Many iPhone and iPad users are angry with the color palette on Apple’s new iOS7. Some have even compared it to the Easter bunny on weed. But a few of the color world's most influential experts like the choices because they fit current design trends towards lightness and harmony.
A color trend is the end result of a long process. It usually starts with designers analyzing the emotional outlook of the culture, which includes political and economic movements. When U.S. mood was uneasy leading up to Y2K, colors reflected that. Today, at the tail end of a long war and recession, many of us want to feel happy and secure. That’s why we’ve gravitated towards colors that bring about those emotions, like the purples and orange-tinged reds in iOS 7.
There is no question iOS 7 is influenced by modern color trends. Apple designers choose colors based on their own exhaustive process, but as Pantone Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman told me, “It would be unusual if their designers didn’t have Pantone books” for reference. Eiseman does not want to take credit for iOS colors because Pantone has no official connection to Apple. But the company’s recent color output shows it has a big indirect influence.
For the Spring 2014 report on the season’s hottest colors, top designers sent Eiseman their illustrations featuring Pantone colors. She says the most fascinating trend was the overall color balance between the submissions. Usually the trends favor one side of the spectrum. "Among the findings were pastels like sky blue, soft ornamental greens, and neutrals, and then vibrant colors. That says everyone is looking for equilibrium," she said. IOS7 colors look similar to those in the report and that is no surprise. Versions of recently celebrated Pantone colors like Radiant Orchid and Blue Iris also show up and cover the same emotional ground of “reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement."
Jose Fermoso is a freelance reporter. He is a researcher and reporter for the upcoming book Jonathan Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products. Twitter @fermoso.