We’re answering the common questions about choosing the right colours for a web design. When you’ve every colour of the rainbow to play with, how should you choose? Here’s some help getting colour right.
Colour questions
Colour is one of the most important elements of design. The right colour palette prompts action, evokes feelings and makes the right statement for your business.
So where should you start deciding on the colours for your website? What is a colour ‘palette’? Are there fashionable colours and palettes you should use? What is colour theory?
Fashionable colours for 2023
You only have to type into Google ‘contemporary colour palettes this year’ and you’ll get a raft of search results about the hot-tipped colour-combos designers are predicted to use.
From light and dark shades of green, with a top accent colour of orange or yellow, to bolder, acidic contrasting combinations of fuchsia and turquoise, and metallic hues of silver and gold to lift a monochrome look.
The fact is, there are colour trends. But although interesting to note, colour comes down to personal choice, and your judgement of what will work well for, and attract, your target audience
Pantone’s colour of the year
Yes, there is a colour of the year. As announced by Pantone, 2023’s Color of the Year is Viva Magenta 18-1750. Described as an ‘upscale red’ and ‘deep raspberry’, the hue is seen as expressing strength, bravery and optimism.
Colours for your website
The look and feel of your website should appeal to your target audience. Kitsch contrasts and primary accents are not for everyone. So do aim to get a handle on what colours are going to present your business well to your clients and project the right professional image. In doing this, it helps to be aware of some of the principles of ‘colour theory’.
What is colour theory?
Colour theory is the idea that different colours prompt different responses and emotions. As follows:
- Red — prompts action and urgency; associated with passion and energy
- Orange — joyful and enthusiastic; good for upbeat messaging
- Yellow — signifies happiness and learning; overdoing it may have the opposite effect
- Green — growth and ambition; gives impression of being on the up and going places
- Blue — light shades denote peace and tranquillity, darker shades more about confidence and authority
- Purple — use sparingly to exude a sense of luxury
- Black — mystery and power; used to create negative space
- White — safety, innocence and cleanliness; helps to streamline a design
Keep in mind any international audience you may have, as different colours mean different things to people of different cultures.
What is a colour palette?
A colour palette is the combination of colours used for a design. Ideally, they should be inline with your brand and the response you want to elicit from your website users.
How to choose a colour palette?
Start with black and white
It may sound odd, but starting with black and white can help you to see how much contrast you need in the various elements of your design. Lay out all the elements, including text to see where the contrasts are needed. Contrast is important for user experience, so not enough will leave you with a low-satisfaction experience for potential customers, and a website potentially inaccessible to those with a sight impairment.
Consider the 60-30-10 rule
You don’t have to be tied to this rule, or three colours, but it can help you determine a framework.
- 60% primary or main colour
- 30% secondary colours
- 10% accent colours
Experiment!
After you’ve got your main colour selection, play around to see what looks best. Try not to use the main colours you’ve chosen for buttons, consider accents and consider how text looks on top.
Get feedback and test
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. Are the colours distracting? Is it easy to navigate? Is there enough contrast? These are all good questions to get the answers to from real users.
Lastly, use the tools available
It’s not easy to find inspiration, so using a colour tool can help you to build a palette. Ones to try are Adobe Colour, Adobe Illustrator Colour Guide, or the present colour guides in the software you’re using, for example the pre-set themes in Office PowerPoint.
Need help with any aspect of web design? Our digital designers are here to help. Just get in touch for a chat all-things web design.
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