The meaning of color in logos and how some famous ones were created

The infographic that follows has instructive summaries about the meaning of colors in logos, but what I found even more interesting is how some famous logos were created, which you will find near the bottom of the infographic. Also, though the information on colors is interesting as the latter comments show, it isn't the most significant aspect of them or what made them memorable.

Some of the most famous, including the logos for Microsoft, Google, Twitter, and Nike (yes, the famous swoosh) were all created for very little money (or nothing) by either students or the company owners.

Comments on this infographic that may be of value for churches

This is a fascinating piece of work, but it has many topics on it. The section about colors is interesting, but the real meat of the graphic is the information that follows it--so don't quit after you look at the comments on color. For churches, one take-away value is in the famous examples, mentioned before, that were created for little or no cost by either company founders or graphic arts students. To me this says that it isn't the innate design quality of the image that is powerful, but the associations that have grown up around it. The Twitter logo is simply a blue bird. The Nike swoosh is a simple symbol. The Google logo a simple (and to some viewpoints pretty tacky) piece of script as logo. None of them are inherently powerful.

What makes them powerful and recognizable is what the logo stands for, what is behind it, what it represents when we see it. In many ways their very simplicity makes them powerful because the logo itself doesn't distract from the identity of the company it represents. For churches, following are some considerations concerning logos, not listed in any order of importance:

• Don't assume your logo will "brand" you. Who you are and what you do will create the image your community remembers.
• Simplicity in your logo will allow your behavior to define you.
• Don't think you have to spend a lot of money for a logo—or that you need a professional marketing company to do it. Spend the money to feed hungry kids or provide clean water for those without it.
• http://www.fiverr.com/ is a great resource for inexpensive logo creation
• Search your heart, pray, ask the Lord to help you understand your unique calling in the Body of Christ and to help you find a logo that represents His work well in the life of your church or ministry
• Have fun with the color comments below and praise our Lord for giving us this beauty to enjoy.

Note: the attribution for the logo at the start of this article: By CADTEC (Schweiz) GmbH (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons. No meaning intended from it--I simply thought it was an interesting example and wanted something free to use.