When it comes to crafting a visual identity for a brand, the colour scheme is frequently the first choice a designer makes. This lays the basis for the general mood and personality of their branding, and guides the rest of their design decisions. Sure, the specific hues might wind up changing as the design evolves.
But making that first choice on colour helps build the momentum required to steer clear of designer’s block and just begin! Therefore, while it isn’t at a designer’s best interest to follow trends, looking at which colour combinations are popular will help spark inspiration and kickstart the design procedure. That is why we’ve asked three designers to predict which color palettes will be trending in 2020.
From bold and contrasting duos to free combos, these pairings are set to make a splash in the design world. Navy has long been regarded as a safe choice in brand design. It emanates trust, reliability and paradoxically, does not rock the boat too much. In the age of bold modern design, navy can be in danger of appearing too’ old school’ or dull. But, pairing navy with another cool color like mint can breathe fresh life into this classic colour.
It creates contrast and depth and gives it a more modern feel. It just so happens to be flexible, too. In the wedding invitation design above, you can see the part that typography and other design components play in tying this colour scheme together. The illustrations, hand-written font along with other lines and images give it a romantic and whimsical feel. But with a more pared-back design and blocky font, it might easily feel more corporate and serious.
Often favored by technology and financial companies, orange exudes friendliness, energy and confidence. However, it may also come across as lively, which is while you will frequently see it teamed with dark or neutral colors to show customers they still mean business. But, according to Connie Holen, net and brand designer in Pixality Design, this convention is set to take a backseat to a more monochromatic colour combination in 2020. You may see this orange and peach color combination in activity in the aforementioned website for gym, Barre 3.
The layering of the darker orange in addition to the peach adds dimension to the colour and design and provides the picture a welcoming feel. We’re likely to find this combination used by contemporary brands seeking to market to millennials. Once upon a time, pairing mustard and beige could have appeared like a one-way ticket into creating a dull design.
However, with mustard appearing everywhere from fashion runways to interior design this year, a complementary brownish hue may be just the thing in needs to keep its upward trajectory, In the above sneaker effort for luxury fashion brand Balenciaga, you can see how when used properly, this mix can be more daring than dull. The pairing of mustard with several colors of beige gives the site and shoe design an earthy and organic texture.