- In the 1920s, designers at the Bauhaus,
an avant-garde school in Germany,
believed that black, white, and primary colors
were the only acceptable choices.
They were universal and had no political affiliation.
Primary colors were pure
and eliminated the subjective options of the designer.
This philosophy was doomed to fail.
People like color.
Some want the red teapot, others prefer the turquoise one.
You can't control someone's response to color.
This is why color is one of the most volatile
and difficult elements on a project.
I say green and you imagine the green
of your grandfather's car,
but I think about green apples.
I want to use red for the headline on a website,
but the client hates red because he thinks
it reminds him of his worst day golfing.
As designers, when we introduce color,
we are playing with deep-seated
and incredibly personal issues.
If there was ever a time for patience
on a project, this is it.
Be aware that everyone sees color differently.
Your eye works differently than mine.
What I see as beautiful blue looks wimpy to you.
Then there are the subjective reactionary issues with color.
I associate seafoam with a tropical beach,
the client only sees the wall color of hospital hallways.
Being angry that the client doesn't like the color
is rather fruitless.
On the other hand, you choose the colors
based on communication and the criteria
developed for the project.
One of the keywords that you and the client
agreed on is Energetic.
You chose red, because that is a color
that communicates energy.
Remind the client that this is an attribute
and red does the job better than brown.
If he or she still insists red is wrong,
perhaps energetic is the wrong attribute.
I also like to remind clients that I chose a color
to create a proprietary visual solution.
If I show the logos of the client's competition
that are all navy blue,
it is easier to see
that the proposed red and yellow will stand out.
And there are technical issues to manage.
A simpler color, such as orange,
will be reproduced more consistently
than a subtle peach color.
This is critical when the design is printed
with offset or digital printing
and displayed on the website.
You will need to not only explain this to the client,
but show examples.
Show him the orange you propose in each medium,
then do the same with the subtle peach he requested.
Seeing the reality is always a good persuasion tool.
Over the years, I've had many clients insist
that the color of the logo is different
on the screen and the printed matter.
This is tricky.
Trying to explain that print is a process
of light bouncing off the surface
and the screen has light behind it
is like teaching astronomy to a house cat.
But with some patience and examples,
I can usually help even the most
technologically challenged understand.
Once the client approves a color,
I give him or her a Pantone swatch,
digital printout, and screen-based application
and ask for an approval on each one.
Get this in writing, even if it is an email.
It's a good idea to have a record of what you presented
if the client insists it's different
on the printed 10,000 business cards.
The chances are good that he or she
is looking at the example with a different light source
than the original presentation.
Once I suggest turning the lights on in the dark office,
they often agree.