Logo - graphic image trademark. It is created for easy recognition of the company's brand among consumers.
The logo should be unique and of high quality, to attract the attention of the buyer. The logos were created in order to differentiate the products of manufacturers from the same industry.

The KOLORO company is engaged in the development of one-of-a-kind logos.

There are several types of logos:

1. Logo "Letter" - one or more letters are used.
2. Logo "Symbol" - is depicted in the form of graphic or alphabetic symbols.
3. Logo "Emblem" - a graphic element of the image and text.
4. The Logoslovo logo consists of letters only.
5. Abstract Sign Logo - creates a visual form of the company concept with the help of a symbol.

The first logo in the world

The first logo in the world was the image of a dog listening to a gramophone. The dog's name was Nipper.
One of the brothers of the Barro family saw how the dog loves to listen to the Edison-Bell phonograph and decided to capture this moment by drawing a picture "Dog listening to the phonograph".

In 1900, Marc Barraud's brother, Francis, took Nipper's drawing to a disc gramophone company. The owners of the company really liked the picture and they decided to release their goods with this image. But the original version of the drawing, which depicted a drum gramophone, was replaced with a disk one. The drawing became the first trademark of companies: HMV music stores, RCA, Victor and HMV records. The company also began to produce records with Nipper's drawing.
The logo currently uses the music channel of the HWV store.

The evolution of the logos of world brands

The logos of world brands did not always look stylish and concise. Some companies, even though they are popular with consumers, have redesigned their logos. Main reasons:

• change in direction of activity;
• following new trends.

Let's look at a few examples of the evolution of company logos.

• Apple Global Corporation

The first logo of the company was an engraving with Isaac Newton under an apple tree, which was wrapped around a large ribbon with the signature "Apple Computer Co" (1976-1977). The designer of this logo was one of the founders of the company, Ronald Wayne. After the departure of Ronald, the logo was changed.

The second Apple logo was designed by Rob Yanov. Nothing remains of the company's old logo, except, perhaps, the idea of ​​a fruit falling on Newton's head. Apple's new brand name is the rainbow bitten apple (1977-1998).

The logo that we see now on Apple products was changed in 2007. The “apple” became metallic with reflections, but the shape remained the same.

• Samsung

Samsung means "three stars" in Korean. The company was founded in South Korea. The first three logos used the stars and the Samsung name.

In 1993 the company decided to create a new logo for its 55th anniversary. It exists to this day. It is a blue ellipse in the center of which "SAMSUNG" is written in white stylized letters.

• Twix bars

The first bars were produced in 1967 in Britain. They were called Raider. But a few years later, in 1979, the name was changed. Raider became Twix. After the name change, the products began to be exported to the United States.

The name Twix is ​​made up of two words, "double" and "biscuit". Twix bars are very popular all over the world. In Ireland, they are still sold under the original name Raider.

• Coca Cola

Coca-Cola has the most recognizable corporate identity of the logo, which is over 117 years old. The company was founded in 1886 and the logo in 1893. The company's logo is written in "Spencer" calligraphic font. It was created by Frank Robinson, an accountant and friend of the owner of the company.

In the early 1980s, due to competition from Pepsi products, it was decided to change the company logo to New Coke. Having made this marketing ploy, the company began to lose sales. Consumers did not like the new name for the drink. After some time, the drink was returned to its former name Coca-Cola, thereby the company improved its sales.

• Pepsi

In 1903, the Pepsi-Cola brand was created. Agree, the first logo of the company is not very pretty. You could say it's a failure.
To prevent this from happening to your brand, you need to contact the KOLORO team of professionals who will help make the logo perfect.

After the Great Depression of the 1930s, Pepsi-Cola was able to prove to The Coca-Cola Company that it could compete with it on the same level.

In 1962, the company changed its logo to a tricolor ball and dropped the Cola prefix. Now it is called only Pepsi. However, the company logo changes very often. What this is connected with is unknown.

• McDonald's

McDonald's was founded in 1940. The first logo of the company - the image of the chef Speedee . The Speedee logo was later redrawn. In the 60s, Jim Spindler changed the company logo to what we know today. And that's the letter M.

Fashion industry logos (famous fashion brands)

Almost every one of us can recognize and name brand monograms. For fashion houses, the logo is very important because most of the fashion houses are named after the founding designers.

• Louis Vuitton

The fashion house was founded in 1854. The corporate logo of the company is the LV monograms. The color of the monograms and the canvas may have changed, but the logo of this brand has not changed to this day, except that it was slightly simplified in the 2000s.
The brand's clothes are made from very quality materials and therefore the products are expensive.

Louis Vuitton brand products are copied the most. But it is very easy to recognize a fake - in the original, the brand logo is always located symmetrically.

• Chanel

The first Chanel logo appeared in 1921. He was depicted on the bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume. The company logo is a double letter C. It resembles two wedding rings that are not closed together. The letter C is the initials of Coco Chanel.

