Color can make or break a design. While muted, neutral palettes have their place, there is something special about embracing bold, vibrant hues. Using color confidently and fearlessly in design takes vision, skill, and a spirit of adventure. In this case study, we’ll look at how one designer took a daring approach to bold color, and knocked it out of the park.
The Project Brief
Design Agency X landed a new client, an organic bath and beauty brand that used only natural ingredients. The client wanted a playful yet sophisticated visual identity and packaging design for their new line of bath bombs and soaps.
The brief highlighted the client’s desires:
- Capture the brand’s focus on using only natural, ethically-sourced ingredients in their products
- Convey a sense of playfulness, joy and self-care
- Differentiate from mainstream bath and beauty brands through bold, vibrant designs
- Appeal to their target demographic of eco-conscious women aged 25-35
The client was adamant that the designs should steer clear of cliches like generic flowers or zen imagery. While nature should be referenced since the ingredients are organic, the art direction should feel fresh and modern.
Research and Ideation
The design team at Agency X started with competitive research to understand the current landscape of the bath and beauty market. They analyzed brands making similar natural products to determine what had been done to death vs. what felt fresh.
A few key insights surfaced:
- Most natural beauty brands played it safe with neutral color palettes and meditative imagery. Nothing felt bold or inviting.
- Illustrations of single ingredients like coconut or lavender sprigs felt a little flat and cliched.
- Packaging shapes were predictable. Circles and rounded rectangles dominated.
The team felt the client’s brand had a chance to push the envelope in terms of color and illustration style. The art direction should also veer away from single ingredients to more playful botanical compositions.
When the team presented their competitive analysis and recommendations to the client, they were fully on board with a bolder direction. They gave the team the green light to explore vibrant color combinations and more abstract, whimsical botanical imagery.
Developing the Brand Identity
With the research complete, the design team moved into ideation. The designer leading the project, Joanna, started by defining a color palette. She was drawn to lively jewel tones that felt playful yet elegant.
She explored several combinations before landing on a palette of deep magenta, indigo blue, emerald green and bright yellow. These colors evoked the sensorial experience of soaking in a bath bomb, while feeling sophisticated.
Color palette exploration
Joanna then began sketching concepts for the overall visual identity. She focused on organic shapes and unusual pairings of florals with fruits. The illustrations aimed to feel joyful and elegant but still natural.
Sketches of concepts
The client gravitated towards the concept centered on an abstract heart shape filled with botanical ingredients. This felt both playful and in line with the brand’s ethos of self-care.
Joanna further developed the heart concept, keeping the color palette bright but refined. She landed on a bold magenta heart containing a mix of flowers, leaves, fruits and seeds in contrasting colors. This defining brand asset would appear prominently on both packaging and marketing materials.
Refined heart concept
With the core visual identity established, Joanna moved into designing the full branding system. This included:
- Logo
- Product packaging
- Website
- Store displays
- Lifestyle photography
- Marketing materials
Throughout the brand touchpoints, the vibrant color palette and signature heart illustration tied everything together in a cohesive, ownable way.
Risks and Reactions
The bold color palette was a risk. Vibrant jewel tones felt fresh in contrast to the muted naturals typically used by competitors.
The client had signed off on the concept and colors, but Joanna was still nervous about their reaction to the final branded touchpoints. Would they think she went too bright and playful?
Luckily, the client absolutely loved the finished results. They felt the brand stood out while still communicating their values of joy and self-care.
More importantly, consumer response to the new brand identity exceeded all expectations. At launch, the packaging immediately gained attention on social media for its striking color combinations.
Positive PR flooded in as the media praised the rejuvenated look of natural bath and beauty. Sales rose so quickly the client could barely keep up with demand. Users flooded the brand’s Instagram with vibrant photos of their purchases, using the signature branded hashtags.
In the end, embracing bold color was a calculated risk that paid off tremendously. It empowered the brand to stand out in a saturated market and forge an emotional connection with consumers.
Key Takeaways
This case study offers a few lessons for design teams considering taking a bolder approach:
- Do the research to identify opportunity spaces and avoid cliches
- Clients may be more open to bold ideas than expected if presented strategically
- Color can build brand recognition and convey the essence of a brand
- Consumers crave differentiation in crowded markets
- Don’t shy away from strategic risks – calculated chances pay off
While bold color isn’t right for every brand, this case study shows the power of color when applied through a strategic lens. A fearless approach can lead to adventurous work that connects authentically with consumers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some commonly asked questions about fearlessly using bold colors in design:
How do you determine when to use bold colors vs. muted tones?
Research is key. Look at competitors and the overall trends in your industry. If everything is muted, bold colors will stand out. Also understand your client and their target audience – are they more staid or adventurous? Know when color can bring appropriate differentiation.
What are some tips for picking bold colors?
Aim for colors with visual impact that feel on-brand. Colors that are saturated and have some jewel tone qualities tend to feel bold yet elegant. Avoid random combinations – make sure colors harmonize. Identify key accent colors to pair with neutrals.
Should you use bold colors throughout a brand system?
You don’t necessarily need bold colors in every touchpoint. Use them strategically in key places where you want to grab attention, such as packaging or graphics. Balance bold hues with plenty of neutrals so the overall look stays sophisticated.
How do you convince a client to approve bold color choices?
Present it thoughtfully and strategically. Share your research and your rationale. Show how the colors tie back to their brand essence and tell their story in a fresh way. Provide examples of other brands executing bold color well. Gain their trust.
Can bold colors ever be too distracting?
Yes, if not balanced well. Bright pops of accent colors can work when offset by neutral backgrounds. Don’t use highly saturated colors on every surface – let key details stand out. Ensure color combinations are harmonious and purposeful.
Conclusion
Embracing bold, vibrant color confidently can take a brand’s identity to the next level. However, the strategic rationale and execution must be rock-solid. Research, planning and staying on-brand are key to making bold color choices successful – and fearless.
When applied skillfully, bold color can capture consumer attention, convey powerful emotions and forge memorable connections. Color is an important piece of strategic design. Make it stand out.
