Shape Psychology in Logo Design

Your brand-right visual communication can influence potential customers and make them raving fans. Logo design comes first in visual communication, defining your brand identity with an audience. Besides the color and font, one of the vital elements of logo design is shapes. While shape psychology in logo design conveys a message to the targeted audience and holds a meaning to connect.

Different shapes have different meanings. Shapes are more than just a visual appeal; they pile up with brand colors and fonts to set up a brand’s identity. In fact, research shows that logo shapes define how a consumer perceives your brand product and services.

However, it’s vital to know the meaning of each shape in design to align the logo with your brand perfectly. Let’s delve deeper into each shape psychology in logo design, its importance, and tips for the right shape in your compelling logo design.

Why do logo shapes matter?

Our brain hooks up to spot shapes and learn by rote. It’s likely that you remember the shapes you can relate to as they create an enduring impression on your mind.

In your daily grind, you see myriad shapes, which psychologically impact your mind on how you see these patterns, as they all have meanings. And cater to different vibes that connect you with various things happening in your life. Therefore, various shapes in logo design represent a message and belief of the brand that a target audience can connect and aspire to.

Here, the right shape targeted to the right audience can help;

• Communicate specific feelings that a customer can relate to.
• Build up brand recognition 
• Foster the brand identity
• Convey your brand message and beliefs.
• Create a meaningful bond with your potential customers.
• Develop trust and boost loyalty among customers
• Make a positive and lasting impression on a target audience.
  

Not all shapes can accurately resonate with your customers. Therefore, it’s critical to understand and incorporate shapes that are perfectly tailored to your target audience.

So, let’s cut to the chase and explore shape psychology in logo design and which works best for different audiences and industries. 

Shape Psychology in Logo Design

Using shape psychology in logo design can improve your branding and influence your potential customer’s mind. A couple of studies reveal that specific shapes hit certain individuals differently.

Some consumers who appreciate competancy favor angular shapes over rounded shapes. Moreover, other studies disclose that the round shape arouses a sense of happiness.  

Here are some essential shapes and their psychology that most businesses use according to their audience to level up the logo design game.

Circles and ovals

Circles and oval shapes are trendy patterns used in logo design as they are simple, memorable, and timeless. At the same time, Circles in the logo meaning are often linked with continuity, unity, stability, and community.

Meanwhile, ovals and ellipses fall in the category of circle shape and bring messages of love, support, and continuity. Circles evoke a feeling of harmony, security, and wholeness in the viewer’s mind.

If your brand wants to convey a feeling of togetherness, harmony, safety, and community, then a circle shape can fit your desire.

One famous brand with a circle logo is Pepsi, which evokes a sense of warmth and community. Because the company is dedicated to bringing people and cultures close together. 

Rectangle and Squares

Rectangle shapes are everywhere. The screen you are using right now, either a smartphone or desktop, is rectangular. You can find many rectangular designs around you.

Like any other medium, rectangular shapes in logo design hold an influential meaning that conveys certain feelings or emotions.

Meanwhile, the square and rectangle shape psychology in logo design decodes the emotions of stability, strength and balance in our brains. The sharp edges of rectangle and square shapes arouse a feeling of credibility and firmness in business.

Microsoft is one of the well-known square-shaped logos with vibrant colors. This eye-catching and recognizable logo evokes a sense of trust and reliability in the company.

Triangles

The triangle logo design is dynamic and has the energy to drive in a definite direction. This versatile triangle logo means trust, confidence, and strength. Triangles shape psychology in logo design and symbolize energy and progress. Triangle can do the job if you want to convey a sense of power, growth, innovation and leadership.

Because of flexibility and adaptability, you can play around the lines and create an appealing triangle shape according to your brand and audience. And the exciting thing is you can use a triangle shape as an alternative to the letters “A” and “V.”

Meanwhile, the famous US clothing brand “Guess” has a dynamic, eye-catching, triangle-shaped logo. Its bold logo design conveys a sense of progress, modernity and strength to customers.

Vertical and Horizontal Lines

Vertical and horizontal lines make up diverse logo shapes to communicate with the audience. These vertical lines express a feeling of stability, courage, progress and dominance. Vertical lines make logos look longer and narrower while stimulating a sense of advancement, strength and power. 

