{"id":5464,"date":"2014-11-16T22:11:31","date_gmt":"2014-11-17T05:11:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/?p=5464"},"modified":"2014-11-16T22:12:43","modified_gmt":"2014-11-17T05:12:43","slug":"lida-graphicdesign-color","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/11\/16\/lida-graphicdesign-color\/","title":{"rendered":"Color"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Graphic Design for Dancers, Part 2<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art62\/graphics62\/Lida\/Fig7top.jpg\" class=\"floatright\" width=\"300\" height=\"317\" alt=\"Placeholder\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/aboutuspages\/Lida.html\">Lida<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"footnotes\">posted November 16, 2014<br \/>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/04\/10\/lida-typography\/\" target=\"_blank\">Part 1 available here<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This is the  second in a series of articles on graphic design for dancers. In the first  article we considered the impact of design on the public&#8217;s perception of the  dance and on the success of bellydance as a business, then explored crucial  typography guidelines. Now we&#8217;ll delve into applying colors in marketing  materials, returning to the ever-present concepts of hierarchy and legibility  introduced previously.<\/p>\n<p>In design,  color is used to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Convey a  mood or feeling<\/li>\n<li> Draw  attention to certain elements<\/li>\n<li>Group and  structure related elements <\/li>\n<li> Enhance  the message<\/li>\n<li>Establish  brand identity\n    <\/ul>\n<p>While color  can be a great asset to your work, its improper use can thwart your efforts to  present professional, polished, and sophisticated pieces. It can be easy to  give enthusiasm free reign and go a bit overboard but, in design as in dance,  it pays to exercise restraint. That&#8217;s why the following essential points,  gleaned from my years of design work, focus on subtlety to allow colors and  patterns to support your content instead of stealing focus. I&#8217;ve included  examples, as well as links to additional resources at the end of the article.  This guide applies to both print and web.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"sectiontitle\">\n  Choosing  Colors<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n    <strong>Select  colors that support your message and audience<\/strong>. If you&#8217;re designing a flier for  an autumn-themed event, earth and jewel tones are a better fit than pastels.  Light colors might work better for a daytime event than a nighttime event. A  webpage for children&#8217;s classes would need upbeat colors instead of slick and  moody colors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use colors  as your viewers expect them to be used. <\/strong>Some colors are already established in  user design and subconsciously inform user behavior. For example, bright red  and yellow are associated with errors and caution, while bright green is  associated with successful actions and confirmation. Using bright red for a  positive message can be confusing and jarring when users are accustomed to  seeing green.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get ideas<\/strong> for color combinations from sites like Adobe&#8217;s Kuler (see link below).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"sectiontitle\">\n  Creating  Hierarchy<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n    <strong>Draw  attention to important information<\/strong> with saturated colors, while keeping other  colors more desaturated. A flier headline might be brighter than the other  elements, or maybe you need to emphasize a deadline date.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be  consistent<\/strong> with your use of color by using it to relate items with similar  content. For example, on an event flier the headline and date might be  presented in one color, while the address and ticket price are presented in  another color.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keep your  color palette limited<\/strong>. A couple of accent colors are enough to draw attention  to the most important parts of your message, while too many can be messy and  confusing. [<strong>Figure 1<\/strong>]<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keep the  colors in your gradients analogous<\/strong> to prevent them from competing with more  important elements. [<strong>Figure 2<\/strong>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h6 class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art62\/graphics62\/Lida\/Fig1limited.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"231\" alt=\"Figure 1\" \/><br \/>\n  <br \/>\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art62\/graphics62\/Lida\/Fig2gradient.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"231\" alt=\"Figure 2\" \/><br \/>\n  Figure 1 and 2<br \/>\n<\/h6>\n<p class=\"sectiontitle\">Ensuring  Legibility<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n    <strong>Avoid  bright, saturated backgrounds<\/strong>, as they make text difficult to read and distract  from images. Desaturated colors are more refined and easy on the eyes. [<strong>Figure 3<\/strong>]<\/li>\n<li>Make sure there  is <strong>ample contrast<\/strong> between your background and text. Not enough contrast makes  the text hard to read.