Color Theory
Color theory is a term used to describe the collection of rules and guidelines regarding the use of color in art and design, as developed since their early days. Color theory informs the design of color schemes, aiming at aesthetic appeal and the effective communication of a design message on both the visual level and the psychological level.
Why Study Color Theory?
Modern color theory is heavily based on Isaac Newton’s color wheel, which displays three categories of colors: primary colors (red, blue, yellow), secondary colors (created by mixing two primary colors), and intermediate or tertiary ones (created by mixing primary and secondary colors). Colors can be combined to form one of five main color schemes that allow designers to achieve harmony in their designs.
Why Color Theory Courses for School Students?
Analogous: based on three colors located next to each other on the wheel
Complementary: one or more pairs of colors that, when combined, cancel each other out (i.e., they produce high contrast)
Split-complementary: a combination of the analogous and complementary schemes
Triadic: using three colors at equal distances from each other on the wheel
Tetradic: using two sets of complementary pairs
Color temperature is another vital consideration in design—by distinguishing between warm, cool, and neutral colors, we apparently have the power to evoke emotional responses in people. Warm colors are those with shades of yellow and red; cool colors have a blue, green, or purple tint; neutral colors include brown, gray, black, and white. While these groupings hold true in a general sense, emotional responses to colors can also be heavily affected by gender, experiences, cultural associations, and other personal factors. Consequently, researching the traits and expectations of a target audience is vital for not only fine-tuning the positive impact of color use in a design but also preventing design failure.
Color Temperature
Colors can be used to convey emotive content as well as assist with the look and feel of your website. We’re talking about moving people now, evoking passions and feelings in our users. It’s worth noting at this point that people’s culture, gender, experiences, etc. will also affect the way that colors resonate with them and that user research is a better indicator of emotional response to color than the following guidelines based on the color wheel. For instance, did you know that, in China, red is common because it represents happiness and prosperity, but white is considered funerary or representing misfortune? Also, Chinese culture has a unique color – qing– which is a sort of bluish-green gray, or “grue”. In Greece, yellow conveys notions of sadness, while red conveys such notions in South Africa. Color is a big issue in how people from different parts of the world will interpret your design. A little research goes a long way.
However, if you want to follow the color wheel approach, there are three indicators of color temperature: “warm” and “cool” and “neutral”
Warm colors
These are colors located on the half of the color wheel that includes yellow, orange, and red. These colors are said to reflect feelings such as passion, power, happiness, and energy.
Cool colors
These are colors located on the other side of the color wheel, including green, blue, and purple. Cool colors are said to reflect calmness, meditation, and soothing impressions.
Neutral Colors
These are not said to reflect any particular emotions. These colors include gray, brown, white, and black. Your choice of color categories will depend on what you are trying to achieve with your website. You should always, wherever possible, test your color palettes with your users to be sure that the choices you have made reflect their realities. It’s almost always easier to set and test a color palette early in the development process than at the end. Apart from anything else, it can save you valuable time.