No matter who we are, or where we come from, color plays a huge role in our lives. It excites, it warns, it informs…it makes us think!

Many people think that careful color consideration is only limited to the design world . However, various industries pay as much attention to color as the most hardcore Photoshop gurus .

For instance consider the color ‘green’. In the design world and from a wider global perspective , green is the color of nature , of eco-awareness and health . This has been ingrained in our minds through years of marketing and associations. On the flip side in the medical profession , green is considered the color of infection .

So if you were perhaps designing the new website layout for a medical clinic , it would be advisable to steer clear of this specific flavor.

Another example of the culture gap when it comes to color is the popular meaning of white.

In Western circles white is the color of purity and peace , while in China white is synonymous with death . Amazing how differently a color can affect the psyche of the individual.

I have put together a small chart of popular colors:

If you would like to see a more extensive list please click here .

WHAT DOES COLOR MEAN TO YOU?

Let us know if you agree with the above color listing, have I left anything out?
I would love for the international community to give me their lowdown on color and how it differs from the Western interpretation!

As far as ‘color meaning’ goes in t-shirt design, it is also vital to choose shades that compliment your design and aid in getting your concept across.

The first thing you need to consider is the color t-shirt you will place your design on. I don’t even know how many times I have seen amazing designs destroyed by poor choice of tee color…it’s a terrible phenomenon!

Also, on our platform it’s important to know that we only accept 7 color per design. This in all honesty is more than enough to execute a superb design. However it can become a bit of a juggling act for those who can only pull off concepts with loads of color variation. This is often where the ‘new age’ t-shirt designer (no crystals folks) has a definite edge over the fine art and commercial graphic design crowd, who don’t have a firm grasp on the limitations of silkscreen printing etc.

Being able to create a brilliant one color (minimal color) t-shirt job is one of the most difficult things you can do. You need to have a seriously clever concept and clear execution in order to make the most of minimal!

COLOR IS LIFE :D

My inspiration comes from the shaka (hawaiian) hand signal, which has been adopted in popular culture for - “I’ll call you” or “call me”. For the Telkom competition I wanted to use the hand sign as a symbol of “we belong to an exclusive yet inclusive club” It’s up to you. Also that land lines are still cool.

i saw the theme as the best of both worlds. so i decided to take a tranquil natural scene and combine it with a busy city scene…from then it just came together i guess..

hope you like it!
Cheers…

hope you like it!