The book is called Color Clash and is the latest offering from editor Jon Dowling, who also provides an introduction to this deep dive design. Joining the impressive list of titles offered by his online bookstore over the past 15 years, including looking at mascots, industry logos and even Kama Sutra AZ, Color Clash promises being a worthy addition to the Counterprint catalog.
In Color Clash, Jon explores color palettes in the form of images that “surprise, engage, challenge and grab our attention”. These include color combinations that shouldn’t work in theory, but when you see them on the page, there’s no denying that they deliver. Breaking down the established rules and regulations surrounding color theory, the palettes on these pages are a useful reminder that color can be fun and important.
To show how clashing colors can create killer designs, Jon uses examples from many designers and studios, including Andrej and Andrej, B&W Graphic Lab, Leon Romero, Play on Play and Studio Yukiko. Accompanied by essays and discussions, these examples not only explain why these colors break the rules but also explain how they still manage to do unexpected and functional things.
As you’d expect, the 200-page softcover book itself is full of confusing colors. Featuring photography by Thom Atkinson, Color Clash examines everything from clothing and posters to billboards and stickers through the lens of unconventional color palettes, as well as page layouts that seem to work hard against the work they’re seeing. It’s strange but well-deserved and a testament to the care and attention that Counterprint puts into their releases.
Jon himself explains that when collecting samples of work for Color Clash, he wanted to focus on “palettes that have the power to lift spirits, inspire emotions and convey feelings without words.” He adds: “A well-considered color palette can bring incredible creative power, and the projects featured in this book are living proof that color is king.”
He adds, “This book shows graphic design projects outside the safe ways of conventional colors and everyday palettes. With more than 30 international design companies and interviews with famous artists, we hope it will inspire anyone who wishes to create an exciting, even bold identity using colors. .
“Colour Clash shows that today’s designers understand the harmony of colors but choose to break the established rules by combining unexpected combinations, which produce new and exciting results. If you can think of a color combination, you probably here, he proves that anything goes.”
“We hope this book will give designers more opportunities to be creative when creating their own palettes.”
Color Clash by Counterprint is available to buy for £20 from the publisher’s online store.
