Pantone announces the color of the year for 2014
Every year, Pantone names a color of the year, last year anointing emerald green as the color of the year, relevant because designers of all types – graphic, web, retail and others – follow suit. This is why you saw so many emerald green logos this year, so many emerald green purses and belts, and so many green websites.
So what will you see a slew of in 2014? Radiant Orchid, as just named by Pantone as the color of the year for 2014. Pantone Color Institute’s Leatrice Eisman said, “It’s a little different, it’s a little off the beaten path, and it’s not a primary color. It’s an invitation to innovation. The purple family offers an opportunity to do creative things.”
Eisman explains that creativity is what America is thirsting for. “People associate purple with creativity and originality – and those are very valued today. We see words like that being used to describe technologies and products that are seen as innovative and with an approach you haven’t tried before.”
Why Radiant Orchid is going to do well
This shade will do well in design this year because it flatters complementary neutral colors, important for graphic designers, and especially important for fashion designers looking to flatter more skin tones. Also, blue and green have been “in” for so long, this will be something new in a sea of nautical colors.
Retail designers are already using the color, and graphic designers will hop on the train this year, especially web designers looking to help their clients stand out.
Hues of purple are traditionally used to soothe and calm and after years of economic stress, brands should be looking for how to be approachable and how to calm customers and clients.
Why you should care
According to KissMetrics, fully 85 percent of shoppers point to color as a primary reason they buy a product and color increases brand recognition by 80 percent.
Online, 42 percent of shoppers base their opinion of a website solely on the overall design. Again, if you are not using a color scheme that appeals to the majority, you could be losing business solely on your color choices. A whopping 52 percent of shoppers did not return to a website because of the overall aesthetic; more than half of your customer base could choose not to come back because they did not find your color palette appealing.
Radiant orchid or not, you should be paying attention to colors as it relates to your brand.
