Color in web design: how to evoke the right emotions in the user

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Color determines the user's emotional reaction to the site, even if the person himself is not aware of it. What colors to use for the background and different elements of the site to evoke certain sensations, and how to correctly combine colors in web design, read below.

Throughout human history, master painters have been universally recognized for their ability to work with color. In the modern world, specialists who know how to combine colors for commercial and business purposes - in advertising and web design - are equally recognized.

The ability to use colors can be pumped indefinitely. This is a real abyss of possibilities for influencing a person.

We'll cover the basics of color theory and color scheme, and then we'll talk about the emotional impact of certain colors.

Color theory

A whole book can be devoted to the topic of color, so we will not take it in its entirety, but limit ourselves only to useful information that can be used when developing an interface design.

Color theory can be broken down into three parts:

Contrast

Each shade has an opposite, so to speak, its "nemesis", which constitutes the greatest contrast to this color. To find such a color, you can use the color wheel. Just pick a color on the opposite side of the circle.

Addition

These colors do not always conflict with each other. Complementary colors emphasize each other, as opposed to contrasting ones. In the color wheel, these colors follow each other, for example, complementary colors of lilac - blue and pink.

Resonance

Each color evokes a certain mood. Bright warm colors (red, orange, yellow) fill a person with energy, awaken him, and cold dark shades (green, blue, purple), on the contrary, relax and soothe.

For example, they use the red navigation bar to wake up the reader and heighten their arousal. Considering the specificity of the site - sensational news - red looks like a logical decision.

Color theory in web design is more than just decoration. Color can change the perception of your site and play a critical role in your business.

Emotional perception of color

No one will deny the close interplay of color and emotion. And, of course, any web designer wants to use this influence to create the right vibe for every site.

Based on several studies - analysis posted on the website and a post on colors in - we will explain how colors affect emotions and help create UX design.

It is important to remember that different cultures around the world perceive colors differently. We will describe emotional associations that are unique to Western culture.

Red

The most stimulating color, so energetically charged that it can even increase blood pressure. Red represents passion and power, and is the most attention-grabbing color, which is why it is often used for important warnings and announcements.

For example, the color red is very suitable for a site whose purpose is to warn of perceived threats.

Using a lot of red at the top of the page is great as it draws attention to important information in your message. At the same time, people tend to quickly leave the red "danger zone" and scroll down. And this, in turn, allows you to show the user more content.

But this color can work against you too, as it can cause aggression or overstimulation. If you want to create a more relaxing atmosphere, try to use red in moderation and choose lighter shades of red.

Orange

As the calmest of the warm tones, orange is capable of evoking a range of diverse emotions. As a primary color, it can arouse interest and invigorate, and as a secondary color, it can retain these properties, but in a more unobtrusive manner.

In addition, orange helps create a sense of movement and energy. For example, it looks great on the company's cartoon website, which is suggestive of youth and movement. Color is associated with creativity, while maintaining a familiar brand feel.

Yellow

It is one of the most versatile colors, and the emotions it evokes are more dependent on the shade.

Bright yellow adds energy, but without the sharpness and sharpness that is present in red. Medium shades of yellow evoke comfort while still invigorating. Dark shades (including gold) provide a sense of antiquity, filling the space with timelessness, wisdom and curiosity.

For example, on the home page of a web design agency, darker tones of yellow exude energy, curiosity, and authority. This color is great for companies that make money from consulting and want to emphasize their professionalism.

Green color

Green is a bridge between warm and cold shades, although it tends to be more cold. This means that green has the relaxing effect of blue, but also has a bit of energy from yellow.

As a result, it creates a very balanced and stable atmosphere. Darker shades of green give the impression of wealth and abundance, just like on the website.

Blue color

As with yellow, the effect of blue is highly dependent on the hue. All shades of blue are universal in terms of relaxation and safety, but light tones are associated with friendliness, and dark tones with sadness.

Social networks like Twitter and Facebook use lighter to medium shades of blue, while corporate sites prefer darker shades of strength and reliability.

An event design agency is a great example. Using blue flowers as a background, they visually hinted at their knowledge and skill in floristry, and also created a sense of reliability and trust.

This is of great importance as they work with events for which the visual is very important, such as weddings.

Purple

The color purple is historically associated with royal grandeur, hinting at luxury. The shades of purple reflect generosity and wealth in general, making them a great choice for fashion and luxury goods (even chocolate like the brand's color choice).

