Many of you have probably heard of colour psychology. Colour psychology tell us that colours impact our emotions and behaviours. For example, yellow is cheerful (as the children singing on Barney said... like the sun!) and green is calming and is associated with nature. But do these classic colour definitions really mean anything when it comes to designing a logo?

Researchers found that some colours will keep their traditional associations when used in branding, however, this is not the case for all. To save you from having to read thousands of studies on the psychological impacts of colour in order to get some insight on what colours would be best for your brand, we have done the research for you and simply broke down what colours could match with your brand standards. We hope this information offers you the pportunity for the most success with your target audience!

RED: The universal sign of excitment, passion and anger. Is your brand loud, playful, youthful or modern? Think red! More mature, classic or serious? Perhaps red may not be for you.

ORANGE: An invigorating, playful colour. Go orange to stand out from the crowd. This colour is used less often than red, but still packs an energenic punch.

YELLOW: Accessible, sunshiney, friendliness. Yellow exudes cheer and your brand will radiate an affordable, youthful energy.

GREEN: The ultimate in versatility, green is linked with many brand personality traits, but has strong cultural associations. Are you in finance and dealing with money? Gardening and nature? Healthy eating and fitness? Consider going green!

BLUE: The classic king of colours, blue appears in over half of all logos. Blue symbolizes trustworthiness and maturity, true blue will make sure you're taken seriously.

PURPLE: Where the rainbow gets luxurious. Use purple to appear cutting-edge and wise. There is a hint of femininity in there too!

PINK: Nothing says "girly" quite like pink. But it's more versatile than that! From pastel rose to neon magenta, pick pink for a modern, youthful, luxurious look.

BROWN: What can brown do for you? Make your brand appear rugged, masculine or serious.

BLACK: Black will always be classic. Want to look slick, modern, expensive and luxurious? Time to go black and don't go back!

WHITE: White is youthful and economical, but can work for almost any brand! As a neutral colour, consider white as a secondary accent.

GREY: Not quite dark, not quite light. Grey is the middle ground of mature, classic and serious. Go darker to add mystery, go lighter to be more accessible.

Remember, you are not limited to one colour!

Special Thanks to: 99designs for this article.