EBizInsider

Whether you are launching a new website or redesigning a classic one, choosing a good color palette should be an essential part of the process. More often than not, poor color choices can disguise a strong brand or even steer customers away because of hues that have emotional effects (more on this later in the article). Since color is a subjective experience, it can be tough to determine the proper combinations that best suit your brand or industry.

To really learn about color you would need to first understand the structure of color. Of course, I am referring to the color wheel and the three primary hues: yellow, red, and blue. We then have secondary hues (orange, violet, and green) and third level hues which are combinations: yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, and yellow-green. The colors opposite each other on the wheel are called “complements”. Of course, you can choose colors without having a deep knowledge of how it works by relying upon your emotional responses.

The first place to start is with your business plan. The reason for this is you want to use a color palette that best represents your industry as well as your definition of your business. Referring to your business plan allows you to choose colors later that are a visual summary of your goals.

For instance, your plan states that you are offering electronic products but you want to be known as an ecofriendly company that is loyal to customer satisfaction. What does any of this have to do with color choices? Well since you are selling electronic gadgets and such, typically you would choose from a palette that appears mechanical, futuristic, modern, etc. Generically, this would be some sort of grey-blue and black combination. By referring to your business plan first, you identified that you want to be known as a more earthy electronics company. In this case you might instead go with a palette that has a softer tone, with more pastel and natural colors. Color reflects personality, so you want to be sure to choose a combination that defines the purpose of your offering more than the industry.

Another place you can begin is by creating a “mood board”. A mood board is a collage of images, text, colors, etc. that represent your business mission and branding. For example, if you were a company that sold car accessories and you were from New York, you might make a mood board that was a combination of vehicles, roads, local scenery, etc. If you step back and look at the images you decided to use in this mood board you will start to identify repetitive combinations of color. From here it is a bit more obvious from what palette your primary and complementary colors should derive.

When you are working on choosing your color palette make sure to choose shades that offer contrast. Additionally, you want to have at least one complementary color. Using contrast will help deliver a well-balanced design. The addition of a complementary color will deter from the palette, thus avoiding the risk of appearing too aggressive. It also allows a resting place for the viewer’s eyes. Complementary colors should be applied in a subtle way to avoid complicating the design. The goal is to create a harmonious effect. Optimal results can be subjective but if your palette is harmonious, then you still achieved the goal.

There are a variety of online resources to help you pick your palette. Some that designers use all the time are:

http://kuler.adobe.com/ is my personal professional favorite. Adobe has done a terrific job offering users the ability to submit their favorite combinations. The program allows you to search by industry, emotional responses, etc. It also allows you to download the swatches to be used with their software.

http://www.colourlovers.com/ A great resource of commonly used color trends.

http://www.colorjack.com/sphere/ An interactive color wheel that helps you define color combinations and offers up the hex codes.

http://www.colorhunter.com/ Allows you to upload images and picks out the color combination. This is great way to assure your site theme complements your product images and vice versa.

As a designer I will always recommend that you allow a professional to choose your palette; but if you decide to do it yourself, follow these simple guidelines and use the recommended tools and you’ll be off to a colorful start.

All posts by Chris Pawloski | E-Mail the author