As I continue to research various applications of instructional
design I find myself focusing on color. Color might seem straight forward and simplistic
on the surface. Once I started to dig into color theory I realize that it can
be quite involved. I have located a nice resource online addressing color
theory as it pertains to web design (An Introduction to Color Theory for Web Designers).
This site touches on a number of important factors to consider. A few aspects
to consider is complementation, contrast, and effective color schemes. They
also offer case studies and tools to help the design process. It is pointed out
that there are a number of reading materials available written for those that
want to dig down deep in the weeds of color theory. This article certainly
opens up my eyes to the influence that color has on information design.
Adobe
Kuler is offered as a useful application that can assist with color design and implantation.
Kuler is a powerful and useful tool to help the user understand and visualize
how colors complement and contrast with each other. It is worth taking a look
at. Another tool that I use on my blog are the basic themes offered by the blog
hosting site. Developing a theme from scratch is a daunting and challenging
task. Thankfully there are basic themes that are made available for easy use.
My blog focuses on disseminating information as it pertains to information
design. For this reason, I have chosen a predesigned theme that offers simplicity.
The colors complement each other and there is also well designed color contrast
incorporated. The text boxes are white with blue headlines and black content.
Some of the other designed offered where to flashy and exciting. I did not want
to make my color scheme take away from what I am trying to accomplish with the
content that is being offered.
Hi Dan. I completely agree with you. I think that color is understated and because people assume they know all there is to know, it is not as interesting as the rest of the tools available out there. Well, I seem to think that it is one of the most important and also the most accessible! In addition, I believe that it's relevance also lies in it's meaning. What colors provoke what emotion? For example, if you are building a website for a modern, upcoming restaurant, I could see using black, silver and white as the sites contrasting color scheme. On sites that are used for children, I see vibrant, varying shades of all different colors to help keep their attention and excitement. I could go on and on about why color is so important and I thank you for sharing this information! Good post!
ReplyDeleteThe above post was left by Deidre Maturo, btw!
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