We've had a bit of a break from the Good Look Cookbook. But, we're back! And excited to share some new ideas with you. We'll still be posting once a week. But we've expanded our post topics and will share things in addition to design recipes.
One of those things is a rotating round table discussion called Design Dish. We'll take turns writing about a topic. The design chefs here at GLCB will chime in with their opinions and then we'll turn it over to you to discuss. We'd love to hear what you have to say!
Our first Design Dish topic is:
TANGERINE TANGO!
This is the 2012 Color of the Year from Pantone.
Color is an important aspect of design. It can make or break the way people view your project and is a determining factor of how successful it will be. Let's face it. Color comes with baggage. Some of it's good baggage sure. But sometimes, it's the lunch box left unopened in the back of the car. That happen to anyone? No? Um, me either...
Color can influence your mood, the way you buy, the amount you eat, and more. Crazy but true.
So what we want to know is:
What is your opinion of Tangerine Tango? Do you like it? Do you hate it?
Heather Says: I like this color. I am partial to most shades of orange, though. I have it all through my house as accents, on my website, and even in my hair ;). This shade feels a tiny bit 80's to me. Which I like. Miami Vice anyone?
Maralee Says: I LOVE the color! It's exotic and feels warm and summery to me--it's a confident and bold color, but it's not trite, like red or orange (no offense to these colors, it's just that this is color is fresh and choosing to use it would be deliberate).
Cherise Says: I think the color has potential for being great, but also potential for being misused. Because of its boldness, you have to be a bit careful with the colors you pair it with. Because it is so bold, you can dare to go bold with your pairing color too. I am partial to pairing it with turquoise or fuschia in the right setting.
Does the announcement of a "color of the year" by Pantone influence your design? How or Why?
Heather Says: I always pay attention to it. I seem to see the color everywhere. Self fulfilling prophecy maybe? I think it's good to be on trend. If there is an opportunity to use a shade like the color of the year, then I will try to match it. However, if the design doesn't call for it, I don't force it.
Maralee Says: There have been "colors of the year" that I don't care for personally, but with so many other colors to choose from, it doesn't "hurt" to ignore a color of the year. But if I love it (like I do this one), I will definitely look for opportunities to appropriately use it in projects. With a bold color, there's a chance that it could become a passing trend that would "date" my work (like avocado green and mustard yellow did for the 70s. Until they came back in recent years, no one dared use them unless you needed a retro 70s look!) So it's a color that I would consider the longevity of what I'm using it for, but I will definitely look for opportunities to use it where it "fits".
Cherise Says: I don't think the announcement of a color of the year influences my design much, but perhaps slightly. It may open my eyes to try something new that I might not otherwise have given a chance.
How do you go about using color in your designs? Do you start with color in mind or add it in later?
Heather Says: Maybe it's because I started designing at a time when you had to make camera ready black and white art for all the projects first. But, I tend to do most things (especially logos) in black and white first and then add in color. However, with each new advance in technology it is easier and easier to incorporate amazing colors into design projects.
Maralee Says: Sometimes I design with a certain color in mind, and other times I design in black and white (especially for logos), then add color later. I almost always fidget with getting the shade just right though so it's "just right". For me, color is something that has to match the design, not the other way around. The color, the typography, the photography--they are all elements that need to be in the proper balance with each other, so they all need to be flexible in order to work well together.
Cherise Says: I typically start with a color palette that I find pleasing or an inspiration board that gathers the "feel" I'm going for.
Do you have an example of something you like that uses this color? Either something you've designed or something you just admire?
Heather Says: I think this notebook by Rifle Design Co. is a beautiful example of Tangerine Tango as well as a wonderful complementary palette.
I also really like this giclee print by Britt Bass called Moss Growth IV.
Maralee Says: I used this color as an accent in one of my email newsletters, and on the accompanying postcard file. I wanted a bold color that would bring some vitality, that would anchor the neutral colored images to each other.
Here are links to a couple other things I liked that use that color--
Cherise Says: I love this bedroom that incorporates Tangerine Tango with some pops of fuschia and lots of clean white and black!
So what about you? Want to dish about Tangerine Tango? Leave a comment with your responses. We'd love to hear what you think!
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