Ethical Colour

Ethical Colour is the latest annual research project by London-based CMF design studio Colour of Saying, exploring and sharing actionable resources aimed at businesses and design professionals who want to step up and address their contribution by making healthy colour decisions. Ethical Colour looks at the circular economy through the lens of colour and shows us how good colour choices can help us restore ecological balance. The first release is a report into climate-positive colour sources and processes across the full lifecycle of a product: “planetary impact is now a design choice and an ethical one”.

Part of the report discusses how responsible choices can be mapped to circular frameworks; having a circular logo felt like a natural choice. Using various typefaces helps to emphasise Ethical Colour’s multifaceted nature. Eight characters (E T C A O L U R) are set in Nostra Stream and Nostra Sett as a reference to eight different points of view and approaches. The typographic styling throughout the report and printed collateral continued this approach – juxtaposing bold typefaces – Nostra Sett and Freight Big – with the more delicate Nostra Stream and Neue Haas Grotesk.

Colour of Saying: Laura Perryman (art director, editor), Alice Burnhope and Emilie Hartford (research)
Graphic design: Laura Jane Boast, Conscious Made
Editor: Sarah Conway, Stories of Design
Photography: Sarah Hibbert
Contributors: Jesse Adler, Colorifix, Phoebe Lewis, Ruth Lloyd, Hannah Elisabeth Jones, Kirstie van Noort, Jess Redgrave, Slow Painting Studio, Studio Sarmite
Generous Sponsors: G . F Smith, R K Burt, Living Ink Technologies
Printing: WithPrint

The report can be purchased from Colour of Saying.