Overheard a designer say "orange is a bad color" at a coffee shop last week

I was at a Starbucks in Brooklyn and this guy was lecturing his friend about how orange never looks professional in branding. He said it reminds people of warning signs and construction cones. I almost butted in but I kept quiet. Has anyone here actually used orange in a palette that worked for something serious like a law firm or bank site?

2 comments

2 Comments

gonzalez.phoenix2d ago

Oh man, I totally get why you held back. I actually used a deep burnt orange for a local credit union's branding once and it worked way better than expected. We paired it with dark navy and it gave off a warm but trustworthy vibe that the clients loved.

nancy31d ago

Build on what you said @gonzalez.phoenix because that deep burnt orange with navy is exactly the kind of combo that shuts up people who say orange can't be serious. I've seen a few real estate companies pull it off too, using a muted terracotta orange with charcoal gray for their websites and brochures. It's all about the shade you pick and what you pair it with, not the color itself being bad. Orange has this energy to it that works great for financial stuff if you tone it down and don't go full neon or safety cone. People just remember the loud versions and forget how warm and grounded a darker orange can feel in a brand.