Basics Design 05: Colour

Basics Design: Colour explores the use of colour in graphic design. The book explores in depth what colours mean, their inherent associations and their cultural connotations. Building on this information, it then tackles how to control colour in a design in order to achieve a desired effect or fulfil a specific brief. Starting with the basic principles of colour – how light works, colour wheels, colour combinations and harmonies – the book builds on these principles and explains how the designer can accurately and intentionally control colour.

Colour, the book argues, is the most immediate form of non-verbal communication. Humans naturally react to colour; we have evolved with a certain innate understanding of it. Colour is used to represent thoughts and emotions in a way that no other element of design can. As such, colour is a vitally important part of a designer’s toolset.

Fully illustrated with examples from contemporary designers that push the envelope of colour in design, Basics Design: Colour constitutes a comprehensive discussion of the effective use of colour in graphic design.