Fargehanker

Fargehanker is a neologism used in design discourse to describe a deliberate method of deriving color palettes by yearning for color-inspired mood in a project. The term fargehanker blends farge, a word for color found in several Scandinavian languages, with hanker, an English verb meaning to long for. In usage, it signals a thoughtful, mood-driven approach rather than a purely analytic one.

In practice, fargehanker involves selecting source materials—photographs, textures, natural scenes—that embody the target mood, extracting representative colors, and then curating a cohesive palette. Designers typically adjust the set to ensure sufficient contrast and accessibility, and they may map colors to interface elements, branding assets, or interior finishes. Some practitioners pair fargehanker with a secondary palette to handle dynamic contexts or daylight changes.

Contexts include graphic design, branding, user interface design, and interior styling, especially where a distinctive emotional tenor is desired. The method emphasizes narrative coherence across surfaces and media.

History and reception: fargehanker first appeared in online design discussions in the 2010s as a playful term for mood-led color work. It remains a niche concept without formal standardization, coexisting with more established methods such as color theory, heuristic palette selection, and data-driven color extraction.

See also: color theory, color palette, palette extraction, accessibility in design.