Soundcloud uses vertical lines with cloud curves to generate a compelling logo. This iconic logo brings a sense of imagination and strength to its users.   

Conversely, horizontal lines provoke an emotion of stability, calmness and tranquillity to the viewer. Moreover, consumers feel more secure and reliable in contrast to vertical lines.

One of the famous examples of horizontal line shapes is the IBM logo. This horizontal line letter logo expresses a feeling of calmness, reliability, and dependability to customers.

Organic shapes

Organic shapes exist in the real world, like flowers, birds, clouds, etc. These are free-form shapes in logo design, unlike geometric shapes. Organic shapes have unique images and figures that convey a sense of comfort and familiarity.

Dove, a beauty soap brand, uses dove a pigeon in their logo that symbolizes love, freedom and peace.

Puma, a footwear and apparel brand, uses Puma, a predator cat known for its big jumps. It symbolizes the speed, endurance, flexibility and agility for the athletes to run and step up their games with Puma.

However, it’s important to use organic shapes only when your brand relates to natural shapes to leave an impact on your audience.

Spiral

Spiral logo designs are unique; the twist makes it eye-catching and exciting. This unique shape is mesmerizing and calming. The brands use the spiral shape to portray a flow of energy, love, time and a gradual building strategy.

If your business wants to show creativity, growth, and transformation, then the spiral shape can represent you correctly. For instance, the UBISOFT hand-drawn “spiral” shape sparks enthusiasm and curiosity and reflects its playful approach to gaming.

Abstract

Abstract shapes in logo design may sound tricky, but they are one of the meaningful patterns. You can use other shapes to create a unique abstract design and benefit from geometric or organic shapes.

Circles, lines, and freeform patterns can shape an abstract that is way more compelling to depict a brand belief. Whether you want to create a minimalist or modern logo, abstract shapes can represent creativity and versatility in your design.

Slack uses abstract shapes in its logo design and conveys a message of its ease of use, creativity, and adaptability that connect its users.
 

Tips to use Shape Psychology in Logo Design

Now you understand that different shapes in logo design have different meanings. You can communicate and create an impact on the targeted audience through the use of perfect shapes.

When you know what message or idea you want to convey to your audience, it will become easy for you to decide on shapes that perfectly align with it.

Here are some tips to level up your shape psychology in logo design to create a perfect blend. 

• Select shapes that “feel” right to your brand and consumer: It’s essential to pick a shape that is tailored to your brand and consumer beliefs.
  
• Make a perfect recipe of color and shape in logo design: Ensure that the message you want to deliver through shape goes well with the brand color you choose so your logo carries weight as a whole.
  
• Select a shape related to your industry: Not all shapes work best with all sectors. So, make sure to choose an ideal shape for your enterprise. Let’s understand it with examples. The circle-shaped logo works well with software, education, finance, government agencies, banks, or pharmaceutical industries. Otherwise, insurance, finance, and traditional industries can use a rectangular shape as it offers more trust, security, and reality.
  
• Remember that your typography matches the shape: Your logo font should communicate a relevant idea like your shape. If you want to add calmness and serenity through your shape, you must choose softer and more rounded letters than loud ones for your brand.
  
• Merge the suitable shapes: Businesses crave a unique and powerful logo design to stand out in the competitive market. It combines a couple of shapes, unlike one side, though you don’t have to make the logo with multiple concepts. Fusing and opting for various shapes, colors, typefaces, and images can build up a range of visual ideas that align with the core values of your business.
  
• Keep the logo design simple: Ultimately, simplicity is the best policy. The same is the case when designing a logo. So, don’t create a complex logo that your audience is not clearly expressing and understandable. Therefore, make a clear yet simple logo shape design with a single idea that aligns with your company’s beliefs.
  

Final Thought

Designing a perfect logo is easier said than done, as it needs your full attention and work. When you collaborate with designers, make sure you know what idea or message you want to bring with your logo.

You can make your logo design memorable by carefully curating it from shapes to colors. After you understand the shape psychology in logo design, you can build up a powerful and compelling logo.

Remember that shapes have diverse impacts on various cultures, so research your audience deeply before stepping into the logo design process. Shape up your business and maximize its potential by bringing the right shape to the table.