How Web Site Visitors Respond
To Color And Other Visual Elements

Contributed by Jay Schroyer

There's a very logical and reasonable methodology behind the color scheme of traffic signs. The red stop sign indicates danger and attention. The pedestrian crossing and curve speed suggestion signs are yellow to indicate caution. Signs for state parks and towns are green indicating information, but nothing that needs immediate attention. As drivers, we’ve learned that these colors can not only instantly alert us of what’s ahead, but also affect us emotionally. Who doesn't feel tense when they approach a traffic light that is changing from yellow to red? And can't you just see the smile on your face as you’re driving home from work and getting all green lights?

The way color affects us is not just isolated to the road. The choices that designers make in print advertisements and web design greatly affect an item’s emotional response and effectiveness. Learning how these colors work together to harmonize your web page can make the difference between a success and an absolute failure. Whether you’re just learning how to use the Internet or learning basic HTML, here are some things to keep in mind while designing a web page.

Readability
Readability can refer to your ability to blend appropriate colors together. You want to avoid clashing color themes that will not only make your web site offensive to the eyes, but will drive people away. Your color choices should feel natural for your product or service and serve to help draw attention to certain features or areas of the site using attracting colors. Ever wonder why sale signs are red? It’s because red draws the attention of the viewer and alerts them that there is something that needs their attention located in that area. Don’t try to use every color of the rainbow on your site. Choose three at the most and try to match them up to the company logo or color scheme to create a warm and friendly environment.

Eye Strain
Consider who will be reading your page. Nobody likes to read white text on a hot pink background. It's sometimes hard enough to read the text on some web sites due to space restraints. Don’t make the process any harder than it has to be. Dark type on light backgrounds is a good choice not only for ease of reading, but ease on the eyes. Avoid placing patterns into boxes that will contain type. The patterns often blend in with the type and make it extremely difficult to read. Choose fonts that are sans serif as they are easiest to read and look very clean. Pastels are always a good choice as they give the web site a very airy and open feel. Darker colors will close the site in perhaps making some viewers feel claustrophobic. Remember, you want people to feel welcome with warm colors so that they'll stay and browse, or shop, for a while.

White, the Most Important Color
The proper and prodigious use of the non-color white can’t be stressed enough. You need white space to keep areas of your page separate and clear. If you paint every square inch with color, the site will feel very closed, stuffy, and busy. The use of white space can help lead a viewer’s eye to links and other items. The use of white space also makes the site appear very clean and allows the lines of places where you did use color appear very sharp and crisp in contrast. It evokes a clean and safe environment for people to browse or shop.

Symbolic Color
Throughout history, colors have come to take on symbolic meaning. White is seen as pure and good, black as dirty and evil, blue for boys, and pink for girls. Although these meanings don’t hold true for all people of all cultures all over the world, they are good things to keep in the back of your mind as your design. Choose appropriate colors when designing your web site color scheme. If you were selling men’s cologne, you probably wouldn't want to use a pink or bright fuscia background, would you? Choosing an appropriate color scheme for your product or service could make the difference when it comes to acceptance or rejection by customers.

You can see that when you design a web site, you need to keep a lot of things in mind; mainly your audience and what type of product or service you are promoting. Use appropriate and well-placed color that is easy on the eyes to design a site that people will visit over and over again.

About the Author:
Jay Schroyer has worked in the client and customer service end of business for over five years in retail, advertising, and printing. He holds a bachelor's and master's degree in English writing and communication.

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