“Lets Paint the Town Red! Or Blue?”

Color is something that scares a lot of new designers and even experienced ones who need new inspiration. Choosing the right combination of colors sets the mood for the design. We associate different things with different colors (red can mean stop, negative, or hot). Sometimes it is more important to make that literal connection between a color and an action (red means stop and green means go), and other times the color combinations convey the concept (red and green are used for Christmas).

Always consider the audience and the message when picking color combinations for a web site or page layout. Taking factors like color associations and moods as well as the audience’s expectations will narrow down color options. For example, if a designer is redesigning a web site and establishing a new identity for that company, they should consider what colors might have meaning within that industry. Lets say that we are building a site for a local breakfast and brunch place in town. The restaurants menu is filled with the typical breakfast spread. Then look at it’s competition. Other local restaurants use bright colors in their design. These two sources should define what the sites pallette will look like–bright yellows, reds, or greens. It wouldn’t make sense to have a have a web page with a black background. The customer expects something bright and clean.

Another example of a color-specific design could be a site for a new tattoo parlor. Agian, it wouldn’t make sense to use a template or design something that did not match the character or taste of the clientell of the establishment. The owners are expecting a design that matches their store’s product line as well. Contrast is good, but having two conflicting color pallots would not go over well. In this example the designer used various tones of black and dark greens with a grung theme. The design reflects the owner’s work and gives potential customers a sense of what the business is all about.

These examples are content specific, but the color choices for other industries do not have to be so limited. Sometimes unexpected choices make the site memorable among the competition. Law firms are another industry that have long used the doric column or the scales of justice on TV commercials, business cards, and in the yellow pages. Coming up with fresh iconography that reflects the interests of the client and stands out from the competition is key.

In the third example the logo is original, clean, and uses a teal color. The site is also consistant in design. The headings, sidebars, and links repeat colors that make up the style guide. Other design elements repeat shades of gray with horizonatal lines. The look is corporate and professional, something that client wants in the design. The importance of color choice should be noted.

These examples of three different businesses show how color translate a message. Bright yellows, dark greens, and modern grays make the design work. You can explore more color pallettes at Colour Lovers, a social network devoted to color choice. Browse thousands of color combinations and test a few of your own.