Choosing Interface Colors

FAQ

Does Microsoft own everything?

Almost, but not quite. Internet Explorer for Windows 98 tried to redefine the default color for visited links as green instead of purple. However, by then, purple had already seeped into the collective Web unconsciousness as the correct color for visited links. Internet Explorer for Windows XP quietly reverted to purple as its default color choice.

The graphical dressing of your site gives you the most latitude for color choices. You don't have to think about color usability issues as much. At the same time, this is where you set the visual tone for your site, and color plays no small role in striking the right mood.

Some of the color design work may already be done for you. If you're building a site for a business or organization, your design should use the corporate colors in some meaningful way. Corporate colors are just colors that the marketing department has spent tremendous time and resources trying to associate with the organization. Think of Coca-Cola red or McDonald's golden arches. Guess which colors appear in abundance on which corporate Web sites. Using the corporate colors is a method of branding, or bringing the site into the organization's overall corporate image. Just as you want to use the group's logo in your design, you want to incorporate other brand indicators like the corporate colors.

Color also comes with a psychological dimension that's at least worth considering when you're planning your approach. Have you ever wondered why so many Web sites use the color blue in the main interface? A quick look at Table 5.2 tells you that people tend to associate blue with stability and trusttwo good virtues to promote if you want to keep your visitors, especially if you're building a site for the financial or medical sectors.

Table 5.2. Common Psychological Color Associations

COLOR	ASSOCIATION (WESTERN)	EXAMPLES
Red	Passion, intensity, heat, violence, warning	Fire truck, stoplight, Valentine's Day heart
Orange	Warmth, nourishment	Fireplace, interior of fast-food restaurant
Yellow	Playfulness, happiness	Sunlight, flowers
Green	Nature, growth, restfulness, plenty; also jealousy, sickness	Forests, money; also molds, slimes
Blue	Trust, reliability, stability, loyalty	Police and military uniforms
Purple	Luxury, royalty, rarity	King's robes
Brown	Solidity, practicality	Earth, rock
White	Purity, innocence; also coldness, aloofness, rigidity	Ambulances, medical uniforms, wedding dresses; also snow, marble, alabaster
Black	Formality, authority, hipness; also darkness, mourning	Tuxedos, sunglasses; also the Grim Reaper

GEEKSPEAK

Branding is a way of bringing the site into the organization's overall corporate image by using marketing elements like logos and corporate colors in the design.

FAQ

If I work with the marketing department, will I respect myself in the morning?

Working with the marketing department often leaves a bad taste in your mouth or makes you feel like you need a long shower. But just think of it like this. The advertising budget for your site is probably zero. However, every dollar spent on promoting the company's brand in other media such as TV and print is like a dollar spent on promoting your siteas long as you brand your site effectively. They spend the money, and you reap the benefits. Who says the Web department never has the last laugh?

FAQ

Are color associations the same across cultures?

No. Color associations aren't universal. In fact, many cultures have widely different interpretations. You wouldn't expect a bride in the West to wear a fire-engine-red wedding gown without causing some snickers. Yet red is the color of purity in India and China. And just as green might signify wealth in the West, it's a very unlucky color in the East, where it means marital infidelity. If you're designing for an international audience, make sure to do plenty of research into your target cultures.

Thankfully, design isn't all about science. You can't simply reduce colors to knee-jerk emotional responses, just as you can't just dress a poorly designed site in blue and hope that it cultivates an air of trust. Color should be one aspect in an overall strategy to convey the mood and purpose of your site. If your goal is to inform, complement a conservative design with soothing colors. If your goal is to entertain, try more dynamic designs, and take some risks with vibrant colors.