I wonder if the artists who lean towards the "ugly" side of the spectrum are those who have already used the "nice" spectrum until they are sick of it. There is something in the artist that is always going to strive to be different, moving forward, etc., and it would seem to make sense that they may have lost touch (just a bit) with the difference between "ugly" and "cool and different/edgy".
I have been listening to a couple of 20th century composers (i.e. John Cage) who haven't done much that the general public would call "nice" work. However, they have created new sounds that no one has ever heard. I wonder if the visual arts work in a similar way.
Great article. Thanks!
-david
Well, this is very interesting but I'm not sure how to apply it. Does this mean that I start with a base color and then choose a darker color by going to the darker side of the brightness circle? And a brighter color by going to the brighter side?
Why not try it out over on Pantone Color Lovers site and see if real people vote for the ugly or 'good looking' palettes - http://www.pantone.co.uk/pages/MYP_myPantone/mypMemberProfileView.aspx?uID=488612
Graphics IT - Engaging design for the web, print and digital presentations
web: www.graphics-it.com | email: studio@graphics-it.com | tel: +353 1 443 4828
Linked in profile -http://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicsit
Submitted by Paul Keane on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 14:04.
I've read this article many times over. I believe you've left out what was actually done to the colors to make them shift. You say the colors shifted but you haven't said what was done to them to make them shift or how much. I would really like to know.
I enjoyed your article, and posted it on Hacker News (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=618881) which generated some heated discussion, but as a "color newbie" as one commenter put it, I don't feel qualified to weigh in. Do you have any thoughts?
Interesting article but what is missing is the formula of HOW to pick colors everyone will like. Yes, I see the difference in these colors. Yes, I agree that the nice ones are nice and the ugly ones are ugly. NO I don't see a formula on how to do this.
My major client just finished up a store inter redesign with a high dollar commercial design group. I got to work closely with them through many phases of the design process. The part about color was most interesting. The designer made an initial proposal which was then passed around to many department heads for comments. No one liked the colors.
When it came time to meet again, the designer quickly pointed out (politely) that he wasn't interested in what the different department heads thought were "nice" colors. He pointed out that the reason he was hired was because of his skills with colors. The reason that they were paying so much for his services is because he was very good at what he did.
Long story short - the stores looked fabulous. Had they picked colors by common consensus, it would have been a disaster.
While I'm interested in the theory of how to select popular colors, I'm not all that interested. If they wanted design work by committee, they don't need me.
Implementation within design tools?
Are there any design tools that implement this guideline and provide a place to test color combinations against it?
thumbs up
fascinating! Now I understand my color intuition.
Artists more attracted to pushing than enjoying?
I wonder if the artists who lean towards the "ugly" side of the spectrum are those who have already used the "nice" spectrum until they are sick of it. There is something in the artist that is always going to strive to be different, moving forward, etc., and it would seem to make sense that they may have lost touch (just a bit) with the difference between "ugly" and "cool and different/edgy".
I have been listening to a couple of 20th century composers (i.e. John Cage) who haven't done much that the general public would call "nice" work. However, they have created new sounds that no one has ever heard. I wonder if the visual arts work in a similar way.
Great article. Thanks!
-david
Applying the Principle
Well, this is very interesting but I'm not sure how to apply it. Does this mean that I start with a base color and then choose a darker color by going to the darker side of the brightness circle? And a brighter color by going to the brighter side?
thank you!
thank you!
implementation with real people..
Why not try it out over on Pantone Color Lovers site and see if real people vote for the ugly or 'good looking' palettes - http://www.pantone.co.uk/pages/MYP_myPantone/mypMemberProfileView.aspx?uID=488612
Graphics IT - Engaging design for the web, print and digital presentations
web: www.graphics-it.com | email: studio@graphics-it.com | tel: +353 1 443 4828
Linked in profile -http://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicsit
Something was left out of this article
I've read this article many times over. I believe you've left out what was actually done to the colors to make them shift. You say the colors shifted but you haven't said what was done to them to make them shift or how much. I would really like to know.
RGB
Do you have de RGB number for the blue-be-liked color?
Thank you.
Heated discussion and rebuttals
I enjoyed your article, and posted it on Hacker News (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=618881) which generated some heated discussion, but as a "color newbie" as one commenter put it, I don't feel qualified to weigh in. Do you have any thoughts?
Picking colors
Interesting article but what is missing is the formula of HOW to pick colors everyone will like. Yes, I see the difference in these colors. Yes, I agree that the nice ones are nice and the ugly ones are ugly. NO I don't see a formula on how to do this.
Pleasing everyone pleases no one.
My major client just finished up a store inter redesign with a high dollar commercial design group. I got to work closely with them through many phases of the design process. The part about color was most interesting. The designer made an initial proposal which was then passed around to many department heads for comments. No one liked the colors.
When it came time to meet again, the designer quickly pointed out (politely) that he wasn't interested in what the different department heads thought were "nice" colors. He pointed out that the reason he was hired was because of his skills with colors. The reason that they were paying so much for his services is because he was very good at what he did.
Long story short - the stores looked fabulous. Had they picked colors by common consensus, it would have been a disaster.
While I'm interested in the theory of how to select popular colors, I'm not all that interested. If they wanted design work by committee, they don't need me.