A branding client told me my colors clashed. I didn't see it until they pointed out the warm and cool tones fighting each other.

I was working on a bakery brand in Austin last month and used a bright coral with a icy blue. The client said it hurt their eyes and asked why those two were together. Anyone else had someone spot a color temperature issue you totally missed?

2 comments

2 Comments

diana_bell744d ago

Have you read about that whole "color temperature" thing in that popular design book from a few years back? I remember it talking about how cool tones like blues and greens can look jarring next to warm reds and oranges if you don't balance them right. I had a similar issue once with a light purple and a yellow orange for a kids toy brand. A friend who does interior design told me warm tones pull forward and cool ones recede, so putting them together can create this weird visual tension. It's one of those things that's obvious once someone points it out but easy to miss when you're focused on the overall feel.

webb.stella4d ago

Funny enough, @diana_bell74 mentioned that warm/cool tension thing... I had a landscaping client in Houston and used a deep forest green with a peach tone on their logo. A colorblind friend actually spotted it first, said the green felt like it was sitting on top of the peach. Once I softened the green a little and added a warm brown to bridge them, it all clicked together. That interior design tip about warm pulling forward totally makes sense now.