Color in Marketing and Web Design

We live in a golden age of color. Our electronic devices can display huge spectrums of color and printers are more advanced than ever, giving designers virtually no restraints when they choose a color palette for a project. Many people consider color to be nothing more than a decoration, when in reality it is a form of communication that all walks of life respond to.

It grabs your attention.

Color is the first thing that will catch a person’s eye, which is why road signs are commonly bright yellow or orange. The bright colors tell the viewer that they need to take some sort of action – whether its being aware, slowing down or being prepared to stop. This same tactic can be used in marketing and design. Eye-grabbing colors can make important information or calls-to-action extremely easy to find, but should be used sparingly – they can strain the viewer’s eyes and become unpleasant to look at.

It provides simplicity to complex information.

The usability of everything you design depends on color. If a designer has to communicate complicated information to a mass audience, like an airport map, they have to design based on the assumption that people don’t speak the same language. Colors can be used to color code different sections of the airport, which makes it understandable to people who speak different languages and a lot more comprehensible to somebody that speaks the same language. Because not everybody has the same perception of color, it is extremely important to always make sure text has high contrast and is on a background that doesn’t cause strain on the eye.

It’s symbolic and contextual.

When determining your color palette, it is vital that you refer to information you’ve gathered about your target audience. Colors can symbolize completely opposite emotions across cultures. The color associated with mourning, for example, is black in the United States and white in China. This does not mean that colors can’t break away from the symbolism that stems from different cultures. Color is contextual. It is next to impossible to view a color without considering its surroundings. Pairing colors together can create a palette that sends a different message than each individual color does on its own.

The color palette also has to reflect the message that the brand is trying to spread. A company that wants to be known as environmentally friendly would probably not want to use very many unnaturally bright colors. Color can send messages to your audience about the quality, price and function of your product. Walmart uses a bright blue and orange which gives it a simple and accessible vibe, while brands like Apple use black, silver, and white to convey sleekness and high-tech.

Here are a few tools that can help you determine color schemes and color palettes:

• Coolors – The super fast color schemes generator for cool designers.
• Couleurs App – A simple app for grabbing and tweaking the colors you see on your screen.
• Adobe Color CC – Generate color palettes from photos on your iPhone.

At Pyxl, we’re a creative group and enjoy combining colors in web design and marketing that work best for each individual client and project. Check out some of our recent work!

Updated: Apr 13, 2022