Connecting Colors: Tips & Techniques for Designers

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 18 July 2023 6 min read

Color is a powerful tool in design, capable of evoking emotions, grabbing attention, and even influencing behaviors. But how can designers effectively use color to connect with their audience? In this blog, we'll explore practical tips and techniques for leveraging colors that connect, creating harmony, establishing mood, attracting attention, ensuring readability, and developing a color palette. Let's start our color journey!

1. Create Harmony

Firstly, let's talk about harmony. When colors work well together, they create a sense of balance and cohesiveness that can make your designs more appealing and engaging. Achieving this harmony isn't just about picking colors that look nice together—it's about understanding and applying certain principles and rules to your color choices.

Choose Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are pairs of colors that, when combined, cancel each other out. This means that they produce a grayscale color when combined. These are colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, red and green, or blue and orange. Using complementary colors creates a high contrast and vibrant look especially when used at full saturation. This color scheme must be managed well so it is not jarring. Complementary colors are tricky to use in large doses, but work well when you want something to stand out.

Apply Color Harmony Rules

Color harmony rules, such as analogous, monochromatic, or triadic schemes, can guide your color selection process. An analogous scheme involves colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, creating a serene and comfortable design. A monochromatic scheme uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single color, resulting in a soothing and elegant look. A triadic scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel, offering a vibrant yet balanced design. By understanding and applying these rules, you can create colors that connect seamlessly.

Evaluate Color Combinations

Once you've selected your colors, evaluate how they work together. Do they create the desired effect? Do they balance each other out, or does one color dominate the others? Does the combination align with your brand or design goals? Don't be afraid to tweak and experiment with your color choices until you find the perfect mix. Remember, the goal here is to create a harmonious color scheme that connects with your audience and communicates your message effectively.

2. Establish Mood

Now that we've mastered harmony, let's dive into the realm of mood. The colors you choose can have a profound impact on the emotions your design evokes. By carefully matching colors to emotions, considering cultural associations, and adjusting color saturation and value, you can create a mood that resonates deeply with your audience.

Match Colors to Emotions

Ever heard of color psychology? It's the study of how colors can influence our emotions and behaviors. For example, red often symbolizes passion and energy, while blue can convey a sense of calm and trustworthiness. Yellow, on the other hand, is frequently associated with happiness and creativity. By understanding these associations, you can choose colors that connect with the emotions you want your design to evoke.

Consider Cultural Associations

But remember, color meanings can vary depending on cultural context. What evokes a sense of joy in one culture might not have the same effect in another. For example, in many Western cultures, white is associated with purity and innocence, whereas in some Eastern cultures, it's the color of mourning. So, when you're designing for an international audience, it's important to consider these cultural color associations.

Adjust Color Saturation and Value

Finally, remember that color saturation and value can also play a role in setting the mood. Saturated colors, which are pure and intense, can create a vibrant, energetic mood. On the other hand, desaturated colors, which are muted and closer to gray, can create a relaxed, sophisticated vibe. The value of a color, or its lightness or darkness, can also impact the mood. Lighter colors tend to be associated with positivity, while darker colors can evoke a more serious or mysterious mood. By adjusting these elements, you can fine-tune the mood of your design.

3. Attract Attention

Creating harmony and establishing mood are crucial to a successful design, but if you don't attract attention, it might all be for naught. Let's explore how to use colors to draw the eye and make your design stand out.

Use Color Contrast

Contrast is one of the most powerful tools in a designer's toolbox. By using colors that are opposites on the color wheel, you can create a sense of tension that immediately grabs the viewer's attention. For example, pairing a bright red with a cool blue will create a bold contrast that is hard to ignore. But remember, balance is key. Too much contrast can be jarring, so use this technique wisely.

Highlight Important Elements

Colors are also a great way to highlight the most important elements in your design. By using a bold, contrasting color for key parts of your design, you can ensure that they stand out. Think about a stop sign: its bright red color instantly draws the eye and signals importance. So, if there's a part of your design that you really want to pop, consider giving it a splash of color that connects with your audience.

Avoid Color Overload

While it's important to use color to attract attention, you also want to avoid overwhelming your viewers. Too many colors can confuse the eye and make your design difficult to comprehend. As a rule of thumb, try to stick to three main colors in your design. This will help to keep your design cohesive, while still providing enough variety to keep things interesting.

4. Ensure Readability

Attracting attention is a start, but it's equally important to make sure your design is easy to read and understand. Here's how you can use color to improve the readability of your design.

Choose Legible Color Combinations

Not all colors play well together, especially when it comes to text and background colors. Some combinations can strain the eye and make text difficult to read. For example, if you've ever tried to read yellow text on a white background, you know what I mean. Instead, try to pair light colors with dark ones to ensure high contrast and easy readability. A classic example is black text on a white background—it's simple, but it works.

Test Colors on Different Devices

Colors can appear differently on different screens. What looks good on your desktop monitor might not translate well to a smartphone screen. So, always test your color choices on multiple devices. This will help you ensure that your design looks great and is easy to read, no matter how your audience is viewing it.

Consider Color Blindness

Did you know that around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women in the world are colorblind? That's a significant portion of your potential audience. So, when choosing colors that connect in your design, consider how they might appear to someone with color blindness. Tools like the Color Blindness Simulator can help you see your design from a different perspective and make more inclusive color choices.

5. Develop a Color Palette

Now that we've covered the basics of color readability, let's move on to building your own color palette. This is where you get to put all these tips into action and really start creating colors that connect on a deep level with your audience.

Start with a Base Color

Every great color palette starts with a single color. Think of this as the foundation of your design—the color that sets the tone for everything else. This could be a color that represents your brand, or a color that evokes the emotion you want your design to convey. Once you've chosen your base color, you can start to build around it, adding complementary and contrasting colors to create a balanced, harmonious palette.

Add Accent Colors

Accent colors are like the seasoning in a dish—they add flavor and interest. These are the colors you'll use sparingly to draw attention to key elements in your design. When choosing accent colors, consider the emotional impact you want them to have. A vibrant red, for example, can create a sense of urgency, while a soft blue might evoke feelings of calm and trust.

Apply the 60-30-10 Rule

Ever heard of the 60-30-10 rule? It's a classic design principle that can help you balance your color palette. Here's how it works: 60% of your design should be your dominant color (usually your base color), 30% should be a secondary color, and the remaining 10% should be your accent color. This ratio helps to create a sense of balance and harmony in your design, leading to colors that connect seamlessly.

If you enjoyed our blog post on "Connecting Colors: Tips & Techniques for Designers," you will definitely want to explore the workshop titled 'Connecting To Drawing: Colour' by Molley May. This workshop delves deeper into the world of color and provides valuable tips and techniques for designers looking to enhance their understanding and use of color in their work. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your color skills to the next level!