Thoughts on Color Readings

After reading the assigned chapters and articles on color, I thought about how this applies to not only web design, but everyday life.  Color says a lot about a person.  Like the article "Natural Selections" mentions, certain colors give off certain moods and how it makes a person feel and portray the site.  Seeing what kinds of colors people wear can describe that person well.  Somebody who is wearing all black will make you feel that this person is pretty negative and gloomy.  This is a reason why people wear all black to funerals, because it is a time of mourning when someone has been lost.  It certainly doesn't feel appropriate to wear brightly colored attire, as I'm sure some of the people at the funeral would view it as a mockery.

Going through various websites, I notice the color schemes to fit the subject matter quite well.  For instance, a couple electronic music sites are full of bright colors that are likely to attract attention to their market.  The Drum & Bass Arena (http://www.breakbeat.co.uk/) has a bright yellow background, and most of the images are heavily saturated.  The fonts used on this site are very simple, but it still feels very lively because of the color schemes.  It also contains colors that feel right for this particular genre of music.  It wouldn't be as attractive to this crowd if it used hot pink as the primary background color.  I believe orange would take away from the contrast between the background color and the black used in the fonts, same thing with red.  This is one example I found on the web.

From seeing my fellow classmates text sites, there is a lot that can be read from everyone.  Some used simple, more neutral color schemes that gave off a much more relaxed feeling.  Others had very bright, saturated colors that gave off a very lively feeling.  Sometimes the chosen color schemes didn't feel like they matched the subject, but it also makes me think that it's a representation of that person's perspective of not only the subject, but of the experience of learning something new.  There were many instances of people using very bright, saturated colors that from the audience's perspective, were overly bright.  To them, while making their site, they felt it was right.  I think it's natural.  People are at first attracted to the brightest colors, which is why businesses probably use neon signs.

After reading chapter 9 in "The Non-Designer's Web Book," I see how complicated color can be.  From my experience with Photoshop, I know how easy it is to get carried away with over saturating your colors and taking the contrast up to the high value.  Like the chapter said though, not all colors will be able to be viewed on every monitor and print limitations need to be accounted for as well in order to have an effective project. 

In Photoshop CS3, there is a Gamut Warning option under the View menu that can be chosen and will allow you to see the colors that aren't web safe. 

Comments

[Sangmin Kim]

I totally agree with you when you say,

"There were many instances of people using very bright, saturated colors that from the audience's perspective, were overly bright. To them, while making their site, they felt it was right. I think it's natural. People are at first attracted to the brightest colors, which is why businesses probably use neon signs."

Especially when we use the monitor (tube or LCD) which directly shoot lights into our eyes, we tend to prefer brighter and more saturated color. But we have to remember that people also tend to be easily tired of too colorful or brilliant matters. Maybe we have to maintain the balance of neutralness and brightness (colorfulness).

[Elara]

Great tip on photoshop. You're right, people are certainly attracted to bright colors, especially around the web. But, of course, bright colors don't always send the right message, when you're trying to do a serious history websites, bright colors might make you look frivolous. Not to mention with simple eye fatigue a more muted website might be easier to take if you've been looking at a computer all day.