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Color Theory
Color theory is both a science and an art, encompassing how humans perceive colour and the visual effects created when different hues are mixed or matched. It serves as a powerful tool in visual design, as it can influence emotions, mood, and the overall perception of a brand. Beyond aesthetics, strategic colour application establishes relationships between content, creates necessary contrast, and guides the user's eye through a design hierarchy. Understanding these principles allows you to make informed design decisions and communicate the rationale behind those choices to stakeholders.
TIP
Everyone has an opinion and a personal reaction to color, which can boil down to people not liking a color just because they don't like it. That feedback can be difficult to work with when choosing colors based on cultural or emotional meanings. Articulating why you chose the specific colors for a project can lead to much more productive discussions with stakeholders and target audiences when you're in the testing phase of a design and they give feedback on the color. If that feedback is simply "I don't like the color blue you chose", talk about why you chose that color blue, and ask the user what colors they associate with the emotions or feelings you're trying to convey through your design.
Sometimes, though, people will be averse to the color you selected no matter what. So, take the feedback from different users into consideration. If the colors you've chosen come up as a problem multiple times, reassess your color choices and go through another round of review. Every person perceives color differently, which is perhaps why color selection is one of the areas that developers struggle with.
Overview
- Color Terminology — Hue, saturation, lightness, and temperature
- The Color Wheel — Color sets and relationships
- Color Psychology — Cultural and emotional associations
- Picking a Color Scheme — Building professional palettes
- Implementing Color for Digital Screens — Web color modes and accessibility