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Colour Theory in Brand Logo Designs

Colour. It is all around us. But how often do we really notice the psychological impact that colours have on our daily lives?

Here’s an interesting quiz: can you name the colours of Google’s logo in order? While you might not be able to remember the order, it’s easy to recall that the logo consists of green, red, yellow and blue. This distinctiveness of Google’s brand colours is what truly drives its success as a multinational technology company.

The Psychological Impact of Colours

There is a strong psychological component involved in creating a successful brand, and brand colours — as well as logos — is one of them. Research has shown that colours do have an effect on us, and can even convey messages if used right. Personal preference, experiences, and cultural upbringing are all factors that shape the way we think about specific colours.

When you understand how humans perceive colour, you’ll be better able to apply the colour theory for your brand logo. What colour palette should you use? How should you mix colours together? Should you opt for higher contrast, softer hues?

Colours play a very important part in solidifying a brand’s identity and personality. By using colours wisely, a brand can present itself to be more familiar and likeable to their consumers. In fact, one study has shown that strategic use of colours can actually influence consumers’ purchasing intent!

Another study discovered that people can make up their minds about a product or service within the first 90 seconds of their interaction with it. Up to a whopping 90% of this can be based just on colour alone. So, colours can indeed influence not only our moods but also our attitudes towards certain products.

How Brands Use Colour Theory to Strengthen Brand Identity

A good example of how colours come into play. (Source: Kaeveeoh on Dribbble)

So now we know that colours can convey messages, let’s talk about colour theory. Since different colours evoke different emotions in us, we can use this to build our brand identity. Take a look at Google, for instance. How do Google’s colours work to strengthen its brand identity in our minds?

Knowing that colours steer us to perceive a brand in a certain manner, Google uses a multicoloured logo against a clean white canvas. The logo is largely made up of the three primary colours of paint and light. This subconsciously suggests to us the simplicity of the brand. And indeed, all of us find Google’s services particularly user-friendly and easy to navigate, don’t we?

Colours such as red evoke a sense of urgency, excitement, and passion. It also stimulates the body by raising blood pressure and heart rate. Many fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s, as well as Coca Cola, make use of this to entice people to patronise their business.

Meanwhile, the colour green makes us think of health and nature. This colour can be used by brands such as Starbucks to signify a strong connection to environmental friendliness and the earthy tones of their coffee beans.

How to Create a Logo Effectively

How will colour theory translate into creating your brand? (Source: Logo Design)

Before deciding on the colours for your brand, you need to consider your brand identity and what you want to convey. Want to express your brand’s reliability and professionalism? Blue is a good colour to represent just that. Hoping to express optimism and warmth? Call on a bright shade of yellow.

Of course, creating a distinct brand logo takes more work than just looking at the colour wheel and selecting complementary colours. Brands who want a professional design can consult a creative agency for a more in-depth analysis.

As a creative agency, MIU’s strength lies in understanding what your brand stands for and what it needs. By conducting comprehensive research on your brand and its market, we are able to come up with powerful designs in high resolution that suit your brand perfectly. Ready to have a custom logo for your brand? Don’t hesitate to consult us and get into the business of choosing your logo.

How to create a fabulous name card design

Having a well-designed name card is essential for a business. Not only could it be the first impression your customers will have, but a good name card also leaves a lasting impression in their minds. Want your customers to think of you when looking for your product or service? You need an eye-catching name card.

Surely, it’s not that hard to design a good name card, you might think to yourself. After all, it’s just a piece of paper.

But it’s so much more than that. Your name card is what will draw customers back; it is in itself an opportunity to advertise your brand and implement brand recognition. To run a business effectively, you cannot do without a good name card.

Here’s how you can design your own name card in a few steps:

1. Search for a name card template

Some of Canva’s business card templates. (Source: Canva)

There are plenty of websites out there that offer templates for basic name card designs. Canva, for example, is one website where you can quickly craft your own name card and is especially helpful if you are doing it on a time constraint. Most of Canva’s templates follow the basic rectangular structure of the standard size, but feel free to break out of the mould if you want your name card to stand out!

2. Add your logo and relevant graphics

Example of a name card with a clear and distinct logo. (Source: RawPixel)

The most important detail of any business name card is, of course, the logo — so you want to make sure that your logo is the most prominent detail on the card itself. This will go towards building brand recognition and brand design. Do keep in mind that you can use both sides of the card to your advantage. In fact, it is recommended to have your logo on both sides, so have your logo on one side be a smaller version along with your contact details.

Now that you have your logo placement settled, it is time to decide on any graphics that you might want to add on to your card. Think about what kinds of graphics would help make your name card stand out. Or are you going for a minimalistic design? If so, you can also opt for a clutter-free design by choosing to leave as much negative space as you want on the card itself. Remember, this all contributes to your brand identity, so make your choices wisely.

3. Consider other details

What is the most vital piece of information you want to present on your card? (Source: Grabprinting)

Other factors that you should consider besides the logo and the graphics on the card would be the font, colours, as well as the information attached. Visuals play a huge part in building your brand identity, particularly in the eyes of your customers, so take care to pick your brand colours and typefaces with that in mind. You can refer to our Instagram for some typography tips!

On any name card, there always has to be three required pieces of information present. This includes who you are, what you do, as well as your contact information. So make sure your name, company, and job title are all clearly presented on the card itself. Contact information may refer to your phone number, email, or even your business address. You may also consider adding your social media handles on your card so that potential customers may be nudged into checking out your brand online, which will then help pull them further into becoming a loyal customer. Lastly, if you so prefer, do also include your website URL and if it helps, your company slogan.

4. Determine the final touches

What a luxurious card design this company has come up with! (Source: Line25)

Now that the design is all ready for printing, the last factor to consider before you send it off for bulk printing would be the shape, material and any other finishing touches. One feature you can make use of is die-cutting. With the advancements in printing technology, it is now possible to mass print name cards, even if they are not the standard layout we are used to seeing. You can even switch out the typical paper or plastic material for something more uncommon, like wood or metal, although that will undoubtedly be more costly.

Other special effects you can implement on your business card as well would be embossing, letter pressing, or even spot UV coating, which will give your business card a premium feel. These might make the logo or text on your business card really jump out and catch the eye of potential customers. Of course, this might not be possible with the free name card templates that you might find online, so if you want a more unique design, you might have to turn elsewhere for help.

5. Send it for printing

You can even opt for metallic finishes at the edges of your cards! (Source: NovelPrint)

Once you’ve brainstormed over the minute details of your name card and have come up with a design you are satisfied with, you just need to sit back and let the printing company do its job! I daresay this is the easiest step of the list — just watch the magic happen, from screen to hand.

If you’re a company looking for some card printing services in Singapore, you can turn to print companies like IPrint Express, PrintCity and HoopStudio, all of which guarantee quality business card printing services.

How important do you think a name card is to a company? If your answer to that question was “unimportant” before, I sure hope this article has since changed your mind. A high-quality name card with a strong design can do wonders for a brand — after all, name cards are just like pocket-sized billboards. We offer plenty of design services at MIU — yes, including name card designs as well — so don’t hesitate to hit us up for any of your design needs.

Tag: logo

Applying Colour Theory to Your Brand Logo Design