Complementary colours are the time-tested art of the soap-packet designers, and sometimes shown a wide berth by some other sorts of designer. Technically, complementary colours are from opposite sides of the colour wheel, and this red-turquoise pairing is almost that but not quite. It is said that if you stare at one of these colours for thirty seconds and then at a plain white surface you will see its complementary colour. The real design-weapon that complementary colours give you is that they actually make each other appear brighter. And that's got to be useful.
I have recently discovered the intriguing photographs of American Steve Snodgrass and his wondrous eye for detail. He seems to uncover a goldmine of design inspiration even in the apparently banal. More of his images another time, I think.