• Fendi

The Fendi logo was created in 1972 by the company's new designer, Karl Lagerfeld. The brand logo is a large F that is mirrored.

• Versace

The Versace house logo is very extravagant and extraordinary. It was designed in 1978 by Gianni Versace. The logo represents the head of the representative ancient Greek mythology- Gorgon Medusa. The designer explained why he chose this character: "It is a synthesis of beauty and simplicity that can mesmerize anyone, just like the clothes produced by the brand."

• Givenchy

In 1952, the Givenchy brand begins to produce high quality clothing, as well as a line of jewelry and perfumes. The brand logo is very simple and concise. A quadruple G is placed in a square. It looks like Celtic jewelry.

Car brand logos

Winged cars:

Bentley- British luxury car. The characteristics of the car can be described in just a few words - aristocratic luxury. The logo of the car is the letter "B" enclosed in wings. The emblem indicates the power, speed, elegance of Bentley limousines.

Aston Martin The car logo was created in 1927. These are the eagle wings that frame the Aston Martin lettering. The owners of the company compared their car with an eagle. Because the eagle is a fast, agile and predatory bird.

Chrysler- The first American car logo was a pentagonal star created in 1923. After the company joined the German concern Daimler AG in 1998, the logo was changed to "open wings". They demonstrate the virtuosity and uniqueness of Chrysler vehicles.

Cars with animal logo

Jaguar- whose emblem was originally SS - Swallow Sidecar. From English "swallow" means "swallow". After the Second World War, most Europeans had negative associations with the SS emblem (association with the Nazis), so the company's owners decided to change the name of the brand. The Swallow Sidecar was replaced with a Jaguar. Agree, strength, elegance and grace are very suitable for modern Jaguar cars.

Lamborghini- at first Italian company engaged in the production of tractors. Therefore, the bull became the emblem of the company. This animal is very hardy and strong. Now, Lamborghini brand cars are powerful, expensive supercars, and the golden bull emblem suits them very well.

Ferrari- the car logo of this brand is familiar to everyone. Its main attributes are a prancing black stallion on a yellow-golden background with a painted Italian flag at the top of the logo.

Initially, the Ferrari logo was on the plane of the pilot Francesco Baracca, during the First World War. Enzo Ferrari asked Francesco to give him this logo. The pilot agreed and gave Enzo the right to use the logo.

Best music industry logos

Virgin is a British record label. Created in 1972 by Richard Branson and Simon Draper. The label name is very interesting. Virgin in translation from English means "virgin".

Created the logo of Virgin Records (the first company), the English illustrator Roger Dean.

A few years later, the Virgin brand became very popular among English performers. After signing Virgin with the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, Branson decided that their company lacked audacity. Therefore, it was decided to change the company logo.

Legend has it that one of the artists drew the new logo we know now on a napkin. Branson really liked it. Richard associated the new logo with his company. “Simplicity, attitude and energy are about us,” said Branson.

Sony Music Entertainment- established in 1988 and owned by Sony. Included in the "Big Four" record companies in the world. Sony Music covers almost the entire show business.

The first logo of the company is multi-colored, small triangles in the middle of which were the letters SMV. The logo of the company changed very often. In 2009, Sony Music decided to make the logo completely different. The new logo looks like this: on a white background, a simple red brush effect and the text "SONY MUSIC" appears in the appropriate Sony font.

AC/DC is a world famous rock band. Most people may not know the band's work, but everyone recognizes the AC / DC logo.

Creative director Bob Defrin helped create the rock band's logo. The font was chosen from the Gutenberg Bible - this is the first ever printed book.

Huerth's intention was to create an emblem in keeping with the biblical imagery of the AC/DC song "Let There Be Rock". Of course, the lightning and blood red coloring suggest less angelic influences.

The Rolling Stones are a famous British rock band. Designer John Pasha helped make the band's logo. For his work he received 50 pounds. The designer was inspired by the expressive lips and tongue of Mick Jagger. It was also inspired by the Hindu goddess Kali.

Queen are a British rock band from the mid-1970s. She captured the hearts of many listeners. The logo was created by lead singer Freddie Mercury. He depicted the letter Q (the name of the group), which is surrounded by the signs of the zodiacs of the musicians of the group.

Logo Design Trends 2017

Design trends change almost every season. This applies not only to clothing, makeup and style, but also to trends in logo graphic design.
Logo Trends 2017

Minimalism

Many companies resort to this style, because minimalism is all about simplicity and conciseness. Minimalism uses very few colors. Everything should be simple and executed in the same style, without unnecessary additions.

For example, the well-known application Instagram used this style.

