As a designer, when you create a website your primary concern is how to capture the viewer’s attention without compromising the usability. The only way to do it is by pushing up your creativity level and in order to create something truly impressive.
Colors act differently and there is a strong concept of chromatic psychology in web design. Red, green, purple, orange…all of them stimulate the viewer’s feelings and emotion, so when you choose your color scheme you need to make a little research. A colorful website is a great choice when it comes to deliver a positive message or spread the word about an upcoming event.
These types of colors are good to raise the awareness and to capture the attention, so use them wisely because the downside can go as far as mistrust, especially when these colors are trying to promote an apparently sober idea, such as a law firm or a government campaign.
When creating a site, choosing the optimum colors is one of the most difficult tasks that arise in spite of the apparent easiness. Choosing the perfect chromatic palette is important in order to effectively communicate the message, in order to strengthen the idea of a unique entity and to create brand awareness.
Researchers agree that colors greatly influence the human state of mind. The color scheme that you use on your web site can entice the visitor to engage in the goal of your site (i.e. make a purchase or request your services) or leave it after the first few seconds. Even if they are not aware of it, your visitors will be greatly influenced in their decision to keep browsing your site or to leave it because of the poor selection of colors and other visual displayed elements.
Here are few important designing tips:
- Use a natural palette of colors.
- Create a strong contrast between a page’s background and its text.
- Select an average of 3 different colors and use them consistently throughout the web site.
- Be sure to take into account people with visual disabilities.
Old vs. Young People
People of different ages have different reactions to colors. People past a certain age will find web sites with more sober and restrained (and therefore relaxing to the eye) colors more attractive. Youngsters, on the other hand, will appreciate more vivid and brighter colors. Make the distinction between mature and young audience by using the appropriate colors for each category.
Men vs. Women
People also have preferences according to their gender. Thus, men tend to prefer blue and orange to red and yellow, while women prefer red to blue and yellow to orange. Also, remember that it has been proven that women are able to perceive considerably more colors than men; in other words, while men may find peach, teal or peacock as mere notions, women associate these things with colors.
Nations and Colors
If your website addresses an audience larger than your country of origin or it is meant to attract prospects from a specific country, invest some time in researching the specific meanings of colors. For example, while white is a symbol of purity in Western cultures, it stands for bad luck and unhappiness in China, Japan, and India. While very appreciated in Japan, pink is frowned upon in India and East-European countries, where it is regarded as a ‘non-manly’ colors.
Common Colors and Their Most Common Meanings
- Red: energy, passion, excitement, power; also implies aggression, danger.
- Blue: coolness, spirituality, freedom, patience, loyalty, peace, trustworthiness; can also imply sadness, depression.
- Yellow: light, optimism, happiness, brightness, joy.
- Green: life, naturalness, restfulness, health, wealth, prosperity; in certain contexts, can imply decay, toxicity.
- Orange: friendliness, warmth, approachability, energy, playfulness, courage.
- Violet: wisdom, sophistication, celebration.
- White: purity, cleanliness, youth, freshness, peace.
- Black: power, elegance, secrecy, mystery.
- Gray: security, maturity, reliability.
- Pink: romance a feminine color.
- Brown: comfort, strength, stability, credibility.