| It's easy to get colours right, but it's even easier to | | | | design rainbow. Make smart, safe choices and it will |
| get them wrong. In web design it is crucial that you | | | | cause less confusion for all. |
| make well-informed colour choices. It might sound | | | | Colours themselves have specific meanings, so |
| far-fetched but your choices of colour in web design | | | | it’s important that you do further research to |
| can make or break your online business. Websites | | | | find out what they mean. Colours often have |
| that are aesthetically pleasing and well designed are | | | | different connotations in different cultures and it is |
| the ones that get more hits, and a more likely to get | | | | important to consider this if you are targeting an |
| returning business. | | | | international audience. The following provides common |
| Visitors to your website will judge your design skills | | | | Western meanings of colours that are used in web |
| – there's no escaping it. According to the | | | | design: |
| Institute of Color Research, "colour effects and | | | | Red: power, excitement, energy. Good to use for a |
| directs the decision making process of the customer. | | | | promotion. Should be used sparingly as it is tiring to |
| It identifies a company, its product lines and the | | | | the eye |
| quality of the merchandise." Their research also | | | | Blue: sophistication, stable, serious, dependable. One |
| reveals that individuals make a subconscious | | | | of the most common colours used in web design. |
| judgement about an item within 90 seconds of initial | | | | White: neutral, calm. The best choice for |
| viewing and up to 90% of that judgement is based | | | | backgrounds. |
| on colour. If you want your clients and customers to | | | | Pink: feminine, love, friendship. Preferred by women, |
| make a positive judgement of your business, you | | | | could alienate male users. |
| really need for your web design to be of the highest | | | | Green: tranquillity, stability, renewal. Great if your |
| standard. This includes getting your colours right. | | | | business is 'going green'. |
| Harmony is the key when deciding colour choices in | | | | Yellow: warmth, humour, youth. Try a warmer tone |
| web design. Choosing harmonious, non-offensive | | | | of yellow, as bright shades are often harsh on the |
| colours will keep people coming back to visit your | | | | eyes. |
| website. It's extremely important you make your | | | | Brown: masculine, productivity, endurance. Great for |
| website user-friendly in all areas, and colour is no | | | | accents on your website |
| exception. You want to make your clients' and | | | | Black: technical, strong, authority. The best colour for |
| customers' experience with your business the best as | | | | text. Best used in small areas |
| it can be. You don't want to turn them off with your | | | | Orange: health, heat, flamboyant. Avoid overuse. |
| colour choices. Employing the wrong colours in web | | | | Grey: intelligence, practicality, professional. Good for |
| design always looks unprofessional – potential | | | | disabled items and text. |
| customers will not be captivated by your business | | | | Colour and the relationships between colours is a |
| and you run the risk of offending them, or even | | | | science in itself. The process of designing a website |
| hurting their eyes! Both of these results will have | | | | when there are so many colours available to you can |
| them closing the browser in seconds, or worse, they | | | | be a daunting task. Do your research, remember |
| will take their business elsewhere. | | | | good design techniques, and think about the |
| It is also important to remember that your colour | | | | customer's needs and you should be able to make |
| choices must be relevant to your business and | | | | well-informed decisions. If in doubt, get the |
| familiar to existing customers - why choose red for | | | | professionals in as they are specially trained in colour |
| your website when your company colour has always | | | | theory and will have your website looking harmonious |
| been blue? Everyone likes the familiar so don’t | | | | and professional in no time at all. |
| be swayed by the countless colours in the web | | | | |