The company's first logo was a black and white image of a Polaroid OneStep camera. In May 2016, the company decided to rebrand not only the logo, but also change the design of the application. Now it's a camera and a rainbow rendered with a gradient effect.

color gradient

Creating a logo with a gradient of colors is a very good move for many companies, because this trend will be at its peak for a long time to come. A striking example is the international payment system MasterCard. The company's designers simplified the design and used fill geometric shapes logo.

black and white trend

Black and white design will always be in trend. Conciseness and simplicity of two colors is always a win-win option.

The best example is the world famous Nike brand.

Carolyn Davidson helped create the logo for the brand. The logo depicts the abstract wing of the goddess Nike.

Geometric figures

To create a unique but at the same time simple logo, designers use geometric shapes that are very easy to perceive and remember.

Example - logo YouTube - video hosting service. The brand logo is a “bubble” in the middle of which is the “play” icon.

Lettering

Pretty simple style. Letters are selected specifically for a specific name or text and are used only once.

Lettering includes the company logo. Google. The first company logo was created in a graphics editor by co-founder Sergey Brin. The new Google logo style was designed by Ruth Kedar. It was she who came up with the logo design that we know now.

hand drawn

Hand-drawn logos look clear and “folk style”. A lot of world famous companies use this style.

Johnson & Johnson — good example new trend of 2017. The company logo is very simple - it is red text on a white background, handwritten.

Web animated logos

Web animated logos are the trend of 2017. They look very bright, extraordinary. With the help of Gif logos, you can attract the attention of consumers.

Disney has been using this trend for a long time. Back in 1985, Tinker Bell began flying over the Sleeping Beauty Castle.

KOLORO will develop for you unique design your logo, because our experts are always on the topic of new trends in world design.

Choosing a color palette is one of the most important decisions you make when designing your brand's visual aesthetic. The right colors can enhance your business and attract the right audience, but the wrong color palette can backfire.

According to color psychology, colors determine our emotions and behavior. For example, yellow is the color of joy (because the sun is bright and yellow), while green is calming (imagine lying on the lawn and looking at the green treetops). But do these “rules” work for logos?

After studying this topic, researchers Lauren Labreque and George Milne came to conclusion , that in relation to logos, only some color connotations work. Really, yellow will give your brand an aura of freshness and accessibility, but a green logo will not at all convince buyers that your company is characterized by calm and tranquility. It turns out to choose the right color palette for your logo, you need to study a number of scientific papers?

Not at all! We've already done it for you by presenting below 10 tips from the blog about Logowiks logos to help you choose a color for your logo.#

What is your brand associated with?

No one knows your brand (its strengths and goals) better than you. When choosing a color palette, think about what message your business carries.

First, think about individual characteristics your brand. What advantages do you want to highlight? Speed, bold innovation, efficiency, compassion, intuition? Studies show that, for example, shades of blue emphasize competence, while red emphasizes courage and energy. Obviously, an aged care company and an auto parts company will choose different color palettes for their logo. To choose the right color, read the meaning of each shade.

What do the different colors mean?

If you want your logo to be associated with certain feelings and emotions, you need to understand the impact of each color on a person's perception.

A universal symbol of excitement, passion and anger. If your brand is loud, light, youthful and modern, then red is definitely your color. If your company is more classic or serious, then you should consider other options.

A color that fills with energy and sets you in a cheerful mood. Want to stand out from other companies? Then feel free to choose orange. Orange color is used less frequently than red, but is not inferior to it in terms of energy saturation.

An accessible, sunny and friendly color that will keep your brand energized. The yellow logo is simply impossible not to notice!

Green color cannot be called universal: it has a limited number of connotations. However, this color is able to evoke strong associations. If you are into finance or gardening, be sure to take a closer look at the green palette.

Blue is considered the king among colors. It can be seen on more than half of all logos. Blue symbolizes trust and maturity, and the company with the icon in shades of blue will be taken seriously.

The most luxurious color of the rainbow. Purple looks both modern and restrained at the same time. This color is also associated with femininity.

With a brown icon, your brand will convey masculinity and seriousness. Since brown is rarely used, you will definitely stand out from other companies.

Do you want your brand to look stylish, modern and elegant? Choose black and you can't go wrong. But if you want to convey economy and affordability, steer clear of dark shades.

Lack of color. White symbolizes youth and economy, but at the same time it is suitable for almost any brand. Since it is a neutral color, you can use it as a secondary shade.

You don't have to stop at just one color!

Remember that your choice is not limited to just one color. Using multiple colors is a great way to highlight big choice goods or services (like eBay does). By using two or three colors, you can indicate the unique qualities of your brand. On the logo of the Coors brewing company, golden brown (and this is not only the color of beer, but also a combination of masculine brown and affordable yellow) is combined with a serious blue inscription.

It's the perfect combination for them. target audience. Don't be afraid to experiment with your color palette. Check which options work for you and which don't. “It all depends on what feeling, mood and image your brand creates. Colors can be persuasive, so it's important to choose the hues that best reflect your company's personality,” writes Gregory Chioti in hisarticle on the psychology of color.

