Color Blog - Page 18

Web Design Colour Choices for 2012: Functionality and Branding Impact

For 2012, the emphasis on web design colour choices leans more towards functionality than to beauty. While creating an attractive and inviting site is always important, today's browsers want a home page or landing page that is simple and straightforward. They will not linger to try to understand a site with an unclear message. For this reason, colour choice must be a careful process that will enhance the site theme and make its purpose easily recognizable. Usually, a simpler format with a limited palette of two or three colours will work best.

Your choice of web design colour can have a powerful impact for several reasons. Visual clues help consumers to quickly sort and categorize products. Certain colours tap into psychological and cultural meanings and can set a specific tone or mood. However, colours do not hold the same meaning universally. For example, in the United States green generally connotes wealth, growth, prosperity and health, but in China, the same colour symbolizes unfaithfulness in marriage. Your potential audience will be a factor in choosing the most effective web design colour.

Primary colours are back for 2012 but in limited amounts. A site with too many bright yellows, blues, and reds will be immediately associated with children's interests, which is fine if that is what the site is truly advertising. New sites such as Pinterest.com and Celebrations.com have a relatively bland, white background upon which colour accents from reader contributions are broadly scattered. The pages look interesting without being overwhelming. A red or orange logo is always a great attention-getter. Red speaks to excitement and energy while orange suggests sales prices and good values.

Teal: A Timeless and Versatile Color in Fashion, Jewelry, and Interior Design

The color teal has long been valued for its uniqueness, versatility and ability to impact powerful color combinations. Ancient Persians believed it could ward off evil. Egyptian cultures appreciated this deepened shade of turquoise as an emblem of trust and faithfulness. It reminded Tibetan monks of the enormity of the sea and the sky. For Native Americans, teal was connected to water and fertility, and this lovely, mysterious color offered hope for a prosperous future.

Today, teal represents the perfect combination of blue and green and the equally excellent pairing of down-to-earth qualities and sophistication. Because both men and women appreciate this color, it has been welcomed into fashion, jewelry and interior design. While it has the individual strength to stand alone, teal also works willingly with a variety of other colors to produce customized results.

Valentines Day Roses: A Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color

Valentine's Day is known around the world as an opportunity to celebrate love. Red, pink or white roses and humorous or sentimental cards are the typical gifts exchanged. In America, jewelry has also become a popular love token. However, almost any present wrapped in Valentine colors is acceptable.

Red roses symbolize energy, passion and deep love. Traditionally, they are reserved for intimate, romantic relationships. From earliest times, a red rose has been valued for its fragrance and beauty. Giving this lovely crimson creation to a friend for Valentine's Day could send the wrong message and create an awkward situation.

Pink roses might be a better choice for a friend or family member. This color speaks of affection, sweetness and understanding. Since pink is actually created by combining red and white, some consider pink to be the representation of innocence and virginity. Light pink can represent grace, gentility, admiration and friendship. Dark pink, on the other hand, leans more toward gratitude, appreciation and thankfulness.

Choosing the Perfect Color Palette for Your Babys Nursery

No bedroom is more lovingly planned than the baby's nursery. Every parent wants the youngest member of the family to feel safe and happy in a bedroom that is colorful and interesting. Choosing the perfect color palette for your baby's room depends on several factors. For some parents, continuity is important, and if the rest of the house is traditional, they want the nursery to echo that theme. On the other hand, other parents like incorporating variety into their decorating style and try to match individual rooms to the personality of the occupant. Additional considerations include the size of the room, the natural lighting available, the gender of the baby and special features such as murals or architecture.

Modern baby-room trends can echo color combinations that are also popular elsewhere in the house. Grey and yellow or black and white pairs are favorites for those who appreciate a modernist approach. Bold vibrant colors are also popular. Traditional parents tend to favor vintage white with pastel accents or green and violet pastel combinations. Eco-conscious parents will probably carry their earthy color theme from the rest of the house right into the nursery.

Today's parents often know the gender of their babies even before they are born. This advantage allows them to decorate in the right colors before baby comes home. Boys will be fine with any color on the color wheel except pink or purple. Baby girls can settle happily into any color as long as red or blue are not the dominant choices. For a gender-neutral room, simply avoid pink and purple completely and keep red and blue as secondary colors.

Discover 175 New Pantone Colors for Women's Fashion in 2012

Although it seems impossible that more color shades and hues could exist on this planet, the Pantone Fashion Color Report has recently announced 175 new color codes and brought its official color chart labels to a total of 2,100. Increasing appreciation for global color influences may explain how these new shades have been discovered and identified. For 2012, the winner from among so many potential candidates is juicy Tangerine Tango. However, this vivacious orange is actually only one of twelve dominant themes for women's fashions for spring and summer of 2012.

Inevitably, spring makes us think of new life, new hope and renewed energy. With the lethargy and dullness of winter slipping away, women want to look re-energized and vibrant. According to Fashion Snoops Trend Report, Tangerine Tango is joined by a warm Poppy red, sensual Geranium rosy-red, cheery Canary yellow and spring Grass yellow-green. Both Tiffany blue and Sodalite marine blue are refreshing and cool choices. Bellflower, a deep ornamental purple; Hyacinth, a softer version; and Sweet Lilac, a light, romantic pink-lavender will be ideal companions from spring through the lovely long days and evenings of summer. Even the intriguing Inky dark blue reflects contemporary classic style.

Every season needs neutrals to balance the palette of favorite colors, and the choices this year are reminders of smooth Honey and clean Sandstone. A beige-grey combination known as Driftwood speaks of weathered cottages and sand-washed beaches. By mixing these softly muted tones with bright vivid colors and mischievously delicate pastels, women's fashions for spring and summer are guaranteed to be fun-loving and playful with just a hint of classic finesse.