In web design, informed color choices should never be taken for granted or overlooked. Poor color choice can have the exact effect of having a poorly layed-out website or poor design. It creates user frustration and avoidance, and since color is associated with emotion, your website, if improperly coordinated, can provoke an emotion you weren't intending.
With as many colors as there are available online, the chances of choosing a good color combo 'on accident' are very slim to none. Below, you'll find a great list of common color combinations that will give you the ability to choose harmonious color schemes on any website. All you need is a colorwheel! These color schemes are: Monochromatic, Analogous, Complementary, Split Complementary, and Triadic. Are you flashing back to art class yet?
I'm only going to cover the first three as they are the most common, but try the others as well if these aren't complex enough for yours or your client's tastes.
Monochromatic Color
As I'm sure most of you know, 'mono' means 'one, so Monochromatic means 'One Color'. This is a very calming, and professional color combination, but don't mistake it for being boring at all. Monochromatic design schemes allow for various shades of the same color, whether light or dark and allow you to put emphasis on web content or images you may have chosen.
Using a monochromatic scheme expresses a calmness and promotes the idea of elegance and professionalism without the 'in your face' effect.
Analogous Color
Analogous color schemes are a little more exciting than Monochromatic, but still have a calming, less contrasted effect. Analogous color combinations are made of of colors directly next to each other on the color wheel (think lime green, green, and turquoise). To use this color scheme effectively, you must choose a dominant color and use the other colors as highlighters or accents. It gets busy when all colors are equally represented.
Complementary Color
Just as the name suggests, these colors go well together and, to be honest, we see this combination all the time in business and everyday life. This combination also offers the most contrast because complementary colors are the exact opposite on the color wheel: Red and Green, Purple and Yellow, Blue and Orange, etc. This color scheme is incredibly powerful when done correctly, and so you must choose with caution! Use one dominant color in your web design efforts and just as you did with Analogous, use your other colors as highlights and accents. Additionally, do not dull or mute your bright colors or you'll lose the power of the complementary contrast.
Take these tips and use them wisely in your web design efforts.
Remember that colors have an immense influence on user decisions and branding power, so actually do some research and find out what sort of message you actually want to send before you start designing. It can make or break your website, and perhaps even your business.
No comments:
Post a Comment