Color already plays a major role in communicating messages: Just think of those bright yellow Livestrong bracelets, red T-shirts for Bono's (Red) campaign to fight AIDS in Africa, or all pink everything for breast cancer awareness. Now, a new collaborative of design students and color specialists wants to strengthen the connection between color and cause.
The "Color in Action" project began when Pantone, which sets color standards for design industries, approached the graphic design students of San Francisco's Academy of Art University with a challenge: How can color be used as a social vehicle to create change?
Under the guidance of instructors Tom Sieu and John Barretto, the students held a few brainstorming sessions and split into eight teams, each with a social issue at its core. “Team Environment is tackling the issue of rising sea levels, while Team Discrimination is focusing on bullying,” Sieu says. Each team began researching how to use color as the foundation of a campaign for its chosen cause.
Sieu ensured his students took a measured approach. “For the first six weeks, even before we started to think about design solutions, it was all about research," he says. “That's rare in a design curriculum. Usually, on week two of any given design class, students go off and start designing without developing a true sense of the problem they’re attacking.”
Team Literacy proposed a museum at which avid readers would mingle with beginners, creating a supportive community to foster peer-to-peer education. Team members chose the color red, in part because it's a homophone to the past-tense verb “read.” Plus, the color connotes attention, urgency, and enthusiasm — all words the students felt were applicable to their cause.
Another team addressed an equally challenging cause by asking a pointed question: If you lost your eyesight tomorrow, how would you experience color? From that prompt, Team Sense investigated how to help colorblind people "see" color. The result was the Reveal Color Code System, which turns colors into simple shapes accessible to the colorblind. A hexagon, for example, represents blue, while a triangle stands for yellow. The team suggests the shapes be printed onto clothing tags, next to the garment care instructions. The students also propose using Braille on Pantone swatches. “We would like to imagine a world where the visually impaired can also enjoy the beauty of color,” the students wrote in a presentation of the project.
The main challenge facing students participating in the Pantone project is common to many design schools. “College students are taught about design, but then they get out into the professional world and struggle trying to get their message across,” says Giovanni Marra, Pantone's director of corporate marketing. He hopes the collaboration will teach students about the importance of storytelling and communication in design. “For the presentations, the students had to organize their thoughts and put together a cohesive presentation and communicate what they're trying to do,” Mara says. “I think that's something that's always lacking in design schools today.”
On May 14, the student designers will deliver their final presentations, with the winning team receiving a $10,000 scholarship from Pantone. Some of them may even become reality. “Some of the projects really are amazing,” Mara says. “We're hoping that a few of these projects will be realized, and potentially help fund one or two of these projects, whether they win the scholarship or not.”
Photos courtesy of Bob Troy; presentation slides courtesy of the Academy of Art University
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
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Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.