Lighter shades such as lavender (purple with a touch of pink) evoke thoughts of romance, while darker shades seem more chic and mysterious.

Black

The strongest of the neutral colors, black, appears on almost any website. It can evoke different associations depending on the colors accompanying it or dominate them if used excessively.

The strength and neutrality of black makes it a great choice for large blocks of text, but as a primary color it can create a sense of nervousness or even be associated with evil.

For most sites, black is used to create a sense of sophistication. The combination of black and white in a minimalistic design gives the impression of elegance and style, just like on the BOSE website.

White

In Western culture, white is associated with purity, kindness and innocence. This color is often used for the background of minimalistic and simple websites.

In addition, no single color will allow you to pay as much attention to other colors as white. For example, for the winner of Awwwards, Kloin Toshev, all his works are laid out on a white background, which only makes the illustrations stand out and gives the impression of an elegant gallery.

Grey colour

While gray can create a gloomy and sad atmosphere in some situations, it is still often used by professional designers.

It's all about the shades: by alternating them, you can get all the emotions caused by both black and white. All in all, gray is a powerful tool in the right hands.

And in combination with brighter colors in the design, the gray background seems modern, and not gloomy, for example, on.

Beige

Beige itself is rather dull and expressionless, but it has one remarkable property: beige takes on the character of the flowers that surround it. Therefore, if it is not intended to express restraint, beige serves as a background or second color.

Darker shades of beige create a sense of tradition and earthiness, give a papery feel, while lighter shades appear fresher and more modern.

For example, on a restaurant website, a light beige color around the name and darker edges give the impression that the restaurant is a fresh take on traditional cuisine.

Ivory

Ivory as well as cream evoke almost the same emotions as white. However, ivory is warmer (or less sterile) than white, which creates a greater sense of comfort while maintaining minimalism.

You can use ivory instead of white to soften the contrast between it and darker colors. For example, on the site, brown-orange elements are placed against an ivory background (which looks greyish) to maintain a sense of warmth.

Color spectrum

Each site has a color scheme that uses primary colors to fill more space. As we said earlier, the use of these colors affects the mind and mood of a person mainly subconsciously. So choose them carefully.

While there are many ways to combine colors, we will focus on three of the most successful and commonly used ones.

Triad (triple harmony, triangle)

The triad is the basic and most balanced system of three colors. It uses resonance and color complement, but does not have complex contrast, which makes the triad the most reliable gamut.

On a 12-color wheel, select any three 120 degrees apart: one for the foreground and two for the content and navigation bar.

Dual complementary system

This range is more difficult to implement, but it can be a profitable solution. Four colors are used: two contrasting and two complementary.

Check out what a great Florida Flourish page looks like based on this layout. The red and green colors contrast in the plants and text blocks, while the blue background and orange desert complement the picture effectively.

Analogs (serial system)

The range of similar colors uses mainly complementary shades. This allows you to especially clearly emphasize some qualities and evoke certain emotions.

For example, the combination of red, orange and yellow colors emphasizes energy and vitality. It is very simple to use such scales, but it is difficult to choose which colors will be included in the combination. The effect of them will be exaggerated, so you cannot be wrong.

For example, the use of blue, turquoise and green colors in the website design created an atmosphere of calm and serenity. Notice how yellow was used to highlight important points.

These are just the basics of color theory that can help you create impressive custom designs, and there is no limit to how far you can go in terms of color on your site.

Color Picker Assistant Tools

Fortunately, there are several tools available to help you put color theory into practice. Try these palettes so you don't have to start from scratch to create your own:

1. formerly known as Adobe Kuler. It is one of the most reliable color picking tools.
2. … If you want a simple tool to pick a color as quickly as possible, Paletton is great.
3. … A great tool for choosing the color of the user interface.

And if these tools don't work for you, here are the different color picker tools.

Direct relationship between color and emotion

Remember: users rarely notice and appreciate the color of the background, navigation bar, individual details, but this does not mean that the color does not affect them. It just happens subconsciously.

The user has some emotions, develops an attitude towards the site or brand, he performs certain actions: scrolls down, clicks on buttons that induce action, or, conversely, does not notice them. And color plays a huge role in all this.

If you have any tips for using color in web design, please share in the comments.