Colour Clash is a new book compiled and published by Counter-Print which aims to explore the colour palettes in graphic design that surprise and challenge us. “We’d been thinking about approaching a book on colour for some time but wanted to put our own twist on it and come at it from another angle,” says Jon Dowling, who co-founded Counter-Print with his partner, Céline Leterme. 

“There are so many great books on colour theory and the ‘perfect palette’ that we thought there was nothing new to add there. When we thought about our own work in book cover design and the kinds of designers that attract us, like Hey Studio, Camille Walala or Anna Kulachek for example, they are all very brave with their colour use and often contrast and clash colours together to create new, exciting results.”

The pair wanted to create a book that celebrates vivid colour palettes and colour combinations in graphic design that maybe shouldn’t work together, but just do. An understanding of colour is of course one of the pillars of design and Dowling feels its power to express emotion, personality, and communicate messages can never be underestimated.