If you're in any way involved in a creativity-for-money field, you've probably heard the word "trend" at one time or another. Or, if not, maybe the word, "new." They kinda sorta mean the same thing. And knowing what's new and trendy is often the way firms or freelancing folk stay on top, by developing upon what's in the now. That said, Step Magazine writer, Nancy Bernard, has written this terrific piece about what she sees as the big design trends thus far in 2006. Here's a bit about color:

Last year color came back as the cautious palettes of the post-bust/9-11 era were overtaken by a new optimism. The colors were mostly soft and light. This year, color has gone three ways: deep, dark and rich, or pure, strong and hot.

Orange, which was the color of the avant-garde in the late '90s, is still big. Mainstream designs simply use it to shock, while trendsetters are pairing it with hot, hot, pink.

The big news in color is brown. Yes, people, brown is the new black. Paired with baby pink and blue, rich jewel colors, or black and metallics, brown is really happening.

What's most interesting is the trend toward multicolor design. In the past, a piece might have one or two theme colors. Now a few designers are using the whole color wheel, in either pure, hot tones or pastels.