Website Design - Painting the Web

In working for a website design company, I have come across many people with some strange ideas about the colors they want for their website. The usual course of events in this situation is as follows:

First, we suggest colors that we feel represent their business better. We never say they are wrong, for we hope they know their market better than we do.

Next, after they insist on their colors, we build one or more sample templates with different combinations of their colors.

Then, we spend the next week trying to make the colors they choose work the way they want.

Last, after we have spent a week pulling our hair out, the customer asks us to change the color scheme (usually similar to one we suggested the first time).

Why does this happen? They are unaware of the language that colors speak. Everybody receives messages from colors, but many times they are unaware that they are. For example, colors with longer wavelengths (yellows, oranges, and reds), have a tendency to stimulate appetite. Have you noticed that most restaurants incorporate these shades? How many restaurants have blue carpet and walls?

Now the question is how do you get this hidden messages to work for you?

1. Reds, as I have already mentioned, stimulates appetite. With that said, it makes a great color group to use for food advertising. It is also good to use as an accent to draw the eye and create excitement about something (Great for "Click Here" buttons). It is also linked to energy, so it is great to market to those areas.

2. Blues have a calming effect. Greens can also fit in this category. If you wish your company to have a clean, fresh feel, these colors are for you. Also, blue is the color of intellect. If you have a service related company, you need to convince people you know what you are talking about. Blue is the color for you. On the other hand, since blue is a calming color, it will not push people to make quick decisions like red will.

3. White and black are probably the two widely known colors with meanings, but they each have meanings besides good and evil. Along with the common associations with weddings, white also carries a connotation of health (as in hospitals) and simplicity. This is a good color for low-fat foods, the medical field, and anything that you would like to appear simple. Black, on the other hand, carries an air of mystery. For a service company that wants to give the impression that no one can do what you do, black is the color for you. It is also a strong color and can be combined with bright colors to add energy. Black and white is a simple and elegant theme, but an additional color is necessary to highlight important information.

Remember to always have a contrast of colors. This makes it easy to read and therefore to navigate. Also, never forget what the cheap rip-off sites look like...so you can avoid looking like them. Happy coloring!

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