LibGuides: Research in the Periodicals Collection: Cultures & Colors

Countries, Cultures & Colors

Our magazine collection offers several entry points for this type of research.

Our general advice to students is to look beyond official national colors (such as red, white, and blue for the USA) and explore the colors associated with the geography, landscape, symbolism, traditional arts, and even the climates & cuisines of the countries or cultures they have selected for their project. Categories of magazines that can help with this process include:

Science and Nature magazines, such as National Geographic, Avaunt
Travel Magazines (see Lifestyles in the list below), such as Travel & Leisure, Colors
International magazines, such as Elle France, Vogue India
Magazines that feature cultural and artisan themes, such as Selvedge, Cabana

Use the Periodicals by Title & Subject guide to identify magazines with potential for inspiration.

Periodicals by Title and Subject
by Elizabeth McMahon Last Updated Nov 17, 2025 8512 views this year

International Periodicals (Country of Publication)
International Periodicals are Periodicals published either in a country other than the United States, or in a language other than English. There are two different lists within this subject guide for our International Periodicals: By Country and By Language.

Tip: Take multiple approaches and gather as many visual examples as you can. The colors may reveal themselves. Deciding in advance what you think the color palette should be can lead to a frustrating scavenger hunt.

Tip: Be certain to check if the colors you have chosen hold any special significance in the culture you have selected before you decide to include them in your palette.