Mako Design Explains the Monochromatic Design Trend

At our California product design studio, Mako Design, we’re big fans of observing different trends and what is popular within the design realm. One trend we’ve noticed lately is the use of monochromatic color tones in product design. Color can have a big impact on any visual – and especially more so in product design. The products we chose to invest in our lives are heavily guided and chosen by what we need the most in terms of functionality – but also by what we think looks and appeals to us the best. It’s undeniable that aesthetics play a large role in product design, which is why we decided to explain the appeal of the latest monochromatic design trend!

Mako Design explains the modular design trend, here!

Why The Monochromatic Trend Performs Well

It’s a fact that bold and bright colors can easily catch the eyes of audiences, but even more so when they are put together with another bright, eye-catching color. Having a monochromatic design doesn’t mean that the product design will be colored in a black and white monochrome color palette, but that there will be varying shades of one specific color all through the design of the product. This means that rather than using complementary colors, the designer is choosing to make a bolder statement with a product that is all one color, or a varying shade of that color. At our California product design studio, Mako Design, we believe that Monochromatic product designs tend to perform well because of how much they stand out, are unique, or bold to audiences, and although it’s nice to have more an of a complementary palette on the products you have around you, sometimes having a striking product with bold colors can help add variety, style, and fun in your life.

Invented by our client, the Festken Water Bottle is the perfect example of the monochrome design trend!

How to Strategically Use the Monochromatic Trend in Your Product Design

Our California product design studio knows that there are a ton of ways that one can implement a monochromatic color trend within their product design. Rather than just painting the whole design of your product one exclusive color, you can approach the monochromatic color trend in more appealing ways that not only make your product design look great but artistic as well.

Create Contrast

Contrast is an extremely powerful tool to use when working on any visual. Although a monochromatic product design would infer that the whole product is one color, adding powerful pieces of contrast through small details throughout your design can create a fun and eye-catching contrast. Not only does contrast work well to emphasize the monochromatic look of your product, but can exist as an obvious indication to where parts of your product design function or have extra capabilities that need to shown in an obvious way.

The CNCT Cooler, invented by our client Graeme Whitehead, is a great example of how to contrast a striking red with black to highlight product features!

Use a Pallet of Shades

Another way that our California product design studio loves to integrate and strategically use the monochromatic color trend is to use a palate of the shade you’re working with. For example, instead of using one specific red shade for the entirety of your design, try using a varying palette of the color red. This can range from lighter tones, more orange tones, or even darker shades to create an interesting and striking contrast. Having a palette of shades is a great option for making your monochromatic design more interesting and unique, and allows you to play more around with color placement on your design.

Check out more of our design trend blogs: Disposable Design, Geometric Design

If you have a great new invention and you’d like to learn more about this process, get in touch with MAKO here and visit our website to find out more. Feel free to give us a call at 1-888-MAKO and we can set you up on a call with our product analyst!

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!