The Impact of Color
Choosing the right colors for your web design is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Color is the first thing viewers notice on a webpage. It can evoke a variety of strong emotional reactions and each color can contain a different association. Although everyone’s experience and taste can vary greatly, there are still some basic tenants one can follow when working with color:
· Consistency - This applies not only to font and background color, but also to the images and other cursory elements. It would be awkward to have a black and white image on a site full of bright, colorful backgrounds. It is typically best to choose colors that go along with the company branding and it is important that the brand identity seamlessly fits into the design. Also, limiting the design to just a few main colors—2 or 3 main colors and 1 or 2 accent colors—is usually a good standard and helps to maintain the consistency. Too many colors can cause your design to become erratic and visually confusing to the viewer.
· Contrast - If you use colored copy, make sure that it contrasts well with the background to be easily legible. Stark color contrast is a powerful tool and can draw the eye, so make sure the most important elements have the most contrast in the design. Having muted colors for your title copy and a bright bold color for the body would be a poor use of contrast, applying viewer focus to the wrong element.
· Complements – Complementary color choices are also extremely important. And it’s not just the literal complementary colors that are key, but also colors that complement each other as an accent or highlight. There are many different types of color balances and every designer should be very familiar with color theory and its impact on design.
· Color Theory - Some designers feel that it is enough to just have a feel for the right colors and that color theory is unnecessary. While having a good eye for color can certainly help develop a good design, color theory is still important. It is important to know what types of emotions your colors will convey so that you cater to your target audience. Click here for more information on color theory.
Staying inspired can be tough. A great place to find new ideas for your designs is http://designmeltdown.com/. And, for the complexities of color theory and experimenting with new ideas, try kuler.adobe.com or http://www.colorjack.com/.