Decipher the language of color

If your brand has an international reach, you should think about the symbolic meaning of your chosen colors in different cultures. For example, in most Western cultures White color traditionally considered a symbol of purity, but in the eyes of some Eastern peoples, it is associated with death. Therefore, if you want to create a really good logo, be sure to explore the topic of differences in the perception of certain colors.

Try to stand out from your competitors

A good logo is based on brand recognition. So if you want to be different from other companies, make sure that your color palette is significantly different from the color palette of your main competitors. Although Ford Motor Company's famous blue oval is over a hundred years old, it remains a symbol of reliability and is instantly "read" by the audience.

Or take another oval logo for automaker Land Rover.

With the help of a green palette, the brand emphasizes that its cars are capable of any adventure, including on impassable routes.

Use visual ambiguity

Some of my favorite icons show interesting design technique which I call "ambiguity" (double entendre). In other words, on such logos, two images are skillfully combined into one, while conveying an interesting concept or idea.

An ideal example of this technique is the WinePlace brand logo.

In this logo, you see a pushpin that indicates the location and looks like an upside down wine glass. Such logos always look interesting and are easy to remember. The audience appreciates such logos for their double meaning.

In one of my previous posts collected 50 logos similar to this one. If you, like me, like this design technique, I advise you to look into this post!

Avoid cliches

Every few years in the logo design industrynew trends emerge . I like to explore different trends, and I even advise my readers to stick to certain trends in order to keep up with the times. But what I honestly don't like is when the same idea is repeated in many different logos.

Above is a type of logo that has already set the teeth on edge. Why not come up with a unique design yourself instead of copying others? Here are examples of similar logos in terms of color and design:

The theme of cliches in the field of logo design is dedicated to Be sure to check it out if you don't want to become the owner of another boring logo.

The simpler the better

Remember Golden Rule: The simpler the better. It is simple, but at the same time interesting logos that turn out to be the most striking and successfully withstand the test of time.

Let's take a look at the Nike logo. It would seem that the image of a checkmark is nothing special or memorable.

But the logo just looks great on various objects - sneakers, sports uniforms, and in advertising.

Therefore, the use of one color is sometimes the most advantageous solution. Also, remember that if your logo has a lot of colors, it may not look good in a smaller version, for example, on a business card.

Use negative space

Aside from the ambiguity, there is another design trick that works well. This technique involves the skillful use of negative space. A classic example is the FedEx logo, which has an arrow hidden in it.

Don't you see? Take a closer look! I really like the subtle use of negative space in this icon. And while many US residents often see the FedEx logo on passing trucks, some of them are not even aware of the hidden arrow!

Use the color matching tools

Luckily, you don't have to manually color-match your logo, as there are many dedicated tools available to help you match colors in a couple of minutes. We have selected the 10 most useful, in our opinion, services.

According to the developers, Logomak analyzed the logos that are used by leading companies in various industries.

Based on the results, Logomak compiled smart algorithms that allow you to choose optimal combination colors and fonts to fully reveal the character of your brand.

Just choose your industry and specify what associations your logo should evoke.

COLOURlovers is not just a service for creating color palettes. It is also a platform where users can discuss relevant topics and read interesting articles about flowers.

The ColoRotate service boasts an interesting interface, and working with it is a real pleasure. Color palettes are available in 3D and in real time.

Kuler is an application where you can view color palettes created by other users. You can also create your own palette, armed with a color wheel, harmony rules and color sliders.

The Color Scheme Designer tool has recently received a new interface and a new algorithm for creating color schemes.

Specify any color and Color Blender will generate six color palettes based on it. Pick any shade from the palette and change it however you like.

Specify a base color and the Color Wizard will create color schemes based on complementary color, split complementary colors, analog colors, and other variations.

Color Explorer is a new tool for creating color palettes with a well-organized set of useful features.

That's all! Hope the tips were helpful to you! If you have any questions - feel free to ask in the comments!

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Logo color is one of the key elements of a strong brand. Each color has its own characteristics, associations and psychological impact. By choosing a color or combination of colors for your logo, you also get these associations.

Colors evoke certain emotions and feelings, so it's extremely important to choose a color that effectively represents your personality.

Research shows that people subconsciously form an opinion about a person, environment, or product in the first 90 seconds, and that 62% to 90% of this assessment is based on color alone.

Understanding the psychology of color is vital when creating an effective logo — Martin Christie of Logo Design London.

How important is the color of a logo?

The corporate color of the logo is very important! Take, for example, the popular McDonald’s logo and play with color (may the designers forgive us):

Even though we haven't changed the design at all, the color change has turned a famous brand into something completely different. And it's not exactly appetizing.

We can do the same exercise with the Coca-Cola logo:

Something does not really want to take such a jar of a delicious drink, right?

