subject: How To Choose Colours For Your Website [print this page] Ever notice how many finance and insurance websites are mainly blue in colour? Or how environmental sites tend to use greens and browns?
The colours you choose for your website can define your business identity before a word has been read or a sentence uttered.
So, with something so import as colour, it's crucial to choose the right ones.
Start with words
Choosing colours starts with words.
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What do you want your website to say about your business? Are you a warm and friendly company, or cool and professional? Fast and exciting, or calming and relaxed? Note down the most important descriptive words for your business. This will help you pick the right colours to represent your personality later.
Colour meanings
Colours have connotations. Whether through social convention or natural instinct. For example, in nearly all cultures, and in the natural world, red can mean warning or attention.
Green, on the other hand, has a more soothing, fresh effect. Consider the meanings of the colours you choose. Red may also stand for passion and vigour. White might signify purity and simplicity. Pink for femininity, youth and innocence. For a good introduction to the meanings behind colours, try Maria Claudia Cortes' Colors in Motion.
Choose your colours wisely. They can have a subtle effect on the viewer.
Colour theory in a nutshell...
Colour theory describes how colours complement and enhance each other. The basic tool of colour theory is the colour wheel. The three primary hues of red, green and blue and the secondary hues of orange, violet and green lie around the wheel.
The idea is that each colour has a complementary colour, found opposite on the wheel. Colours alongside a particular hue are its analogous colours. Drawing an equilateral triangle inside the wheel, where each point touches the edge should always result in harmonious colours. In theory, at least!
Pick three
The colour wheel can help you get started in picking some good foundation colours. Try and restrict your colour palette to three. This helps avoid chaotic or clashing colour schemes.
Simple colour schemes are more memorable. Think business logos and colours schemes. BP uses green. HSBC red. UPS brown. Chances are, if their colours were more varied and complex, their logos would be less memorable. The same applies to vivid web design. (Side note: a lot of London web developers use sparse, light colouring.)
Create contrast
Contrast is a useful tool in professional website design. It helps you draw attention to important areas of a web page, such as the logo or purchase buttons.
Contrast is also important for web accessibility. People with vision difficulties find low-contrast colours harder to read and interpret. Select colours that contrast well. Try standing 10 feet from your computer. Is the logo still recognisable? Is the text clear?
Colour preference differs for everybody. However, by following a few of the above principles you can make a start at creating colours that reflect your brand and work well online.
