Choosing Colours for Your Site - Part 2

When considering a colour scheme for your website, try to think out of the box. Most people stick with brokerage colours. But that is so common that it can look typical and ordinary. It’s important to be clear about which brokerage you belong to, but you can do that with a logo or text—while still getting creative with the colour scheme.

Last post I talked about the monochromatic colour scheme, now let’s look at a few different colour schemes that could work for you and your site.

 

The Analogous Colour Scheme

The analogous colour scheme uses colours that border each other on the colour wheel.  One colour serves as the main tone, while other colours are pulled from the right and left sides of that dominant colour to form the scheme. Like the monochromatic colour scheme, the analogous colour scheme is easy to create and looks very cohesive. It can also lack contrast, but usually gives a more full and rich look than the monochromatic palette.

*Above images obtained from www.colorschemedesigner.com

 

When employing this colour scheme on your website, make sure not to introduce too many different colours, or it will lose its consistency and become cluttered looking.

 

Analogous Example

This example uses the above colour scheme. The purple colour is used as the dominant colour, the blue and pinkish colours being adjacent on the colour wheel and forming the rest of the scheme. I used this colour palette to illustrate the analogous look, but you may want to try something more subdued and/or neutral.

 

 

The Complementary Colour Scheme

The complementary colour scheme uses two colours that are directly across from each other on the colour wheel. Complementary colours are high in contrast and can be very effective for this reason. It is best to choose one colour as the dominant colour, and use the other more as an accent.

 

Check out this complementary colour scheme:

*Above images obtained from www.colorschemedesigner.com

 

Complementary Example

Now here’s an example of the above colour scheme employed on a website. I’m using the purple colour as the dominant tone, and the beige for an accent.

 

 

One resource that I’ve found very helpful when designing is Color Scheme Designer. I’ve used it to come up with some of these examples. Why not play around with some of the colour combinations there and see what you can come up with!

 

TO THINK ABOUT:

Think of a website that you love the look of. A site that makes you feel comfortable and trusting. Then look closely at the colour scheme - does that have anything to do with the way it makes you feel? Do the colours complement each other in harmony? Chances are you're answering yes. 

Post a link to your favourite website here! I'll help you pinpoint the colour strategy that makes it so successful.

 

Authored By: Tara, Client Relations