The biohazard sign takes on a whole different meaning when shown in Barbie colors or eco-friendly colors:

Even when explicit verbal commands are included, conflicting color symbology can be misleading.

Change only the color of the stop signs to green and this will lead to accidents at every intersection. So it's safe to say that corporate colors are very important.

So, how to choose a color for creating a logo?

Color Meaning

Let's take a look at how the 100 most popular brands in the world use color in their logos.
These companies spend millions, if not billions, on marketing and brand development, and they still know a thing or two about the colors they use.

Here are some charts that show the statistics of the use of color by well-known companies:

What do we see? Most popular brands are monochrome - they use one color. The most used color is shades of blue, followed (ironically) by black. The last color purple on the list is a risky decision.
Now that we've cleared things up a bit, let's take a look at the psychology of different colors - from the most popular to the least popular - and see how well-known corporations and brands use them.

Blue color

Meaning: Trust, conservatism, reliability, honesty, calmness, strength, coldness.
notable: The most popular corporate color. Often used for internet businesses and financial institutions. Courageous color.

Black color

Meaning: Refinement, luxury, formality, style, elegance, high cost, authority.
notable: Black is used for "high-end" brands, as a base color or paired with another color. Black gloomy, serious. Most of the logos were first designed in black and white.

Red color

Meaning: Courage, passion, strength, attention, love, delight, action, aggressiveness.
notable: Red works equally well on black and white backgrounds. It can mean stop, danger and hot. Exclamation color. Pink colors (shades of red) are considered to be feminine colors.

Yellow

Meaning: Logical, optimistic, progressive, confident, playful, creative.
notable: Yellow is usually too bright to be used on its own and requires the use of an outline, background, or border color. This is the color of caution. Represents clarity.

Orange color

Meaning: Happy, energetic, outgoing, friendly, approachable, enthusiastic, sunny.
notable: Orange is said to stimulate appetite. Orange is used in some caution signs. Often used in retail. Typically, this is a call to action.

Green color

Meaning: Nature, wealth, freshness, life, harmony, environment, growth, novelty.
notable: Green means forward. Often used to represent eco companies and products. Considered a calming color.

Purple

Meaning: Royal, mystery, pomp, ceremonial, creativity, uniqueness, majesty.
notable: Used to be the most expensive color to produce, as it was made from a rare seaweed. Often regarded as elite. Liked by children, it is often used in the packaging of sweets and toys.

The combination of colors in the logo

Now that we've dealt with the psychological impact of colors, let's take a look at how to choose a color for a logo.

We can choose from a range of classic palettes from the color wheel that artists have used for centuries to create balanced and visually pleasing (or high-contrast and vibrant) compositions. In most design applications, these color schemes should be divided into one dominant color (either dominant because of how much it appears in the design or because it stands out when compared to other colors) and one or more complementary colors.

There are several ways to choose a color:

1) Monochrome colors. Various shades are used, tones of the same color, for example, a spectrum of blue, ranging from light to dark. This type of scheme is more subtle and conservative (see the picture of the 100 most popular brands above).

2) Similar colors. Shades that are next to each other on the color wheel. This type of schema is versatile and easy to apply to design.

3) Complimentary (additional) colors. Opposites on the color wheel, such as red/green or blue/orange; complementary colors with high contrast and high intensity, but they can be difficult to apply in a balanced and harmonious way (especially in their pure form when they can easily conflict in design).

4) Separate-complimentary. Any color on the color wheel plus two flanking colors. This scheme has a strong visual contrast, but less sharp than in a complementary combination.

5) Triadic. Any three colors that are the same distance apart.

6) Tetrad / Doubly complimentary. Two pairs that complement each other; this scheme is very attractive, but it can be even more difficult than applying one pair of complementary colors, since more colors harder to balance. If you use this type of scheme, you choose one dominant color out of four, and adjust the saturation/value/etc. of some or all of the colors so they work well in different parts of your design, text, and background.

How to choose a color

Look at this to quickly remember the meaning of each color. Ask yourself the following questions:

What color represents the essence of your brand?

Colors are not tied to a specific area of ​​the economy - although some are more or less suitable for certain products or services. Your goal should be to choose the color that best suits your business. The color that will give the best impression of your product at first sight.

Which color suits the characteristics of your product or service?

What logo color are your competitors using?

Choose a color that is the opposite of your competitor's. The color of your opponent is probably the most important thing to take into account. If you are a pioneer in your industry or market segment, you can choose first. Choose a color that represents your product and its uniqueness. If you are second, it means that someone has already made the first choice. Instead of choosing the same or a similar color, choose the opposite. Pick blue if your competitor has red, pick purple if they have yellow, and so on. The strength of a brand lies in its ability to stand out. Choosing the same color as your main competitor gives the impression of being imitated. You want to separate yourself from your competitor, you want to show that you are different.

