The Use of Colour in Web Design

It's easy to get colours right, but it's even easier to get them wrong. In web design it is crucial that you make well-informed colour choices. It might sound far-fetched but your choices of colour in web design can make or break your online business. Websites that are aesthetically pleasing and well designed are the ones that get more hits, and a more likely to get returning business.

Visitors to your website will judge your design skills – there's no escaping it. According to the Institute of Color Research, "colour effects and directs the decision making process of the customer. It identifies a company, its product lines and the quality of the merchandise." Their research also reveals that individuals make a subconscious judgement about an item within 90 seconds of initial viewing and up to 90% of that judgement is based on colour. If you want your clients and customers to make a positive judgement of your business, you really need for your web design to be of the highest standard. This includes getting your colours right.

Harmony is the key when deciding colour choices in web design. Choosing harmonious, non-offensive colours will keep people coming back to visit your website. It's extremely important you make your website user-friendly in all areas, and colour is no exception. You want to make your clients' and customers' experience with your business the best as it can be. You don't want to turn them off with your colour choices. Employing the wrong colours in web design always looks unprofessional – potential customers will not be captivated by your business and you run the risk of offending them, or even hurting their eyes! Both of these results will have them closing the browser in seconds, or worse, they will take their business elsewhere.

It is also important to remember that your colour choices must be relevant to your business and familiar to existing customers - why choose red for your website when your company colour has always been blue? Everyone likes the familiar so don’t be swayed by the countless colours in the web design rainbow. Make smart, safe choices and it will cause less confusion for all.

Colours themselves have specific meanings, so it’s important that you do further research to find out what they mean. Colours often have different connotations in different cultures and it is important to consider this if you are targeting an international audience. The following provides common Western meanings of colours that are used in web design:

Red: power, excitement, energy. Good to use for a promotion. Should be used sparingly as it is tiring to the eye

Blue: sophistication, stable, serious, dependable. One of the most common colours used in web design.

White: neutral, calm. The best choice for backgrounds.

Pink: feminine, love, friendship. Preferred by women, could alienate male users.

Green: tranquillity, stability, renewal. Great if your business is 'going green'.

Yellow: warmth, humour, youth. Try a warmer tone of yellow, as bright shades are often harsh on the eyes.

Brown: masculine, productivity, endurance. Great for accents on your website

Black: technical, strong, authority. The best colour for text. Best used in small areas

Orange: health, heat, flamboyant. Avoid overuse.

Grey: intelligence, practicality, professional. Good for disabled items and text.

Colour and the relationships between colours is a science in itself. The process of designing a website when there are so many colours available to you can be a daunting task. Do your research, remember good design techniques, and think about the customer's needs and you should be able to make well-informed decisions. If in doubt, get the professionals in as they are specially trained in colour theory and will have your website looking harmonious and professional in no time at all.