For those of you looking to revive your product’s branding, web color pallet or your print materials for Q3 and Q4 2011, we’ve decided to provided some insight into business color trends for fall and winter.
Let’s reevaluate some of this year’s prominent color trends. As those of you in the design field may know, Honeysuckle - 18-2120 was announced as Pantone’s color of the year for 2011. That’s the pink one folks! Since then we have seen several complementary variations to this hue. As an ensemble, they created vibrant color pallets for spring.
Businesses have embraced spring’s color pallet by including it in their development of new branding, or applying it to their existing products. Some would argue that spring pallets are often too vivid to be associated with business graphics for fear of being seen as weak or unprofessional. With its use of bright, yet cool and complementary shades, this year’s spring palette was a bit more subdued than in previous years. However, it was still lively enough to be included in a wide-range of business communication graphics.
At Graphique, some of our most vivid design work has become our client’s favorite. So much so that we have clients specifically come to us requesting a logo or business identity designed with the same “whimsical and colorful feel” in mind. This spring and summer we worked with a wide variety of spring pallets, including an assortment of bright sports team colors for a corporate identity design and assertive hot pink logo design.
Color trends do not always translate into all fields of business. We pride ourselves in finding modern colors to help harmonize our designs in everything from tradeshow displays to branding and webpage design. Being aware of innovative color pallets helps us suggest contemporary looks for our clients requiring a brand update. Designing with the Pantone color formula guide makes it easier to match and apply our client’s pallet of choice to virtually any product type.
Now let’s focus on the forecast for fall and winter 2011.
Blue becomes an emerging color in print for fall and winter 2011. Color forecasters believe it is due to heightened awareness of global water reduction. Blues are shown in paler, inky and darker navy tones that give an ethereal feeling.
Red will be a vivid, orange-red hue to evoke a hot, energetic and intense feel.
Pink will be a mixture of hues that are dynamic, assertive and anything but subdued.
Purple will emerge as a red-based hue. It gives a passionate, complex and vivid feel when applied to patterns and print.
Green will be seen this season as either a foggy or vibrant shade of green. Think of an olive based, fresh and un-intrusive shade when you think of foggy.
Orange will be preferred this season in mixes of bright, attention-grabbing yellow-orange, pink-orange and coral.
Brown, as always, will be popular during fall and winter. This season it will be seen in combinations of orange and brown, or with an adaptation of leather tones.
Neutral, which has been popular in past years, will continue to be seen as shades of warm camel and coffee. It is comfortable, upscale and understated.
Gray has also been popular for the past few years. This coming season it transforms to pale, mid-tone shades that feel classic and unassuming.
We have seen plenty of competitive branding in 2011. Companies demand modern treatments to update their image to stand out in today’s tough markets. Rebranding your entire business’ systems may seem challenging and costly, but it doesn’t have to be. Subtle redesign with a modern color pallet applied to different branding and communication mediums such as web, print and even office space can really draw your target market’s attention. Whenever people see orange and brown, they think Graphique!
The opportunity to update or refresh your company color pallet is yet another means of subtle rebranding. Whether a website, product package or print campaign, embracing 2011’s fall and winter color pallet is your chance to communicate with your audience.
