Colors Basics

Color or Colour is the visual perceptual property in humans corresponding to the categories called red, blue, yellow, green and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors. That is, the various colors we see are all derived from just one color, White. However, every color is different. And hence they play an important role in shaping our visual experiences. An important question that arises when designing a new website is “What would be the most effective colors for the site?” Colors change how your message is communicated to your viewers, how your product or service is marketed and sold and also the possibility that the viewer would suggest your website to others. Different cultures perceive and interpret colors differently; hence extra care should to be taken. Colors communicate far more than most people realize. The choice of color palette can prove to be beneficial or disastrous to the website.

On a webpage, Colors also define different elements; a differently colored section, for e.g. a blue navigation bar, on a white background would grab the user's attention highlighting the element from the rest. Having sections on a page with same background color would tell the user that they serve a similar purpose. Similarly, colors may be used to highlight text to make it prominent; e.g. headers, links. Text may be highlighted by changing the font color or by changing the background color.

Colors are selected that complement your brand, services or products. When it comes to branding, Logos are the most important. The nature of the business, service or product should be considered when designing the logo and website. Nature of business goes long way when selecting the color scheme. For instance, warm colors such as reds, orange and yellow, could work well for restaurants and dine-ins that offer spicy platters. Warm colors may also be used where products are related to sun, passion and sensuality. Similarly, cool colors such as blues and greens complement organizations and business that deal with organic material, environment and airlines. The color green is considered to have the most relaxing effect on the brain where as red is considered to be very aggressive and has been commonly associated with danger in many countries. However, don't use blue in your color scheme if your product is food-related, as blue is a natural appetite suppressant." Not only do they familiarize the customers with your brand, but also they set the color scheme for the website you should use the color of your logo on your website, so that the users feel a sense of familiarity and security with the site. If the colors you used on the site are not in sync with the colors on the logo, it's likely users will not only feel like they're on the wrong site, but they might also feel that your site is not professional. This affects their trust in your site. If users don't trust your site, there's very less chance that they'll buy what you have to offer.

What colors communicate varies not only amongst different hues but also between various shades of a given color. More would be discussed about what colors represent and communicate along with diverse cultural interpretations in the next post.