While proposing a logo to a client his wife jumped in and said "This one. This design is the one." The client added,"That's OK, as long as the colors are blue and gold, my college colors." Many designers have similar stories of how their clients choose colors for their corporate identity. Is there a better way? What factors should clients and designers think about when choosing colors for their identity and church graphics? Here are some possibilities to think about as your church looks for the perfect palette of colors.

Tradition
Some organizations have traditional colors that are an asset to help people identify them. Companies such as UPS (brown), IBM (blue), Nike (orange), or McDonald's (Yellow and red) are tied to their colors. Even as UPS recently altered their logo, the traditional brown remained.

Related items
If your choir robes, carpet, hymnals, and other items are green, you would be wise to at least consider green as one of your logo colors. If there is a predominance of one color at your church, it is already in your members subconscious. They are already thinking of that color to identify the church. Adding it to your identity, marketing materials and other graphics is a successful way to reinforce it.

Personal preference
If you're a new church, the slate is clean. You can be like my client and go with colors that have meaning to you.

Trends
At any given time there are colors that are more popular than others. A few years ago we had a lot of requests for teal. During times of social or political uncertainty, traditional, safe colors such as navy blue and red get used more. Trendy colors may fall out of style in a few years, but on a positive note the use of "in" colors can also communicate that you are contemporary. If the colors get stale, you can either choose to update or stick with them. For years I had an aversion to UPS' use of brown. Now I agree that it is tied so closely to their identity that it would be a mistake to change it.

Other organizations
A popular bit of advice for home remodeling is to keep a file of your favorite decorating and design ideas. The same advice is useful for for communications materials. If you can't decide on a color combination, look at logos from companies and organizations that appeal to you. If it strikes a chord with you, chances are it will have a similar affect on others.

Emotional meaning
Colors have a common emotional meaning to most viewers. Choosing colos based on their emotional values can produce the results you are looking for.

• Blue - a calming color. The dependable nature of water and sky (they are always there) is a positive trait. Other associations include strength and credibility. Many financial institutions use blue for this reason. Blue is described as a cool color (the color of ice).
• Red - an attention getter. Red is a hot color and signifies power, strength and energy.
  
• Yellow - the brightest and most visible of the colors, yellow is warm, energetic, cheerful, and user-friendly.
  
• Green - suggests words connected to nature such as fresh, healing, natural and healthy.
  
• White - the color of purity (wedding dresses and calla lilies). Pristine and bright are other adjectives associated with white.
  
• Purple - a spiritual color that combines the excitement of red and the stability of blue. It also implies newness and creativity. Deep purple is majestic and communicates a sense of depth.
  
• Black - has become more positive in recent years in the way it is perceived. It is considered classy, sophisticated and associated with quality. Black conveys strength, but used in heavy doses it sends a message of mourning and spiritual darkness.

If you already have a logo, updating the colors can be one of the simplest ways to freshen up the look of your church. Like anything connected to your branding efforts, the use of colors needs to be considered thoughtfully as it relates to your signage, architecture, interior, and printed materials. Color is a simple but effective way to enhance and tie together the communications of your church.

Copyright 2002-4. Michael Kern. All rights reserved.
Please contact Information@churchlogogallery.com for permission to use all or any portion of this.