“Color theory encompasses a multitude of definitions, concepts and design applications – enough to fill several encyclopedias. However, there are three basic categories of color theory that are logical and useful : The color wheel, color harmony, and the context of how colors are used.”(Morton, n.d.)
Color theory is an important aspect when developing a user interface (UI) and creating a visual identity. Color theory refers to how colors logically work together, to create a story that both inspires enthusiasm and appeal in a user or viewer. Color is the most important aspect in design, it has the ability to set the tone of the design and evoke an emotional reaction from the user or viewer. “Choosing the right colors and knowing why certain colors work and others do not can determine whether or not our design will work. Poor color choice can make our site difficult to use, or our text impossible to read and the user will leave our website.” (Trythall, 2015)
THE COLOR WHEEL
“A color wheel (also referred to as a color circle) is a visual representation of colors arranged according to their chromatic relationship. Begin a color wheel by positioning primary hues equidistant from one another, then create a bridge between primaries using secondary and tertiary colors.” (Worqx, n.d.)
The Primary colors are red, yellow and blue, all other colors are derived from these three colours. These three colours cannot be created from other colours.
The secondary colours are green, orange and purple and are created by mixing the primary colours.
The tertiary colors are yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green. These colors are created by mixing a primary and secondary colour. Depending on the primary colour that is used the hue of the tertiary colour could be different, hence the double barreled name.
COLOR HARMONY
“Harmony can be defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts, whether it be music, poetry, color, or even an ice cream sundae.” (Morton, n.d.)
When choosing a color palette it is vital to choose colors that work well together, you want to create a visual that is pleasing and exciting to look at, and choosing the correct colour pallete is an important step in this process. If you cannot create a harmonious color palette that can have a detrimental effect on your design as you are not only disengaging the viewer or user, but you will create a boring or chaotic visual. Creating a chaotic visual will disencourage a user or viewer, as a busy visual will not allow for concentration. When developing a color pallette it is important to develop a color story that falls between busy and boring, as opposed to under stimulating or over stimulating a viewer.
COLOR FORMULAS
Analogous colors – these are any three colours that are side by side on the colour wheel. Usually on colour predominates.
Complementary colors – these are any two colors that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel. These colours create a contrast and stability.
Nature – these are pre existing color schemes in which you can find in nature.
COLOR CONTEXT
Color context refers to how colors work in relation to other colors and shapes and is a complex factor when discussing color theory. Depending on the other colors used in a design colors can appear differently despite being the exact same.
“The relationship of values, saturations and the warmth or coolness of respective hues can cause noticeable differences in our perception of color.” (Morton, n.d.)
COLORS FOR KIDS
When developing a colour story for children it is vital you choose a bright and vibrant colour palette, more is more when in relation to design for children. You want to grab their attention and stimulate their minds to keep them attentive. Red, blue, yellow, green, purple and orange are all considered happy colours and are a popular choice when choosing a colour palette for children, as you can include all these colours and more in your design. When designing for kids you can have fun and break a few rules as it is all about stimulating and keeping their attention. Using lively and vivacious colours will allow for this.
It is important to portray a happy feeling as that is what kids want when using an app or website. So using bright and happy colours will help you achieve this feeling of joy and allow you to create a bold and bright world for children to explore.
LET’S TALK
When developing a colour pallette for “Let’s Talk” it was important to choose colours that not only worked well together but portrayed a positive feeling. Being conscious of the sensitivity around the applications content, it was important to choose colours that evoked a positive emotion, as the aim of the project is to shed any preconceived notions surrounding sexual health and dispel any taboo associated with the topic. Choosing bright and lively colours will create a bright and open world for the children to explore as they are educated on their transition from childhood to adulthood.
These colours were chosen as they work harmoniously together. As the application is intended to be used by all genders it was important to choose a colour palette that is gender neutral. The use of these bright colours will allow for engagement with the application, with the ability to retain a child’s attention.
REFERENCES
Morton Jill, (n.d.) Basic Color Theory, accessed 08/03/2019 via
< https://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory >
Trythall Joni (2015) Web Design for Kids : Color, accessed 08/03/2019 via
< https://webdesign.tutsplus.com/tutorials/web-design-for-kids-color–cms-24378 >
Worqx, (n.d.) Color Wheel, accessed 08/03/2019 via
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