
can be overpowering which is why it is a difficult color to use. Yellow is most
commonly used by the automotive and food industries.

Blue
Represents: Professionalism, Trust, Authority, Power and Loyalty


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21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

(https://d1qhuz9ahqnrhh.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/blue-
logos.jpg)

Blue is used in corporate logos as it creates a sense of security while showing

loyalty and professionalism. This color is used by various businesses related to
software, finance, pharmaceutical industry, government and banks. While you
can create a logo with just the color blue, you can also accompany two colors in
a design such as a red and blue logo (https://www.logodesignguru.com/logo).

Green
Represents: Harmony, Natural, Healthy, Renewal and Plentiful

(https://blog.logodesignguru.com/green-logos-collection/)

Green is mainly used to represent eco-friendly companies or businesses


revolving around agriculture, recycling, landscaping, gardening and solar
power. It is the color of nature and gives a calming effect while representing
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21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

growth. Naturally one would believe the choice of green is restricted to a few
industries. In reality, various top brands have used shades of green in their
logos (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/green-logos-collection/).

Orange
Represents: Vibrant, Playful, Happy, Artistic and Energetic

(https://d1qhuz9ahqnrhh.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/orange-
logos.jpg)

Orange is another beloved color of the food, art and the sports industries. While
in one sector it evokes an appetite, in others it suggests playfulness, creativity
and energy. Being bright makes orange the favorite color for industries dealing
with kids’ products and foods. Some creative industries use orange in logos to
stand out. (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/color-psychology-orange-logos/)

Purple
Represents: Royalty, Luxury, Celebration, Education and Elegance

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21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

(https://d1qhuz9ahqnrhh.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/purple-
logos.jpg)

Being a color of royalty, purple is mostly used to represent religious institutes

and educational organizations. It is seldom used for commercial services,
unless it can clearly represent the main essence of the company it stands for.
Chocolate is one food which is often represented by purple logos. There’s no
need to shy away from purple and limit it to represent feminism, luxury and
beauty only. You can pair it with other colors and create a palette. For example,
purple and yellow logo designs (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/purple-yellow-
logo-designs/) are popular and exude different meanings.

White
Represents: Pure, Peaceful, Spiritual, Clean and Goodwill

(https://d1qhuz9ahqnrhh.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/white- 
logos.jpg)

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21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

White is a neutral color that implies purity. It is also the essential color in
negative spacing logos. The FedEx and the Adobe logo make the best use of
white. FedEx has a white arrow while the ‘A’ in Adobe is designed in white over
a red background.

Pink
Represents: Feminism, Innocence, Youth and Beauty

(https://d1qhuz9ahqnrhh.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/pink-
logos.jpg)

Pink is often taken to be a feminine color, which is why it is popularly used in

logos related to beauty, fashion and others. It is also used for companies
dealing with children’s clothes and accessories. Because it is playful and
innocent, it is not suitable for the corporate or industrial unit.

Brown
Represents: Reliable, Solid, Masculine and Earthly Aura

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21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

(https://d1qhuz9ahqnrhh.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/brown-
logos.jpg)

Brown is a neutral color that is reliable, solid and dependable. This color is
most commonly used for agriculture, construction and legal industries. Some
food related products like coffee and chocolate are also best represented by
brown.

GET COLOR GUIDE EBOOK (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/brand-

logo-colors-emotional-messages/)

Colors play an important role in giving your logo life. If you want to create a
winning logo design, play with colors, experiment with various shades and see
which of them best represent the essence of your client’s company. Be sure not
to forget the target audience and how they will relate to the colors in the logo
design.

Logo Images Source: Google Images

Conceptualizing the Impact of Intelligent Logo Design:

Blog Update: 4 April 2015

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21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

1 of 34

GET A CUSTOM LOGO DESIGN

(https://www.logodesignguru.com/logo)

*This post was originally written by Alexis Stone.

Shyrose Vastani (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/author/shyrose/)

A philanthropist by nature, Shyrose Vastani is professionally working as a digital media
marketer and visual design blogger. She is a visual media enthusiast with keen interests in
research, business trends and graphic design. With a background in psychology, she is
passionate about learning and sharing knowledge about visual media and its impact on
consumer behavior and people in general. View all
(https://blog.logodesignguru.com/author/shyrose/)

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6 thoughts on “Meaning and Uses of Colors in Logo Design”

BEN
March 20, 2012 at 8:41 pm (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/meaning-and-uses-of-colors-in-logo-
design/#comment-147)

The link between colors and emotions is very important specially to logo design. This is an
awesome list.

REPLY (HTTPS://BLOG.LOGODESIGNGURU.COM/MEANING-AND-USES-OF-COLORS-IN-LOGO-DESIGN/?REPLYTOCOM=147#RESPOND)

TGHHH
October 22, 2016 at 4:52 pm (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/meaning-and-uses-of-colors-in-logo-
design/#comment-1031)

Lovely Colours and explicit piece

EPLY (HTTPS://BLOG.LOGODESIGNGURU.COM/MEANING-AND-USES-OF-COLORS-IN-LOGO-DESIGN/?REPLYTOCOM=1031#RESPOND)

CHINNA
April 17, 2012 at 12:55 am (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/meaning-and-uses-of-colors-in-logo-
design/#comment-148)

very nice information for beginners . which leads to take better decision regarding there
carrier as a logo designer.

REPLY (HTTPS://BLOG.LOGODESIGNGURU.COM/MEANING-AND-USES-OF-COLORS-IN-LOGO-DESIGN/?REPLYTOCOM=148#RESPOND)

MAP-IT INC.
April 21, 2012 at 2:12 am (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/meaning-and-uses-of-colors-in-logo-design/#comment-
149)

WOW. Cool knowledge shared regarding color usage. It is helpful for us to choose color to
design a logo.

REPLY (HTTPS://BLOG.LOGODESIGNGURU.COM/MEANING-AND-USES-OF-COLORS-IN-LOGO-DESIGN/?REPLYTOCOM=149#RESPOND)

https://blog.logodesignguru.com/meaning-and-uses-of-colors-in-logo-design/ 10/14
21/1/2019 Color Psychology in Logo Design | Meaning and Uses | Think Design

KRIS
April 21, 2016 at 10:45 am (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/meaning-and-uses-of-colors-in-logo-
design/#comment-912)

Feminism is not pink. That’s effin sexist.

REPLY (HTTPS://BLOG.LOGODESIGNGURU.COM/MEANING-AND-USES-OF-COLORS-IN-LOGO-DESIGN/?REPLYTOCOM=912#RESPOND)

KOEL (HTTPS://WWW.KOELCOLOURS.COM/)
June 21, 2016 at 12:25 pm (https://blog.logodesignguru.com/meaning-and-uses-of-colors-in-logo-
design/#comment-950)

Wonderful n helpful guide….Thanks

REPLY (HTTPS://BLOG.LOGODESIGNGURU.COM/MEANING-AND-USES-OF-COLORS-IN-LOGO-DESIGN/?REPLYTOCOM=950#RESPOND)

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