Rondo a la Turquoise

December 13, 2009

Tags: design criticism, graphic design

Today I have been informed that Pantone is pleased to announce PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, "an inviting, luminous hue", as Color of the Year for 2010.

We are told that "Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing."

Ok. So. How did Pantone decide what turquoise means? The inspiration of tropical waters and thoughts of comforting escape are nice, but they are not the things of which I first think whenever I look at turquoise. How much of Pantone's assertion about the "meaning" of this color is what they've researched about people's psychological associations with it, and how much is what Pantone wants the stressed producers of fashion and interiors in a lousy economy to believe so that they'll feel safe in using the color in the hope that it will attract someone to their products?

As a semiotician, I feel bound to find out how Pantone arrives at its decisions about what colors mean. Luckily, I happen to know that color consultant Leatrice Eiseman, who has published books with Pantone, lives on my small island. I do not know her, but I will track her down and ask her how she thinks Pantone creates these decisions about meaning.

Comments

  1. December 15, 2009 4:41 AM EST
    I think depending on what screen, it no longer becomes "Turquious" BUT "Tiffany's Blue", PMS 1837. Which didn't Jeff Barlow say that its impossible for a "Tiffany Blue" to be in that number selection?

    Another definition for Turquoise, goes very well with spring like colors, place it next to any reds it either becomes a watermelon or x-mas. Your pickin'.

    Pop question!?
    - -Sue-
  2. December 19, 2009 3:53 PM EST
    Let's toss in the history of color names. Consider what Crayola faces. Prussian Blue became Midnight Blue in 1958 because of teacher requests. Flesh became Peach as Crayola explains on its website,"Name voluntarily changed to "peach" in 1962, partially as a result of the U. S. Civil Rights Movement." Indian Red became Chesnut for obvious reasons, except that it originally referred to a South Asian Indian pigment used in fine art oil paint.

    There are trends in color names, too, of course. The fluorescent Ultra Pink became Shocking Pink in 1990. Maize was retired in favor of Dandelion. Orange Red lost out to Vivid Tangerine.

    Crayola enshrine their biggest, best retired colors in their Hall of Fame.

    Tru-Value Hardware has (or had a coupla years ago) a perfect match to the Crayola Flesh called Kaddish. I kid you not.





    - Pam

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