I'm sitting here in my office which has orange walls, a bright blue floor and I'm wearing a bright yellow and blue golf shirt. I love bright colors and I tend to stay away from dark or muted colors. So when I surf the web I notice color. I can't help it since I am such a visual person. When it comes to things like color, personal preference is such a huge factor. So how do we as web designers build websites with color and appeal to the masses? I think we are seeing much more flexibility in website design than ever before. We still need to keep in mind these key elements to an attractive website design that uses color effectively.
- Readability: This is the key to good website design. If the visitor can't read the content then the website designer has failed. Why do you think our traffic stop signs are bright red?
- Comfort: I've seen some crazy color combinations that pretty much hurt to look at. A website that hurts the eyes isn't going to get many visitors to stick around. Keep the colors consistent with each other. I'm not saying don't use bright colors but be careful what colors you combine and how you use them.
- Correct Application: Make sure the colors chosen reflect the content and theme of the website. For example if you are building a website for a funeral home where visitors are probably sorrowing and grieving, it's probably not best to have bright orange or yellow. Just sayin'. Put some thought into the colors and how they fit with the content.
- Consistency: Use the same colors throughout the website design. Having a different color for every page on the website might sound like a good idea but it's not :) Keeping a consistent look will help the visitors stay focused as they navigate the site.
Color is important to good website design. Pass along any other tips you might have when using color in websites.
Sherri Jason says:
Sep 21, 2011 at 01:45 PM
It's so true that the use of color is an important aspect of a website. If someone can't get past the colors to read the text then you've lost your audience. The psychology of color is so interesting and affects all areas of life really. So whether you are decorating a kids room or planning marketing strategies, do a little study on color and its effects on people.
Greg says:
Sep 21, 2011 at 02:18 PM
Nice article Crawford! I also agree that colour should be used in such a way that it enhances and goes along with the design and should never be used in a way that is too harsh on the eye. It all comes down to making sure a site has the appropriate colours that will compliment the content, the message and the branding.
When I design a site, I like to take in as much information about the client/company and what they have done in the past and what their direction is, going forward. Looking at their logo says a lot about the company and I always derive colours that will go seamlessly with their corporate branding.
Another tip I would like to share is that when I am reading a magazine or any other website pages and I see colour combinations that are wonderful to look at, I make it a point to keep a snap shot or rip it out of the magazine and keep a library folder of these colour combos...sometimes we do need to get some inspiration when designing and this helps a lot in getting the creative flow going and might help in your present project! Keep up the interesting articles!