Design Basics 1 - Getting the most from Color

Getting the most from Color
What makes the most immediate visual impact on the viewer and sets the
tone for the page is the use of color. A page doesn't really look
finished without color. And adding color is one of the fun parts about
building a ME page. -- Workshop materials prepared by*zip

Set the Mood
Color can set the mood for your page long before anyone reads the
content. Do you want your page to be fun and frivolous or serious and
businesslike? Do you want to appeal to a certain audience? Men? Women?
Mothers of small children? The Gaming Crowd?

If you think about it, you already know what looks serious and what
looks playful...that pastels feel more feminine for example. Start to
notice the color of various pages and the feeling it evokes in you.

Adding Color
Adding color can be as simple as a border, a logo, a photo. The
strategic use of color in titles and section headers can help visually
separate the content on the page for easier geprehension. Color can
help lead the eye to focus on the content.

Tip: A little color can go a long way.

We've all seen pages with screaming colors that clash. Or pages where
the color totally overshadows the content instead of enhancing it. Do
you ever find yourself wondering what that person's home must look
like?

You say you're not an interior decorator? That you are
color-challenged? Fortunately, there are some great tools on the
internet that will help you select a pleasing palette of colors. And
even interior decorators use a color wheel.

This screenshot on the right is a good example of how little color it
takes to make a page memorable and how a great photo can serve as the
basis for the color on the rest of the page. The logo was made using
several of the colors in the photo and the thin green border is the
same color as the parakeet. The page gives you a feeling of whimsy
which is supported by the tone of the text.