Website Design and the Psychology of Color

Whether you think color plays a big part in your life or not, it actually does.
Have you been to the grocery store lately? If so, I’m guessing you may have encountered the produce section. Did you know they purposely put background colors against the produce to make the oranges look more orange, the apples look more vibrantly red, and the green veggies look so luscious. They put the produce up front so when you walk in you are welcomed by vibrant warm colors to give you a subliminal hug. Websites are very much the same way, a home page could be thought of as a produce section. What colors would you chose to represent your company and its values, mission, and everything packaged in-between?

Stellar Blue recently launched Fox Cities Marathon’s brand new custom website that is full of bright, inviting colors.

So, we know how important color can be, and when used correctly, it can harness the power to fully identify a brand, image, and can tell that story in seconds. So where would one start? First, what kind of website are you creating and what is it’s purpose? If you already have an established brand but you need a website or are in need of an update, it may be time to look at your current visual identity to see if a new identity should be formed. This could be done simultaneously with the website design to form a brand new identity.

How do I pick colors if I don’t even know anything about them?
There are many different interpretations and theories for color but if you look at just the basic colors you will see an overlapping pattern of human interpretation. Red for example, many people associate red with energy, power, blood, danger, passion, love, hunger and the list goes on. So if you know even the basics of psychology and how it relates to color you can more easily identify what colors can be used.

One of the most important things you can do when choosing the colors of your website, logo or even exterior house paint color is do your research. The Internet has made information available at our fingertips and you can easily browse color meaning online and get some good ideas on how to tailor color to your project and target audience.

When working with a professional such as a graphic designer or interior designer, color theory will be a tool they have studied and researched to help you form your vision. You can rely on their expert opinion to show you color palettes you may have never thought of using, but knowing color basics will then give you insight to what the designer and yourself are trying to accomplish.

If you’d like to revamp your website or just re-color your brand, contact the team at Stellar Blue today!