Serving as creative chief for a major publication means you must have a discriminating eye for color—and in Mike Schnaidt's eyes, the color purple is as "confused" as they come. "Let me count the heinous hues: plum, lilac, orchid, lavender, violet, mauve. Barf," writes the creative chief for Fast Company in his diatribe against the color that "mumbles with indecision." After all, while red is warm and exciting, and blue exudes calm and relaxation, mixing the two together can come off "emotionally torn, perplexed, ambivalent," especially in the branding world (Schnaidt slams recent purple-tinged Roku collateral to prove his point). Although companies and agencies have used purple to signify everything from "a sense of mystery" to "luxury and pomp," Schnaidt believes it comes off "contrived" and "artificial"—as well as "cheap and easy."
Schnaidt also insists that purple is "the color of pop-culture psychopaths," citing the purple suit worn by the Joker in the Batman franchise, the purpley Thanos of Avengers fame—even Barney, the giant purple dinosaur beloved by kids and loathed by (many) parents. There's exactly one person who was able to successfully pull off purple, per Schnaidt: the late Prince, who weaved the color throughout his entire existence. Everyone else, though, should pretty much cease and desist from using it, according to Schnaidt. "Prince owned purple because he played guitar like no one else," he writes. "His artistry redefined purple." But designers "have a responsibility—to themself, to their audience, and to Prince himself—to wield the color with decisiveness and to use it in surprising ways that challenge expectations." More here. (More colors stories.)
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