Don't limit yourself to one color

Some brands, like eBay, choose multiple logo colors. You can also choose a couple of colors that look good together, but there is also the risk of being wrong. Therefore, it is best to use 1-3 logo colors.

Be aware of the difference in cultural perception of your color

For example, in the Western world, white is considered the color of purity and peace, but in some parts of Asia, white is the color of death. Make sure the color you choose will create the right impression for your target audience.

The psychology of color in marketing

Brand awareness is closely related to color. Just think of Coca-Cola, Facebook or Starbucks and I bet you can immediately name the colors they are associated with.
The University of Winnipeg study "The Impact of Color on Marketing" showed that the first judgment of a product is based on color (60-90%, in the first 90 seconds). This means that in design, color is not only an artistic choice, but also an important business decision that affects everything from consumer perception to product sales.

But when choosing a color scheme for a logo or brand, don't get attached to any traditional, symbolic, or stereotypical methods. When it comes to color, there is no simple process or hard and fast rule. The most important thing is the color itself and how it is used in the design - whether it suits the brand and the context of the market. For inspiration go to BrandColors- site where collected visual guide(with hex colors) by choosing the color you made famous brands all over the world.

Color matching services

Adobe Color CC lets you try, create, and save different color schemes, each consisting of a set of five colors. It is available in browser and desktop versions. If you're using the desktop version, you can export the color scheme directly to Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

If you're unsure about your color scheme, Mudcube has a selection of themes to choose from. Mudcube Color Sphere is a handy little color resource for designers because it not only provides a HEX number for each color, it also helps you create a color scheme from a single selected shade. If you're not sure which color scheme you should choose, MudCube will provide a theme selection from a drop-down menu.

Other services

Color Palette Generator is a free online service that allows you to generate a color palette based on an uploaded PNG, JPG or GIF file.

ColorZilla- With the help of Colorzilla, you can use an eyedropper to take a color from anywhere in your browser and determine its number. An essential item for designers.

Material UI Colors— a color palette for Android, web and iOS in the style of material design.
Brand Colors - colors used by famous brands.

COLOURlovers- the library of this web resource has more than 2 million ready-made color solutions, which can be sorted by rating, number of views, and creation date.

color scheme— a professional online service that allows you to generate a color scheme in accordance with the rules of color on the color wheel.

0 to 255- this service will allow you to view all possible shades and find the right one.

Color, as the main component of the logo, along with the form, font and symbols, is firmly rooted in our associative array. That is why it is so strange to see the usual Coca-Cola in an unusual blue color. But how strong is this connection? Is the color of the logo really that constant, which under no circumstances should be changed due to the risk of losing the “face” of the brand?

In order to answer these questions, Paula Rupolo, a graphic designer from Brazil, made an experimental project - she changed the color schemes of famous competing brands. According to Paula, “Color is the first thing we notice in a logo, and it is the quickest thing for the brain to perceive. And only then do we read the shape, symbols and typography.” Here are the results of her work:

It is hard not to notice that in some cases, the color itself becomes the hallmark of the company. We are talking about Google, whose rainbow colors have become so recognizable that they are directly associated with Google, no matter what font the word is written in. Why is there a font, no matter what word is written - Yahoo clearly lost in this battle!

Fast-food giants McDonald's and Subway appeal to ideology in their color scheme. In this case, the green Subway says “fresh and healthy food here!”, and McDonald’s was created back in those years when it was important to eat hearty and tasty, and not dietary and healthy. Hence the inviting red color that screams - here, here is food!

Interestingly, in 2010, McDonalds made a color compromise, and began to gradually replace the usual red in corporate identity elements and packaging with “safe” green color. This ploy is entirely aimed at those unique individuals who, in the pseudo pursuit of healthy food, do not want to give up their favorite fast food, and, eating a greasy green-packed hamburger, are completely sure that they will not get fat from it.

In general, color associations play a huge role in our lives, not to mention design. It is not for nothing that scientists have developed a whole direction - color therapy, in which the mood and psychological state of a person is regulated with the help of flowers. We will not talk here about the meaning of each color in different cultures. This topic is well covered in many scientific and design works (Color Harmony: Logos, Color & Layout. From Asparagus White to Burnt Olive, Color Catalog / Color Index), but we still recall the main associations of some colors.

Blue

The color of the endless ocean and endless sky. Strongly associated with wisdom, calmness, solidity and confidence. Blue in the color of the logo is often chosen by state-owned companies and large corporations. It's practically a win-win.

Green

The color of nature and money is therefore often chosen by companies for broadcast or environmental or economic overtones. In addition, the green color is calming. nervous system- it is safe in every sense, it is only important to combine it correctly with other colors.

Yellow

The color of energy, joy and happiness. Thanks to this message, it is often used for children's topics. Very strong both on its own and in combination with other colors.

