Graphic & Print Design

  When Pantone dropped two colors of the year in 2016, people didn't know what to think. Quickly, the design community realized the colors represented a duality of trend. Rose Quartz and Serenity together highlighted a trend toward an unapologetically feminine aesthetic (think: Nov 2021 when Red Taylor's version permitted us to glory in all things girly). Millennial pink had dominated design for years and people were grabbing onto neutral-eque color palettes and the prettiest, macaron-coded pastels Regency returned (Bridgerton + Jane Austen fangirls), lace dripped from designer's portfolios, and whimsical, teeny florals sprouted on our feeds. For brands, the [...]

Get inspired with Pantone color ideas from my Virginia Advertising Group. In this post, we look at Ultra Violet from 2018. Each year that Pantone announces their color of the year, I look for ways to use the tone in my client's projects. I enjoyed the versatility of Ultra Violet — even though it's a stand-out tone. Ultra Violet Pantone Color of the Year 2018 Designers embraced this tone when it dropped. It was a fresh design choice— an androgynous blue-purple that was easy on the eyes without looking dull. Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the [...]

When Pantone announced Honeysuckle as the color of the year for 2011, I was underwhelmed. It seemed like a bridesmaid dress color and nothing else. It's a flattering pink shade that made its way across the bridal scene quickly. Revisiting it now, I realized I like it as a "light red" concept. Combine it with the right greens, blues, and tans — it takes on a vintage, art deco look. A COLOR FOR ALL SEASONS: COURAGEOUS. CONFIDENT. VITAL. A BRAVE NEW COLOR, FOR A BRAVE NEW WORLD. LET THE BOLD SPIRIT OF HONEYSUCKLE INFUSE YOU, LIFT YOU AND CARRY YOU [...]

Peach Fuzz is so 2024 that it started in 2023. This year's selection for Pantone Color of the Year may be the most reflective of current color trends since Rose Quartz+ Serenity in 2016. If Viva Magenta (2023) and Veri Peri (2022) were trend-setting, Peach Fuzz is at least partway up the popularity curve. We've been seeing soft tones, nature hues, desert color palettes, and pretty, vintage shades for a few years. Think sage green, blush pink, bird's egg blue, and sandy tan. Peach Fuzz fits inside that comforting, clean, slow-motion moment. Pantone Color of the Year 2024 Since 1999, [...]

I'll admit. Turquoise isn't a color I reference often in projects for my Virginia advertising agency. I'm a little burnt out on the tone — after the surge in the 2010s. During that time, it was a trendy addition for the "pop" of color. For instance, a room would be designed in chocolate brown and turquoise would be added as a playful element. Later, Turquoise and Red filters flooded Instagram and most photo editing apps — creating high-constrast, bright visuals. Currently, color combinations are nuanced with an appreciation for careful layering of textures and tones. Turquoise Pantone Color of the Year [...]

Something about autumn shivers inspires a little spookiness. In designs, I like to balance bright with dark and pops of color with murky tones. Halloween is the perfect time to bring out this visual tension. Autumn Color Ideas Spooky color ideas don't always have a place in the advertising world. But, October lets us indulge a little the the campier hues. When I create these color roundups, I use hex codes because I tend to work most in web design. If you’re designing in Canva or Illustrator, you can download my images. Then, just use the color picker tool to [...]

Whenever my clients ask for an infographic, I usually ask, "Why?" The most common reasons are that they: Want to add visual interest to a design (such as a brochure, information packet, or a webpage) Plan to share it on social media Hope infographics can boost traffic, data retention, etc. Most small businesses use infographics to build brand awareness, engage customers, or generate website traffic. However, many businesses struggle to understand the basics of how to make an infographic. Building a better infographic starts with understanding the "info" part. What is an Infographic? Designers draft visual images, such as a [...]