<strong> [Figure 4<\/strong>]<\/li>\n<li><strong>When  presenting large amounts of text<\/strong>, use dark text on a light background. Light  text on a dark background is hard on the eyes for prolonged reading, especially  online. <strong>[Figure 5<\/strong>]<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mute your  background patterns<\/strong> to keep text legible and avoid distracting from your  content. <strong>[Figure 6]<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h6 class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art62\/graphics62\/Lida\/Fig3saturation.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"231\" alt=\"Figure 3\" \/><br \/>\n  Figure 3<br \/>\n  <br \/>\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art62\/graphics62\/Lida\/Fig4contrast.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"231\" alt=\"Figure 4\" \/><br \/>\nFigure 4  <br \/>\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art62\/graphics62\/Lida\/Fig5lightdark.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" alt=\"Figure 5\" \/><\/h6>\n<h6 class=\"aligncenter\">Figure 5<br \/>\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art62\/graphics62\/Lida\/Fig6pattern.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"231\" alt=\"Figure 6\" \/><br \/>\n  Figure 6<\/h6>\n<p class=\"sectiontitle\">Putting  It Together<\/p>\n<p> This flier  uses deep blues with accents of medium yellows, a limited palette that retains  simplicity and makes sense for a nighttime restaurant event. Saturation and  brightness direct the viewer to what they should see first \u2014 the headline,  date, and image \u2014 while the other colors take a secondary role. The background  gradient is kept in the same color family and patterns are subdued, letting the  information take the spotlight. There is enough contrast between the dark  background and the light text for easy reading, and there is not so much text  to make it difficult to read in a light-on-dark combination. <br \/>\n\t\t  [Figure 7]<\/p>\n<h6 class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art62\/graphics62\/Lida\/Fig7.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"528\" alt=\"Figure 7\" \/><br \/>\n          Figure 7  <\/h6>\n<p class=\"sectiontitle\">Learn the  basics of color theory: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\t\t\t\t  <a href=\"http:\/\/visual.ly\/art-color-coordination\" target=\"_blank\">The Art of  Color Coordination<\/a> &#8211;<br \/>\n    http:\/\/visual.ly\/art-color-coordination<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dtelepathy.com\/blog\/design\/color-theory\" target=\"_blank\">Using Color  Theory to Create a Better Color Palette<\/a> &#8211;<br \/>\n    http:\/\/www.dtelepathy.com\/blog\/design\/color-theory\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Resources:<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h6><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/aboutuspages\/Lida.html\">Author&#8217;s bio page<\/a><\/h6>\n<li>\n<h6><a href=\"https:\/\/kuler.adobe.com\/explore\/newest\/\" target=\"_blank\">Adobe&#8217;s Kuler page<\/a><br \/>\n    <\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/graphics\/acommentbox.jpg\" alt=\"use the comment box\" align=\"right\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"ready4more\">\n<p>Have a comment? Use or comment section at the bottom of this page or <a href=\"mailto:editor@gildedserpent.com\">Send us a letter!<\/a> <br \/>\nCheck the &quot;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/let2ed.htm\">Letters to the Editor<\/a>&quot; for other possible viewpoints!<\/p>\n<p>Ready for more?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<!--end ready4more --><\/p>\n<div class=\"articlelist\">\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">4-10-14 <\/span> <span class=\"articlelink\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/04\/10\/lida-typography\">Typography, Graphic Design for Dancers, Part 1<\/a><\/span><span class=\"articleauthor\"> by Lida<\/span><br \/>\nAs artists of an often misunderstood dance, we dancers understand that everything we present publicly reflects back upon us as individuals, upon bellydance as an art form, and by extension, the Middle Eastern culture. When presenting these facets in the most favorable light to other dancers or the general public, good design becomes paramount because it is the most unmistakable way to demonstrate our worth. <\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">10-24-14<\/span> <span class=\"articlelink\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/10\/24\/melina-tai-chi\/\">Alive &#8211; Inside  and Out! Tai Chi Can  Enhance Your Dance<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"articleauthor\">by Melina of Daughters of Rhea<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t    Exploring and blending these disciplines has long been my \u201csecret sauce.\u201d  Centering and breathing, conscious transitions, body and soul awareness\u2013from footfall to fingertip and beyond\u2013nourish and replenish my dance.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">10-17-14 <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/10\/17\/najia-retirement\/\" class=\"articlelink\">Retirement, Is There Life After Dance?