What are some psychological perspectives to take into account when trying to design a logo that successfully communicates a brand’s identity? (i.e. shape, color, bad logos)
Heh, I could write all day about that. You just asked: 'Hey, what's design?' More about color and logos @ http://visual.ly/color-psychology-logo-design
It depends on the target market Designing for NZ - use plenty of black and silver Designing for Australia - use plenty of yellow and green Designing for Ireland or Wales - use celtic patterns Judging from the profile pics used on this forum I'd say that some countries prefer more formal, traditional logos, others can handle cutsie, stylised logos. Then you have age and gender considerations. Down here we have a DIY tool brand called Predator - it's hugely successful but I associate the word predator with rapist and can't see how it works. Men clearly see things differently or they wouldn't be buying it.
That's a big subject people write books on that. Shape- logos only get split seconds of attention much of the time so shapes have to be simple enough to stick in someones brain at a glance. Basic geometric shapes. Colors- their are many theories on colors, Blue can make people feel trust, Orange and Red can make people feel caution, but stand out, many people don't like certain colors like pink or yellow. Bad Logos- are really complex ones IMO, a logo is a mark not complex art work no one is going to sit around and and enjoy a logo it is just a brand to let you know who is here.