A spring-time revamp for Words to good effect

We’ve had a makeover! The blog is now self-hosted (I got round to it at last). It uses the same theme as before (Unsleepable, by Ben Gray), revamped by the wonderful – and very patient – Zoë Shuttleworth of Rude Goose. With help from her new assistant, the beautiful Erica, who at 6½ months gives new meaning to the theme name and has kept Zoë awake and working on the revamp at all hours of the day and night. So thank you, Erica: Zoë’s lost sleep has been Words to good effect’s gain.

The new theme colour is a softer variant of Pantone’s “Tangerine Tango“, which was their colour of the year for 2012. According to Pantone:

Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it […] Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Wow! That’s a lot from a colour. I chose the shade because I love it, but if it gives us all an energy boost to recharge and move forward, so much the better!

If you’re interested in colour combinations, check out Jessica Colaluca’s Design Seeds colour palette site and Fresh Hues blog – they’re gorgeous! But be careful – you could end up spending a lot of time in there.

What’s your favourite colour? Does it have special connotations for you? Let us know in the comments!

Apologies, by the way, to subscribers to Words to good effect: I published a post yesterday while the domain was mid-transfer (doh!), meaning you received a message with a bad link. It should be OK now.

By Marian Dougan

 

Published by Marian Dougan

Marian is a translator and editor (specialising in web content) currently based in Glasgow, Scotland. Marian previously lived in Italy for over 20 years, working as a language teacher, translator and policy analyst with the British Embassy in Rome. A qualified member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and its Italian-language and ITI Scotnet networks, she is currently Scotnet's Convenor and Deputy Webmaster. From 2003 to 2006 Marian taught translation skills at the Italian Department of Glasgow University and now gives Master Classes as part of the new Masters in Translation Studies course. She also conducts web-writing and usability workshops to help people improve their websites and communicate more effectively with their readers, users and customers. In September 2014 Marian obtained User Experience Certification, with specialisation in Web Design, from the Nielsen Norman Group. She loves language, especially English, and is convinced that learning languages opens up people’s minds and horizons (and increases their brainpower!). To share her enthusiasm, she advises schools and educational authorities on language skills and enterprise. She gives talks to pupils on how to combine language studies with other subjects and so enhance their potential and increase their career options. Marian is an active member of organisations such as: Scottish Council Development and Industry (SCDI); Association of Scottish Businesswomen; Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Scotland. She also loves architecture, design, fashion (British Vogue!), cities and chocolate. She’s a great fan of Twitter and you can also find her on Linkedin.

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6 Comments

  1. I was actually wondering what happened yesterday. I’m glad it’s been sorted.

    To answer your question, there are a few questions that I like: purple (it’s warm and makes me feel feminine), green (calming, looks professional – that why we chose it for the logo), orange (energy).

    1. Thanks for your comment, Alina. Yes, I hit “Publish” by mistake right in the middle of the transfer. How daft is that? Colour’s a fascinating topic, isn’t it: so many meanings and personal connotations.

  2. Speaking of daft, look what I did in my previous comment: “To answer your question, there are a few questions that I like..” I obviously meant “there are a few COLOURS that I like”. It’s easy to press the button (be it enter, submit, publish, send etc.) by mistake.

    As for colours, are there any that you don’t like? I, for one, am not very fond of yellow and blue (some shades of blue at least). They don’t represent me at all. I don’t necessarily associate them with certain feelings/ connotations, it’s just a natural reaction to them.

    1. Hmmm. I like certain shades of most colours, and dislike others. I generally don’t like “acid” shades. For example, there’s a toxic green that I hate. And somes shades of brown and mustard. I’m partly influenced by what looks good against my skin-tone – I can’t wear most purples or most blues, for example, so tend to avoid them. Yet they can look so good on other people, or when combined well with other colours. Coral’s definitely “my” colour.

  3. I like this pink-orange hue, it matches well with gray and gives a lively touch to the whole thing.
    As for me, I’ve always had a passion for blue in almost all of its shades. It looks fresh, gives me a positive vibe and just resonates with me somehow. It also looks good on me. Vibrant green (not acid tones though) is something I quite like too, as it recalls nature and I’m a very ecofriendly person 🙂 Light blue and green are in my logo, too. Another colour I like is purple, it feels like a meditative colour to me.
    Such a broad, interesting topic! And have you ever been intrigued by the countless colour names – and their translation?

    1. Thanks Elisa. I Love the colours of your blog, they remind me of the sea, or beautiful stained glass colours. Great name too!

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