MYSTERY :
THE CONDITION OR QUALITY OF BEING SECRET, STRANGE...
Heading into 2017, I've got a lot of goals and dreams I'm seeking to make progress in and achieve. One of those areas is my design work and blogging. Consistency is hard for me if I don't have built-in systems. Last year I worked on creating those systems for my design process, but didn't quite get there with my blogging. This year, I'm diving in deeper to REFINE [hint hint] those processes and build in the structure and accountability I need in order to grow and make progress.
As part of that, I'm starting this Color Story Project in which I go through the process of designing a mood board and color palette from start to finish each week.
For my first one, I decided to start simple and pick one adjective, as opposed to three, four or five... Since design is a mystery in and of itself - we enter into the unknown, searching and testing until we find a solution that fits - and I used mystery [mysterious] as one of the adjectives for The Classy Hippie AND it's also the global theme for CreativeMornings this month, I couldn't think of a better word to begin with.
As a brand designer, I get to play with color and images A LOT - and I must say - it's my FAVORITE part of the design process. Before I start each project, I go over a list of adjectives with my client that describe their brand, or at least, describe the look and feel they're after. Then I look through images, gathering ones that fit the adjectives and start building a mood board and color palette from there.
I'm starting this exercise as a way to stretch myself. Since, combing through thousands of images, looking up the definitions of adjectives and selecting colors is my favorite part of the design process, I often spend quite a bit of time on it. Don't get me wrong - it's important - you need to get that part right in order to move on with the brand itself, but, let's just say - I can over indulge in that step.
I want to test myself by placing limits on myself during this phase and see how quickly I can complete the mood board and color palette. I don't want to suggest that creativity can be boiled down to a science, however; I want to discover what is the right amount of time and what is excess - because I'm still running a business after all. [Note to self - write a post on the dichotomy between creativity and the structure of business.]
I also wanted the chance to experiment with color palettes I may not get to incorporate into my client work as well as perhaps, by doing several of these, get a jump start on future color palettes for clients by having a bank in my mind and using them as reference.
I don't intend on writing an in depth post for each color story project, but since this is the first, I thought an introduction // intent for the project would be helpful rather than simply posting a bunch of pretty pictures.
So, there you have it - Color Stories - a weekly design project by The Classy Hippie. One down, fifty-one to go. I'm looking forward to it!
Love & Blessings,
Genevieve
