The Most Impactful Ways Colors and Shapes Impact Your Brand

"The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude."

Friedrich Nietzsche 

Every entrepreneur dreams about creating a logo that will stand the test of time. Creating an iconic image takes a lot of work, though. And having a memorable brand doesn't require having the most intricate design. Instead, it's about being simple and to the point.

Therefore, understanding the impact shapes and colors have on the consumer's psychology will help you become more of the Beethoven of branding.

Where to begin?

When designing your logo, you want to keep in mind what emotions you want to invoke and try to align your color shape combination to the best fit.

For instance, almost every fast food chain you can think of uses red in its logo as opposed to blue, which is said to suppress appetite. Red, however, is said to induce hunger.

And let's consider the tech giants YouTube and Google Play app. Both logos are triangles positioned in a manner much like the "Play" button on every audio or visual device since the beginning of time. And when you see those apps, do you not get the urge to press the button? It just feels like the right thing to do!

What is color theory? How colors us psychologically

Color theory is a field of study that explores how different colors affect human psychological and emotional states. While there is no definitive answer as to why specific colors produce certain effects, it is widely accepted that color can influence everything from mood and energy levels to Attention span and memory.

For example, research has shown that blue is often associated with calm and relaxation, while yellow is often seen as cheerful and optimistic. In general, warmer colors like red and orange are thought to be more exciting, while cooler colors like blue and purple are often more calming and relaxing. 

Color theory is not an exact science, understanding how color can affect our emotions can be helpful in everything from choosing colors for our homes to selecting the proper clothing for a job interview.

Primary Colors: Red, Blue, and Yellow 

• Red can allude to energy. 
• Blue is often associated with intelligence, technology and trust.
• Yellow can be representative of youth and Optimism. For example: McDonald’s red and yellow combination is the least to say a great combination because the red is representative of the energy kids have and the yellow for the youthfulness.

Why are shapes important in art?

One of the elements of art is shape. Shape can create space, volume, structure, movement, and texture in a work of art. It can also be used to create rhythm and patterns. Shapes can be used to convey emotions and convey a message.

Take sharp angles for example, they might be used to express aggression, while soft curves might represent serenity. Shapes are important elements artists and designers use to create their work. Being able to understand the relationship between shapes and colors allows one to create powerful visual works.

Geometric Shapes: Square, Triangles and Circles

• Squares: Symbolic of Stability and Balance.
• Circles: circular shapes typically symbolize unity and community and Infinity.  
• Triangles: Triangles represent ingenuity and mysticism. 

Companies that have conformed to industry standards are Square, Dropbox, and Facebook. All 3 companies primary Color is blue and they all make use of the Square in some form or fashion. 

Why colors Trigger Us

Have you ever noticed that specific colors tend to make you feel certain ways? It turns out there's a reason for that. Studies in color psychology have shown that different colors can trigger different emotions in people.

For example, blue is often associated with calm and relaxation, while red is associated with excitement and energy. Green is often associated with its color psychology definition of "the color of balance," and purple is often associated with luxury and royalty.

By understanding how colors affect us emotionally, we can use them to our advantage. If we want to create a calm and relaxing environment, we may use blue as the dominant color. Or, if we want to create a more exciting and energetic space, we may use red.

So the next time you are choosing colors for your home or office, remember how they might make you feel - it could make all the difference!

You must set yourself apart to stand out. Creating a visual brand identity should also reflect this thought. Your design esthetics should be simple and less than four different colors. Minimalism and the ability to be clever in design go a long way in creating something memorable and authentic.

Consider the Impact of Color in your Branding

So before you begin the long drawn out process of filing for trademark consider the psychological implications shapes and colors play in invoking certain behavior and responses. This will increase your chances for originality, effectiveness in transmitting the right ideals and values as well as approval for trademark. 

Bibliography 

• Color Psychology In Marketing: How It Impacts Your Branding. Kimp.io
• Color psychology in Marketing and Branding is all about context. Gregory Ciotti. Helpscout.com. 2020
• 8 Logo Shapes to get your Brand in Good Shape. Gareth Mankoo. Logo.com 2022
• Color Your Brand: What the Hues.You Choose Say about your Company. Bluehost.com. 2016
• Logo Shapes: what they mean and why they’re important. Enina Bicaku. 2022