Red

If you want to attract attention, then red is what you need. Despite its aggressive nature, red has long become not so much a signal as a color of desire. Shades from scarlet to burgundy are actively used by such giants as Shell, Coca-Cola, MTS, etc. Women always like red, and often men over 40 (think of the midlife crisis and passion for red sports cars). Red looks especially good as an accent color in a restrained color scheme.

Orange

It's about health and relaxation. All about vitamins healthy drinks and other “health related” products are orange. It is very strong on its own, but behaves well in combinations with black (bright), gray, white and blue.

White

Elitism and purity are the main characteristics of this color. We are very fond of pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies and manufacturers of dairy products. But since the white color requires some kind of contrast, white typography on a contrasting gray or blue background is used to create a logo. Recently, thin white fonts on a colored background have become very popular in the web environment and mobile applications.

Black

Self-sufficiency, style and conciseness. In general, one way or another, any logo must have its own black and white version (this is very well said will.i.am). But being black is always a bold choice.

Grey

Gray and its variations, from graphite to silver, are today associated with technology, computers and science. Looks good in combination with blue, orange, red.

Brown

The first and most persistent association is coffee. Then chocolate. And then everything else. That is why the brown color is ardently loved by a variety of coffee houses, restaurants, confectioneries, etc. A rich combination with brown forms gold, a combination with white looks very tasty.

Results:

Whatever color you choose for your logo, it's important to remember that the logo itself is already part of the story. In combination with the shape of the logo and the style, the color creates a single whole - a unique symbol, at the mere glance of which the idea of ​​the company should be well read. If the choice of color is unsuccessful, then the logo will be torn by contradictions. For example, the logo of a financial institution in orange and blue colors is more about relaxation than about money.

Logo color is one of the key elements of a strong brand. Each color has its own characteristics, associations and psychological impact. By choosing a color or combination of colors for your logo, you also get these associations. Colors evoke certain emotions and feelings, so it's extremely important to choose a color that effectively represents your personality.

“Understanding the psychology of color is vital when creating an effective logo,” Martin Christie of Logo Design London.

Research shows that people subconsciously form an opinion about a person, environment, or product in the first 90 seconds, and that 62% to 90% of this assessment is based on color alone.

How important is the color of a logo?

The corporate color of the logo is very important! Take, for example, the popular McDonald’s logo and play with color (may the designers forgive us):

Even though we haven't changed the design at all, the color change has turned a famous brand into something completely different. And it's not exactly appetizing.

We can do the same exercise with the Coca-Cola logo:

Something does not really want to take such a jar of a delicious drink, right?

The biohazard sign takes on a whole different meaning when shown in Barbie colors or eco-friendly colors:

Even when explicit verbal commands are included, conflicting color symbology can be misleading.

Change only the color of the stop signs to green and this will lead to accidents at every intersection. So it's safe to say that corporate colors are very important.

So, how to choose a color for creating a logo?

Color Meaning

Let's take a look at how the 100 most popular brands in the world use color in their logos.

These companies spend millions, if not billions, on marketing and brand development, and they still know a thing or two about the colors they use.

Here are some charts that show the statistics of the use of color by well-known companies:

What do we see? Most popular brands are monochrome - they use one color. The most used color is shades of blue, followed (ironically) by black. The last color on the list is purple - a risky decision.

Now that we've cleared things up a bit, let's take a look at the psychology of different colors - from the most popular to the least popular - and see how well-known corporations and brands use them.

Blue color

Meaning: Trust, conservatism, reliability, honesty, calmness, strength, coldness.

Notable: The most popular corporate color. Often used for internet businesses and financial institutions. Courageous color.

Black color

Meaning: Refinement, luxury, formality, style, elegance, high cost, authority.

Notable: Black is used for "high-end" brands, either as a base color or paired with another color. Black gloomy, serious. Most of the logos were first designed in black and white.

Red color

Meaning: Courage, passion, strength, attention, love, delight, action, aggressiveness.

Notable: Red works equally well on black and white backgrounds. It can mean stop, danger and hot. Exclamation color. Pink colors (shades of red) are considered to be feminine colors.

Yellow

Meaning: Logical, optimistic, progressive, confident, playful, creative.

Notable: Yellow is usually too bright to be used on its own and requires the use of an outline, background, or bordering color. This is the color of caution. Represents clarity.

Orange color

Meaning: Happy, energetic, outgoing, friendly, approachable, enthusiastic, sunny.

Notable: Orange is said to stimulate appetite. Orange is used in some caution signs. Often used in retail. Typically, this is a call to action.

Green color

Meaning: Nature, wealth, freshness, life, harmony, environment, growth, novelty.

Noteworthy: Green means “forward”. Often used to represent eco companies and products. Considered a calming color.

Purple

Meaning: Regal, mystery, pomp, ceremonial, creativity, uniqueness, majesty.

Notable: Once the most expensive color to produce, it was made from a rare seaweed. Often regarded as elite. Liked by children, it is often used in the packaging of sweets and toys.

