Color Concepts Color as a Design Element

Transcription

1 Color Concepts Color as a Design Element Color Associations If one says red and there are fifty people listening, it can be expected that there will be fifty reds in their minds. And all these reds will be very different. Colors present themselves in continuous flux, constantly related to changing neighbors and changing conditions. Josef Albers Artist, visual theorist, and educator, from Interaction of Color, Yale University Press Color Systems Subtractive color space CMYK color system Additive color space RGB color system Ford, Janet L. 1

2 Color Terminology Hue is color (blue, green, red, etc.). Chroma is the purity of a color (a high chroma has no added black, white or gray). Saturation refers to how strong or weak a color is (high saturation being strong). Value refers to how light or dark a color is (light having a high value). Tones are created by adding gray to a color, making it duller than the original. Shades are created by adding black to a color, making it darker than the original. Tints are created by adding white to a color, making it lighter than the original. Color Terminology Color Associations Color communicates Color Psychology: the study of the emotional and behavioral effects produced by colors Color therapy Color Symbolism Cultural - western culture, eastern cultures, African (zulu beads), etc. Ex: White around the globe White is the traditional color worn by brides in the western world, as well as in Japan. White is a color of mourning in China and parts of Africa. It was the custom for the Queens of France to wear deuil blanc or "white mourning" White was the color of deepest mourning among medieval European queens In Chinese culture, colors corresponded with the five primary elements, the directions, and the four seasons. White was associated with metal, west, and autumn. A white flag is universally recognized as a symbol of truce. The Japanese have six distinct terms to define whiteness. The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams

3 Color Associations Red: stimulates brain wave activity, increases heart rate, blood pressure (love, passion, anger) Blue: calming, lowers blood pressure, openness, intelligence, faithful (water, sky, air) Conveys a sense of stability (corporate) Yellow: energizes, relieves depression, improves memory (Active and visible: taxi, bus, caution signs) Orange: energizes, active Green: soothing, relaxing mentally & physically, soothes depression anxiety, nervousness (Nature, growth, freshness, hope) Black: self-confidence, power, elegance, strength White: clean, perfect, light, pure Color 3

4 Color Color Color 4

5 Color Temperatures Warm Colors Ford, Janet L. warm warm 5

6 warm Color Systems Primary Colors Secondary Colors Tertiary Colors Complementary Analogous Ford, Janet L. Monochromatic Analogous Triad Complementary Split-Complementary Double-Complementary Ford, Janet L. 6

7 Analogous Complementary Complementary Complementary Colors next to each other Simultaneous Contrast Vibrating Boundaries 7

8 Color Combinations Achromatic color scheme (without color) Monochromatic Bright accent within neutral palette 8

9 Audience?? 9

10 Navigation 10

11 How to choose a color scheme Adobe Color: Paletton: Adobe Capture CC App ( ) How to choose a color scheme TIPS ON CHOOSING A STARTING COLOR Use what you have.. If the client has a logo with an established color, that will usually be your starting color. Eliminate your competitors colors. If one of your main competitors has a strong brand color, don t copy it if you can help it. Find your competitors colors to eliminate them from your own color schemes. Think about your target audience.. The colors of a website for a funeral home would likely be very different from the colors for a kids club. Think about who will be using the website and how you want them to feel (excited, serious, taken care of, etc.). But don t default to stereotypes. If you re designing a website for young girls, you don t have to use pink. Avoid clichés to gain credibility. Play a word game.. If you re struggling, write down any words that you associate with the client s business. This list should give you some ideas for colors. If you re really struggling, hop on any website about color meanings and see which fits best. 11

12 Color Resources Kuler by Adobe Labs COLOURlovers Design Melt Down worqx.com 12