Leeroy Lugg is the Creative Director of Suspire Media, a web design studio focusing on quality design, accessibility and usability. Leeroy has been developing successful websites since 1998; he is an advocate of web standards, has an obsession with detail and a passion for all things web design.Harmonious colour, positive images
Posted: 27 November 08
Using Colour
Choosing the right colours for your website is probably one of the most important design decisions you will make; colour often plays a vital role in giving your website its identity. You may already have a set of colours in mind, perhaps you are going to use the company colour scheme or you might just want to use your own preferred scheme. Either way there are a few guidelines worth taking into account.
- Always use harmonious colour selections.
- Use an online tool like www.colorblender.com to create a balanced palette .
- Try to keep the primary palette down to three or four colours.
- Consider the fact that some users may be colour-blind, think about colour combinations wisely.
- Remember, colour is often associated with emotion and feelings.
- Make sure that the colours you choose reflect your websites purpose.
- Remember that computer screens can make colours seem brighter than they are in print.
- Try and remember to select colours for your audience, its their website after all, don’t just choose a colour scheme because you think its pretty.
- Finally, your colour scheme can mean the difference between a great site and an unusable site, please choose it carefully!
Photography and other images
The use of positive and creative imagery is an essential component in the design of any visually engaging communication tool. When used appropriately a relevant photograph or image can grab attention, establish a sense of trust, and communicate much more than a paragraph of text.
- Creative imagery plays a vital role in communicating your skills and services
- A carefully placed photograph can enable a sense of trust or relaxation.
- Photographs or images can support a visitor to make online decisions.
- Photography creates an opportunity for customers to use their imagination.
- Photographs are a great way of creating a visual metaphor.
- Remember Copyright, don’t just grab photos from other peoples websites.
If you are thinking about using photography to improve your website we strongly suggest you take a look at www.istockphoto.com, great photos that won’t break the bank.
You can read the full article over at www.mediascape.org.uk
Comment
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One neat trick is to choose the photo you want to feature on your website (perhaps in the masthead at the top of each page) and then sample colours from that image using the Eyedropper tool. This can help you select a palette that harmonises with your main image.
— Ben Hayes · Dec 16, 12:11 PM · #