What’s In Your Color Wheel?
One of my favorite lines in the movie The Blind Side is when Sandra Bullock (referring to UT Orange) says, “But I will not wear that gaudy orange, I will not. It is not in my color wheel and I’m not gonna wear it.” And that gets me thinking about web design.
Most people have a general idea of what’s in their “color wheel.” This includes what their favorite colors are and whether they are comfortable pairing. For example: a purple blazer over emerald green slacks, or whether they are soothed by the sight of a closet full of khaki and blue. The same goes for interior decorating, the color of our cars, the television ads that catch our eye… all sorts of things. The bottom line is that, generally, we pay more attention than we know to color and style.
Defining What You Like (And What You Don’t)
But websites haven’t been around nearly as long as those other things. I’ve noticed that sometimes people can’t define exactly what it is they like about certain websites. Is it the color scheme that’s most attractive. Or, it can be the “flow” and ease of use, or the crisp-and-clean lines. Or a feeling of excitement that there’s a lot of information and interactivity going on here?
As a website designer, I ask clients to provide a few examples of websites they like. Sometimes they will supply distinct details of what sort of look they want. This includes color, type of background, location of logo and other features. I’ve also noticed that sometimes it’s hard to define what it is you love about certain sites. And, equally important, what drives you away from other sites.
A Good First Step for Your Website Project
If you are thinking about getting a new website, or upgrading an existing one, it’s a good idea to do a little analysis on the sites you visit frequently, or ones that have caught your attention. Even if one of your favorite websites is for a restaurant, and your business is something entirely different, ask yourself what it is you like about the site.
Some things to pay attention to include color, depth (a flat, clean look vs. 3-D and layered), squared or rounded corners and borders, visually vibrant or information-rich, even what kind of background is behind the site (you might prefer a colorful and interesting background – or you might not want to distract your site’s visitors from the content).
The Clearer You Are, the Better the Result
Of course, there will be many other questions to be asked and analysis to be done before we design and build your new website… but the clearer you are about what you want and don’t want, the closer we will be to creating a site you will absolutely love!
And, incidentally, if you happen to like UT orange, we have no objections at all to using it in your website.
