color commentary
We asked some of our favorite graphic designers to tell us about their favorite colors

Andrea Husarova Andrea Husarova Design, Pittsburgh PA

What is your favorite color? PMS 123. It is bold and noticeable, and goes well with gray.

How important is choosing the right color for a project? Color makes or breaks any project, from logo identities to products to architectural spaces. You can express the image you want and capture the attention of your audience or target market with color. You can make things feel fresh or classic, seem bold or settled, industrial or cosmetic. Sometimes simply shifting from black to gray makes a great difference in any design. Yes, the actual design style also matters, but color is what we all relate to.

Do you believe current events - the economy, the war on terror, the election, etc. - influence your or your clients' color choices? No, not the current events you mentioned. What I do get influenced by are fashion and general design trends that are happening. It is more like a wave than specific events. Clients are usually trying to go by corporate brand colors or their personal preferences or their client's choices. Yet, I found many of our clients love experimenting with colors and new color combinations.

Gwen Granzow Design North, Racine WI

What is your favorite color? I'm a purple person, particularly the deep jewel tone of PMS 2685. I'm determined to make purple touch every part of my life, including my work, my decor, my attire and even my wine!

How important is choosing the right color for a project? Color is extremely important, as it has the power to shout or to whisper, to look cheap or expensive, to be friendly or cold. Just think about what you visualize when you see the brand names "Kodak" or "Coke".

Do you believe current events - the economy, the war on terror, the election, etc. - influence your or your clients' color decisions? Current events can effect color in the rapidly changing areas of design, like tv graphics or promotions. However, I believe they have very little impact on the branding and packaging design field in which I specialize. Here color has to be emotionally engaging, differentiating and able to withstand the test of time.

Joe Pinciotti UlrichPinciotti Design Group, Toledo OH

What is your favorite color? One of my favorite colors is PMS 137 (orange/yellow). The smart intensity of this particular color always seems to add a different dimension to printed pieces.

How important is choosing the right color for a project? Color combinations are critical to the success of any project. Because color stimulates people in different ways, the message of the piece can be interpreted in any number of ways. I think color is one of the variables that helps to get your message across.

Do you believe current events - the economy, the war on terror, the election, etc. - influence your or your clients' color decisions? With everything going on in the world, I think clients are subconsciously always trying to make their communication pieces positive.

Vickie Peslak Hyman Platinum Design, New York NY

What is your favorite color? My current favorite color is a Palm Beach aqua. We are in the process of designing products for Pantone's Colorstrology product line, so I looked on their site for my birthday month. March is Pantone # 571, appropriately named Ocean Wave. That works for me.

How important is choosing the right color for a project? All colors are not created equal. The bright orange and silver of Platinum's branding would not have the same impact in food packaging, for example. Color evokes an attitude, a mood, a reaction. A color palette says something about a client or a product. Our color-selection methodology: to study the psychology of color --- and mix it with our design expertise --- to create color palettes that not only "feel right" but also solve an objective for each specific situation.

Do you believe current events - the economy, the war on terror, the election, etc. - influence your or your clients' color choices? Absolutely. Events certainly influence the mood of the design industry. Everything around us triggers a reaction in how we think, see and feel. And, although current events might influence our choices and trigger a particular reaction, it can work both ways. A designer's ability to communicate with color can have an impact on the atmosphere in the marketplace, as well. It goes full circle.

Rachael Nass ING Investment Management, New York NY

What is your favorite color? My current favorite color is blue (PMS 278).

How important is choosing the right color for a project? Color is an important choice for all projects. Color can help set the tone of the piece.

Do you believe current events - the economy, the war on terror, the election, etc. - influence your or your clients' color choices? Current events could influence color, such as red, white and blue for a patriotic theme. I find many people often gravitate towards the colors they prefer regardless of outside influences.

Ron Miriello Miriello Grafico, San Diego CA

What is your favorite color? PMS 556. It reminds me of the minty graphics for U.S. National Parks in the 60s.

How important is choosing the right color for a project? Choosing the right color is akin to matching music with lyrics. They live or die together.
Do you believe current events - the economy, the war on terror, the election, etc. - influence your or your clients' color choices? Color and paper choices are two things clients feel comfortable fiddling with, especially when their business confidence level is on the decline.

Joseph Hom Ritta & Associates, Englewood NJ

What is your favorite color? I've always had a strong connection with PMS 151 (Orange), but haven't really had a chance to use it in a client project - yet. It just gives me a great feeling of inspiration.

How important is choosing the right color for a project? The choice of color can make or break a project. Color sets the mood. Gives the first impression. Color can create feelings that words just can't. In this fast-paced world, where we only have a few seconds to connect the consumer to the brand, color helps us make a statement quickly and clearly.

Do you believe current events - the economy, the war on terror, the election, etc. - influence your or your clients' color choices? To keep our designs fresh and topical, we pay a great deal of attention to current events and sweeping social trends. If a color pattern is dominant in the news - such as the red vs. blue of the presidential race - echoing that color pattern can add unintended weight or incorrect meaning to a piece. Conversely, knowing how the public understands a color and what associations it draws for a consumer can give our designs a positive edge.

Jamey Boiter BOLT, Charlotte NC and New York NY

What is your favorite color? Can I have two? PMS 1655c is my energy color, and PMS 5773u is my calming color.

How important is choosing the right color for a project? With almost all of our work being in retail fashion or home improvement, color choice is critical to client and customer.

Do you believe current events - the economy, the war on terror, the election, etc. - influence your or your clients' color choices? Only if it relates specifically to the brand we're providing solutions for. Color is a very political subject to begin with, but if it doesn't work with what we're trying to communicate about the brand, it doesn't make sense. So, no. Besides, we haven't had too many clients lately requesting that we use blood-stained camo as a background.

[More color commentary on next page]