<\/a><span class=\"articleauthor\"> by Najia Marlyz<\/span><br \/>\n                    Perhaps this was my mistake; I had a plan for my dance career, and I was not shy to tell it to everyone who would listen. <\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">9-30-14<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/09\/30\/terry-evening-of-egyptian-music\/\" class=\"articlelink\">An Evening of Egyptian Music and Dance, a Report from El Leil<\/a><span class=\"articleauthor\"> by Terry Del Giorno <\/span><br \/>\n                    Amina and the Aswan Dancers did it again! The sold out show at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts was another stellar example of the kinds of show their fans have grown to expect and they have not yet been disappointed.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">9-12-14<\/span><span class=\"articlelink\"> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/09\/12\/the-best-of-british\">The Best of the British! The South of England Belly Dance Scene.<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"articleauthor\">by Sara Shrapnell<\/span><br \/>\n                    Like every area, the UK has seen an ebb and flow in the popularity of belly dance, the economic impact and the rise in popularity of fusions styles has changed the dance from when I first started twenty years ago. Yet I see a strong, healthy and supporting scene posed to expand when disposable income in the general population increases. <\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">9-6-14 <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/09\/06\/naajidah-dont-come-whining-to-me\/\" class=\"articlelink\">Don&#8217;t Come Whining to Me! An Open Letter to Aspiring Young Belly Dancer<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">by Naajidah and Ashiya<\/span><br \/>\n                    If you audition for a Greek restaurant \u2013 do NOT come to an audition with anything other than Greek music.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">9-1-14<\/span> <span class=\"articlelink\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/09\/01\/a-journey-to-the-west-bank\/\">A Journey to the West Bank, A Lone Dancer Visits Palestine<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"articleauthor\">by Zaina Brown<\/span><br \/>\n                    The refugee children were dressed in sweatpants and T-shirts, like school kids anywhere in the world. The coach was in a tracksuit, and his stern voice echoed over the young crowd. It could easily have been a basketball game, or perhaps a rehearsal for a play, that was about to begin in this gymnastics hall. But this was a dance rehearsal <\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">7-31-14<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/07\/31\/margaretanne-pt-bellydancer-part2\/\" class=\"articlelink\">Patient is a Bellydancer, Part 2:The New Normal &amp; the Boring Reason I&#8217;ll Never Stop Dancing<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">by Margaret Anne<\/span><br \/>\n                    What was once  an exercise in insanity is now how I hip drop and down walk.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">7-16-14<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/07\/16\/leila-farid-cultural-sensitivity\/\" class=\"articlelink\">Crossing the Chasm, Cultural Sensitivity and Bellydancing<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">by Leila Farid<\/span><br \/>\n                    So how do we start to change the consciousness of people who see our profession as base, both inside and outside of the Middle East? I think it must start with a good understanding of the culture behind the dance, by condemning the culture or completely disregarding it in our art form, we have lost touch with our artistic role in society and thus have lost the ability to alter it. <\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">7-14-14<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/07\/14\/barbara-sellers-young-tribal-fest-14\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"articlelink\">A Refuge for Innovation, Tribal Fest 2014<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">by Barbara Sellers-Young PhD<\/span><br \/>\n                    Although Tribal Fest is a live on stage, face-to-face event, it is the danced realization of a world in which the technological flows of transportation and communication bring images and bodies into correspondence with each other, and through the form create new images that move a global popular culture dialogue forward. <\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">4-21-14<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/04\/21\/heather-aubre-maghreb-show-los-angeles\/\" class=\"articlelink\">Colorful Maghreb in Los Angeles, A Celebration of Music and Dance<\/a>, <span class=\"articleauthor\">Report by Heather Shoopman<\/span><br \/>\n                    &ldquo;Dancing In The Sunset ~ A Celebration of Maghreb Music and Dance&rdquo; held February 1, 2014 at the Live Arts LA Theater in Los Angeles, California\t\t\t\t    <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Graphic Design for Dancers, Part 2 by Lida posted November 16, 2014 Part 1 available here This is the second in a series of articles on graphic design for dancers. In the first article we considered the impact of design on the public&#8217;s perception of the dance and on the success of bellydance as a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[98,56,205,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5464"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5464\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}