Any creative will tell you: choosing colors or color palettes can be daunting. It’s technical. It’s complex. It’s emotional. It’s cultural. It’s subjective. And perhaps most frustratingly, it seems the more you learn about color, the more you realize how much you still don’t know.
Color forecasting is an industry devoted entirely to color and color trending. It’s hugely popular in the worlds of fashion design, fabric design, decorating and industrial design. The ability to predict next season’s biggest sellers based on color trends is what separates the men from the boys, so to speak; it means big business for those who are willing to go out on a limb and are subsequently proven right.
But what if you’re not one of the chosen few who gets to decide if Tangerine Tango is ‘in?’ How do you make color decisions without the aid of a Ouija board, a magic 8-ball or pulling Pantone chips out of a hat? Over the years, we’ve come up with a few sure-fire ways to to make the whole process a little less stressful, and a lot more successful.
Tip #1: Start with what you’ve got
With color, inspiration can come from anywhere, but the first place to look is at what exists — by taking stock of elements that are already present (or taking shape) in your design. It could be anything from a photograph you’re considering for use as the main image to some aspect of the logo you find particularly interesting. Whatever it is, treat it as your inspiration; your muse; the star of your production. Then build the supporting cast around it. Color Scheme Designer can can help you formulate a beautiful, balanced and nuanced palette starting with just a single color inspiration. There’s also Colourlovers a social media platform for sharing palettes, patterns, etc., with search tools to help you find color combinations.
Tip #2: Nature’s palette
The natural world is chock full of incredible color combinations that can be used to create palettes that are unique and atthe same time familiar. Take amacintosh apple, for example. It contains at least a half dozen colors that could be extracted into a palette. When used in a layout (see below) that has similar proportions to the apple itself, the result is a vibrant,balanced and yet familiar design execution. The possibilities are endless…try a few for yourself by uploading your inspiration and seeing what happens.
Tip # 3: Opposites attract
The last time most people saw a color wheel was in elementary school. But good designers use this magical tool all the time, finding inspiration in basics (P•S•T—primary, secondary and tertiary) colors. Try it yourself, by pairing a color with its opposite on the other side of the wheel to create a dramatic contrast. Then play around with some different shades and tints to find the right combination for your project. Keep in mind, though, that most palettes can only handle one of these combinations, so you’ll want to supplement your opposite pair with a few closer ‘accent colors.’ Try this tool to help you become re-acquainted with the color wheel and experiment with combinations. Happy coloring.
