Visual artists earn praise for their ability to manipulate colors well. In this day and age, this skill is in demand for a lot of new businesses and commercial applications. Especially advertising. But now web design, in particular, requires an intelligent command of colors more than ever. In this article we discuss Evoking the Right Emotions with Colors in Web Design.
And on top of that, web design agency services are in high demand, as no business can sustain without a relevant website. A quality website guarantees consistent audience growth, steady conversion rates, and better sales.
Web designers and web design agencies are increasingly looking for new ways to provide their clients with more effective designs. It includes simple, intuitive navigation, relevant, readable content, and of course suitable color patterns.
Color is integral to any design. Understanding how to use it may help elicit the right emotions of website visitors and lead them to take the actions you intended them to.
In this article, we will explore the basics of color theory and color patterns and take a closer look at the emotional effects of a few colors.
Table of Contents
Color Theory in a Nutshell
The topic of color alone could easily fill an entire book. So, in this piece, we’re going to stick to the things that are particularly relevant to user interface design. Color theory in web design can be divided into three essential parts:
- Contrast. Each color shade has a set opposite, an “arch-enemy” that makes a far greater contrast than any other color. Designers typically use colored wheels to determine each color’s opposite;
- Complementation. Colors don’t always clash. Complementary colors boost each other and highlight their best, which is pretty much the opposite of contrast. For instance, green complements purple;
- Vibrancy. Every color summons particular mood. Brighter warm colors, like red, orange, and yellow, tend to stimulate users and increase their alertness, whereas darker cool shades, like green, blue, and purple, make users feel relaxed and tranquil. For example, news websites often use significant red elements in UI to increase alertness; this is a color approach commonly used by the media specializing in breaking news content.
In web design, color theory is more than just a visual decoration. If properly applied, it can have game-changing effects on a business.
Exploring Vibrancy. Color and Its Emotional Implications
The connection between colors and emotions is undeniable. The human race has been documenting the psychological effect of color since the Middle Ages! Generally, any web designer wants to harness this. The bright colors help create the atmosphere and moods for websites. This is a critical element of design.
You should note, however, that different cultures discern colors differently. For this reason, below, we’ve provided the emotional associations of colors most relevant to Western cultures.
Red for Importance and Power
The most stimulating color, red, is so energizing that it has been used to increase blood circulation. Red represents passion and power. Therefore, red will attract the most attention, and this is why it is commonly used for warnings and important notices.
Red is excellent on websites that want to call attention to something alarming. Using red in the first section of the single-page site is especially apt because it draws attention to the original message while physiologically inducing people to “get out of the danger zone” by scrolling downwards. This allows the user engage with more content.
However, red can also incite anger or overexcitement. If you need a more relaxed atmosphere, use it either sparingly or in a lighter shade, or not at all.
Orange for Energy and Friendliness
Like the most muted of the warm colors, orange is uniquely versatile. As a primary color, it can be engaging and energizing, and as a secondary color, it also retains these properties. Orange also helps create a sensation of movement and energy.
Besides being part of the brand’s style, orange works well with lighthearted, cartoonish, and laid-back websites, such as Fanta’s. Color emphasizes creativity and retains familiarity.
Yellow for Enthusiasm and Happiness
Depending on the shade, yellow is a versatile color. Bright yellow is energetic and lacks the severity of red. The middle shades of yellow are comforting yet simultaneously invigorating.
Darker shades (including gold) can give the impression of antiquity, and lend an air of timelessness, wisdom, and curiosity.
Using various shades of yellow will help channel energy and induce curiosity and authority. For companies that thrive on the value of their skills and consultancy services, yellow is a useful color.
Green for Growth, Finance, and Environmental Topics
Green bridges the gap between cool and warm colors, though it tends towards a fresher feel. That means that green has the same relaxing effects as blue, but it still retains some of the yellow’s energizing qualities. As such, it creates a very balanced and steady atmosphere.
Darker shades, however, induce affluent richness. That’s why so many financial firms use green in their website UIs. But green is also natural and even necessary, when it comes to environmental topics. Think Green Peace and alike – green is the central shade of their overall designs.
Blue for Calmness and Safety
Like yellow, blue’s meaning varies greatly depending on the shade. All blues are universally relaxing and safe, but the lighter shades will seem more friendly while the darker ones seem more somber. Social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter take advantage of light and medium shades, whereas corporate sites prefer the tones of strength and reliability that dark shades offer.
Conclusion
We hope this article about Evoking the Right Emotions with Colors in Web Design has been helpful. Whatever your customer’s business is, you are going to use particular colors when designing their website.
Web design is a creative and, at the same time, routine task that demands not only imagination and creativity but also skill, understanding, and vision.
Color theory is one of the most potent tools a web designer may have. You can create as intuitive navigational bar as possible, but it will remain lifeless until you add color to it.
Adding the right color is what makes website design relatable and compelling. Apply the tips described above to create amazing designs, and you will keep your web design clients content.
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