When you hear the name of a leading brand like Apple, Nike, Starbucks or Mercedes, the first thing that comes to the mind’s eye is probably the logo.
This is because logos have a psychological impact on our sub-conscious mind. But not only that, the shapes and use of lines within a logo can impact on the purchasing decision of consumers in various ways.
Purchasing decisions mostly rests on trust, and logos communicate emotional values that can determine whether or not people trust your brand.
It’s a complex scenario, but several studies conducted over the last few years have determined that the shape and colour of a company logo has an overbearing affect on how consumers perceive a company.
The psychology of logos
Psychologists and marketers have discovered that the sub-conscious mind responds better to logos that include geometric shapes. Circles, ovals, ellipses, squares, triangles and hexagons.
The patterns contained within logos evoke an emotional response which creates a perception of a company – rounded shapes are associated with comfort whereas flat edges are associated with things for practical use.
These perceptions are formed by the sub-conscious mind based on our experiences and what we see around us on a daily basis. Cushions and pillows are soft and typically rounded, whereas bricks and knives are angular with hard edges and serve a specific purpose.
What do shapes in logos mean?
If you study the logos of all the major corporations, banks and institutions, they all have appropriate logos and are based on sacred geometry. That’s because the designers of these logos understood the psychological impact these shapes have.
And now, so can you:
Rounded edges:
Circles, ovals and ellipses tend have a personal emotional responses as they are associated with feminine qualities; warmth, affection and trust.
You may have noticed web designers are rounding off corners on straight-edge shapes such as squares and rectangles – most notably on call to action buttons and buy buttons. Have you ever wondered why that is?
Straight edges:
Squares and rectangles are best used by companies that offer a practical service or product. Hard edges imply stability, reliability, strength and efficiency.
Triangles on the other hand are typically used by government authorities, religious groups and law makers as the triangle has an esoteric meaning of power. The triangle symbolically represents the number three which is the number of manifestation – it makes things happen.
Tech companies tend to use hard edges with the softness of rounded corners. This portrays innovation and dynamics combined with a friendly product you can trust. After all, the majority of people love technology gadgets.
Horizontal/vertical lines:
The former suggest tranquillity and calmness and are often associated with community connections. Vertical lines on the other hand have associations with strength, hierarchy and aggression.
A logo defines the perception of a brand. When designing a company logo, put some thought into how people will associate your brand based on the geometric shapes.
If you are not convinced that geometry makes a difference, study the corporate logos of every major company you like and take note of the sacred geometric shapes.
Carrie is passionate and skilful with all things branding, graphic design and illustration. Carrie has branded products on the shelves of well-known high street shops and theme parks. She loves designing company logos and making sure that your brand is reflected in the right way, to attract the right people. Carrie is also the designer of our Brand Identity Rockstar Workbook, which is for start-ups that need a little guidence if they aren't quite ready to invest in the full process. Carrie even has a few awards under her belt for Creative Business of the year and Kent Women In Business!
