From Alpine Green to Cherry Bomb: The Art of Colour Naming
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My interest was piqued when I was reading Ant Design Documentation. They refer to different shades of blue as ‘Geek Blue’ and ‘Daybreak Blue’. It made me wonder how people decide what to call a colour..?
Beyond Colour Association
Everyone knows colours evoke emotions. From feelings of happiness, excitement, and calmness, and they play a crucial role in art, design, and branding. But what makes certain colours stand out and capture our attention more than others? One answer is the names we give them.
So, why do we give colours interesting names? Here are some reasons I thought of.
1. Memorability and Appeal
When iPhone 13 was launched, the colour options didn’t come in blue, black, gold, silver and green. It’s actually Sierra Blue, Graphite, Gold, Silver, and Alpine Green.
The use of unique colour names helps the product stand out from the competition. It also adds a touch of originality to their product and can make it more appealing to consumers.
It also allows them to convey a certain personality or emotion through the colour name, which can help to create a strong brand identity. People are more likely to remember a colour called “Alpine Green” than just “Green”. This is especially important in branding, where companies want their colours to be easily recognized and associated with their brand.
One of the cult-favorite, bestselling NARS Blush shade is called Orgasm, a peachy pink with golden shimmer. The makeup brand founder, François Nars, connects blush with emotions. “When you blush, automatically it’s a feeling,” he explains. “So I thought I’d give those names to blushes. Some of them could be more sexual, more naughty.”
One can’t help but wonder if the name chosen contributed to the continual appeal of the blush more than 20 years on.
2. Emotional Connection
Colours can evoke different emotions in people, and interesting names can enhance these emotions. For example, a colour called “Soothing Blue” may make people feel more relaxed and calm. They also help to differentiate between colour shades.
While the colour red is often associated with passion, love, and energy, giving it a more intriguing name such as “Cherry Bomb” can also evoke a sense of excitement or danger.
It’s important that colour names actually match the colour. It would be misleading otherwise!
Where to draw the line?
While colour names can be a lot of fun, a line should be drawn when accuracy is needed.
When Accuracy Matters
For products like makeup foundation, it is key to get a close match to your skin tone.
MAC Cosmetics comes up with its shade terminology using colour groups. It uses 4 colour groups throughout all their foundations — NW, N, NC and C. These stand for Neutral Warm, Neutral, Neutral Cool and Cool respectively
By first identifying your skin undertone, and then finding the skin depth, users can find their perfect shade.
The use of colour codes makes it easier to get a good match vs having to decipher colour names like porcelain, alabaster, and sand which makes it ambiguous.
And of course, when doing print design, graphic design, it’s important to use the precise hex code (eg. #000000 for white) to avoid any miscommunication.
So the next time you see a colour with a fun and playful name, remember that there’s more to it than just a name — it’s a carefully crafted piece of branding and design.
