1,000,000 MILLION COLORS

Take this quiz to see how well you do at seeing all the colors.

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HOW DO YOU CHOOSE COLORS?

What are the colors of the organization?

What is the feel of the event?

We start with a brainstorming process alongside our graphic designer to figure out what we want to convey with the event and find a concept for our events.

We keep a selection of paint and fabric swatches to inspire us on color and texture.

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CHECK OUT THE PANTONE APP

Todd and Joe both grew up around Pantone colors

Our good friend Joann Vaught with JM Designs www.jmdesignsflorals.com  did these flowers for an event where the chairs loved “all the colors”.

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THEMES:

If  you’re going to go with a theme, make a list of all the cliché ideas that go with that theme and then try to pull some ideas that are not part of those clichés.

Look at paper samples for textures and inspiration.

Look at books related to your theme and look for obscure references to the theme that you can pull out and focus on.

Turn a Western theme into a 1940s Hollywood Western Glam with sequins and fringe. Or just focus on one element of western culture like turquoise or a belt buckle but don’t try to incorporate all the elements of a western theme into your event.

As designers we’ve got to learn how to edit our design.

Choose your words wisely when trying to convey a design concept.

We presented a Mid-Century Modern design concept recently and used the phrase Mad Men to try and convey the idea but it conveyed the wrong message to our client so the concept was rejected because of that reference.

Think about using mood boards to communicate your design concept.

Word clouds are also helpful.

What are the feelings and emotions you want to communicate with the event?

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COLOR SELECTION:

What are the client’s favorite colors?

What colors convey the feeling of the event?

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COLORS TO AVOID?

We tend to avoid greens because they are difficult match between medium. Also green lighting is bad for the way it colors food. For example it tends to turn steak grey.

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COLOR IN LIGHTING:

Work with your lighting designer until the color of the lighting works to convey the mood and the feeling you want for the event.

Consider having a sample of the color of lighting you will have at the event at your tasting. This will allow you to see the effects it will have on how your food appears.

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IMPLEMENTING THE GRAPHIC DESIGN THROUGH THE ENTIRE EVENT:

Keep a consistent look and feel across all the visual aspects of the event including:

Collateral like program, invite, menu, table numbers, registration materials, thank you notes

Photo backdrop

Stage backdrop