The combination of colors in the logo

Now that we've dealt with the psychological impact of colors, let's take a look at how to choose a color for a logo.

We can choose from a range of classic palettes from the color wheel that artists have used for centuries to create balanced and visually pleasing (or high-contrast and vibrant) compositions. In most design applications, these color schemes should be divided into one dominant color (either dominant because of how much it appears in the design or because it stands out when compared to other colors) and one or more complementary colors.

There are several ways to choose a color:

1) Monochrome colors. Various shades are used, tones of the same color, for example, a spectrum of blue, ranging from light to dark. This type of scheme is more subtle and conservative (see the picture of the 100 most popular brands above).

2) Similar colors. Shades that are next to each other on the color wheel. This type of schema is versatile and easy to apply to design.

3) Complimentary (additional) colors. Opposites on the color wheel, such as red/green or blue/orange; complementary colors with high contrast and high intensity, but they can be difficult to apply in a balanced and harmonious way (especially in their pure form, when they can easily clash in a design).

4) Separate-complimentary. Any color on the color wheel plus two flanking colors. This scheme has a strong visual contrast, but less sharp than in a complementary combination.

5) Triadic. Any three colors that are the same distance apart.

6) Tetrad / Doubly complimentary. Two pairs that complement each other; this scheme is very attractive, but it can be even more difficult than applying one pair of complementary colors, since more colors are more difficult to balance. If you use this type of scheme, you choose one dominant color out of four, and adjust the saturation/value/etc. of some or all of the colors so they work well in different parts of your design, text, and background.

How to choose a color

Look at this infographic to quickly remember the meaning of each color. Ask yourself the following questions:

What color represents the essence of your brand?
Colors are not tied to a specific area of ​​the economy - although some are more or less suitable for certain products or services. Your goal should be to choose the color that best suits your business. The color that will give the best impression of your product at first sight.

Which color suits the characteristics of your product or service?

What logo color are your competitors using?

Choose a color that is the opposite of your competitor's. The color of your opponent is probably the most important thing to take into account. If you are a pioneer in your industry or market segment, you can choose first. Choose a color that represents your product and its uniqueness. If you are second, it means that someone has already made the first choice. Instead of choosing the same or a similar color, choose the opposite. Pick blue if your competitor has red, pick purple if they have yellow, and so on. The strength of a brand lies in its ability to stand out. Choosing the same color as your main competitor gives the impression of being imitated. You want to separate yourself from your competitor, you want to show that you are different.

Don't limit yourself to one color
Some brands, like eBay, choose multiple logo colors. You can also choose a couple of colors that look good together, but there is also the risk of being wrong. Therefore, it is best to use 1-3 logo colors.

Be aware of the difference in cultural perception of your color
For example, in the Western world, white is considered the color of purity and peace, but in some parts of Asia, white is the color of death. Make sure the color you choose will create the right impression for your target audience.

The psychology of color in marketing
Brand awareness is closely related to color. Just think of Coca-Cola, Facebook or Starbucks and I bet you can immediately name the colors they are associated with.

The University of Winnipeg study "The Impact of Color on Marketing" showed that the first judgment of a product is based on color (60-90%, in the first 90 seconds). This means that in design, color is not only an artistic choice, but also an important business decision that affects everything from consumer perception to product sales.

But when choosing a color scheme for a logo or brand, don't get attached to any traditional, symbolic, or stereotypical methods. When it comes to color, there is no simple process or hard and fast rule. The most important thing is the color itself and how it is used in the design - whether it suits the brand and the context of the market. For inspiration, check out BrandColors, a site that contains a visual guide (with hex colors) to color selection made by famous brands around the world.

Color matching series

Adobe Color CC

Adobe Color CC lets you try, create, and save different color schemes, each consisting of a set of five colors. It is available in browser and desktop versions. If you're using the desktop version, you can export the color scheme directly to Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Mudcube Color Sphere

If you're unsure about your color scheme, Mudcube has a selection of themes to choose from. Mudcube Color Sphere is a handy little color resource for designers because it not only provides a HEX number for each color, it also helps you create a color scheme from a single selected shade. If you're not sure which color scheme you should choose, MudCube will provide a theme selection from a drop-down menu.

Other services

Color Palette Generator is a free online service that allows you to generate a color palette based on an uploaded PNG, JPG or GIF file.

ColorZilla - with the help of Colorzilla, you can take a color from anywhere in your browser with an eyedropper and determine its number. An essential item for designers.

Material UI Colors is a color palette for Android, web and iOS in the style of material design.
Brand Colors - colors used by famous brands.

COLOURlovers - the library of this web resource has more than 2 million ready-made color solutions that can be sorted by rating, number of views and creation date.

Colorscheme is a professional online service that allows you to generate a color scheme according to the color rules on the color wheel.

0 to 255 - this service will allow you to view all possible shades and find the right one.