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Have a great break.

Colour is one of the most important decisions when it comes to the elements of a design - if it's not the very first choice.
Colour is symbolic and traditionally signifies emotion and sensation (think red for anger and blue for calm), but did you also know that colours relate to what is happening in the world on a global scale? Economic, political, environmental, philosophical and technological trends all affect what colour combinations consumers lean towards and how designers apply and utilise them.
Due to what goes on in our world being ever-changing, colour trends vary from year to year. The trend between 2000 and 2010, according to this  site, shows an alternating return to blues and reds interspersed with yellows, neutrals and teals, with a rich pink called Honeysuckle being Pantone's colour of the year for 2011.

The Colour Trend Prediction for 2012 is 'Preservation'

According to this article, the Preservation palette as been unpacked into four trend categories, each pertaining to our past, our journey, our vulnerability and our future:

• Heritage - earth tones, oxides, ochre, golds, yellows, reds
• Process - blues, greens, neutrals, greys
• Protection - greys, slates, bronzes, golds, silver, metallics, pearlescents, rich brown purples
• Enlightenment - contrasted colours, silver, fuschia pinks and vibrant blues, purples

This all may seem a little deep and convoluted, but compare this with the fashion world, for example, and the world/colour trend parallels become clearer. With colour, as in fashion, there are also timeless styles. There are plenty of colours that are ageless, so one need not change their logo or website seasonally!

We humans are visual creatures, and colour is subjective, so whether you're wanting to create a fresh new design or update an existing one, you will no doubt have colours and colour combinations in mind that are absolute favourites, as well as those you would like to avoid. When it comes to colour for your design, we keep all of these aspects in mind.

Fonts Can Make or Break Any Design

When considering the design of a website or printed material, plenty of time is spent on what a body of text, logo or heading needs to say and the font is often glossed over. But fonts play a vital role in the overall design and layout. The choice of font can make your website, stationery and identity shine - or it can cause it to fall flat on it face.

The trouble with fonts is that there are a finite number of them installed on our household computers and these are what we tend to turn to. They're like familiar old pals and, better still, they're free.

Breaking Out of Old Font Habits

When considering the font for a new or updated design, several initial questions need to be asked: what is the nature of the business and what is wanted to be evoked? How much text will be presented - is it an essay or is it a short, sharp statement? What are the styles of fonts that others in the same field are using? What is the easiest of them to read?

Serif vs Sans Serif?

Extensive study has been done into the readability of serif vs sans serif fonts. Generally, serif fonts are used in traditional print, such as in novels and newspapers - anywhere there is a lot of text - while for smaller portions of text, san serif is often the choice as it looks clean-lined and crisp. However, the rules for using serif or sans serif are a little hazy in both cases, as it depends on the kind of business being promoted, the desired message of the business and its audience as to which one should or shouldn't be utilised.
The readability of fonts extends also to the style of font used in a design. There are many pretty, scripted, interesting, curly fonts out there, but they're often impossible to read. Reverse out any of these fonts on a bright background and you'll have your audience reaching for eye drops!
Additionally, fonts, like fashions, have an expiry date and an old comfortable one one can make your website or print look stale. Other fonts are used so often that it becomes too familiar and common and can cause a potential audience to turn away in search of something more interesting and current.

Some Examples of Overused Fonts

There are many more, and each has their time and place in the world. However, Times New Roman isn't going to cut the mustard if your business is selling, say, smart phone applications or software. The fact is, an absolute wealth of fonts is available to befriend and, with the advent of systems such as Typekit, even a website no longer has to be constrained to a handful of old fashioned and overused fonts.
We're here to guide you with font choice and text and all other aspects of design, so if you have any questions or would like a quote for updating your website or identity design, please drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you.

…confirms the notion that you never stop learning in the design field.

When I signed up for the Adobe Design4Impact Live Virtual Event yesterday I was thinking: ‘THREE HOURS– that’s a long long time! Not sure how relevant it will be, it’s going to be a hard sell, it will cut into my day, not sure if I can spare the time' etc etc etc.

Obviously I didn’t plan to stay on for too long.

But time flew and I found the event to be terrific, inspiring and informative and stayed to the end.

OK, so Adobe is promoting their latest CS5.5 software for designers…but they did it so well and the evolution of their product takes your breath away.

They assembled an impressive array of creatives from across the globe and who showcased their work and shared their thoughts and experience, demonstrating the generosity of true designers and the passion that keeps us working in design.

Well done Adobe!

www.adobe-design4impact.com/en/