Choosing a color for a website can be difficult. Sometimes you may know the color you want to use, but not sure how or in what way. When considering a color for a website, begin with a list of associations. Think of the color you want to use and write down everything that comes to mind. Then consider the color’s different tints, shades, tones, and values. From these variations choose the key color for your colors scheme. Finally look at other sites and how they use the same color for inspiration. This post will take you through these steps using the color TURQUOISE.

A Quick Review on Cool and Warm Colors

Color sets to the mood and feel for visitors on your website. While the effect of color varies by individual, there are some color effects that have universal meaning. Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colors and include red, orange and yellow. Warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility. Colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors and include blue, purple and green. These colors are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference.

Turquoise, a blend of the color blue and the color green, has some of the same cool and calming attributes. The color turquoise is associated with meanings of refreshing, feminine, calming, sophisticated, energy, wisdom, serenity, wholeness, creativity, emotional balance, good luck, spiritual grounding, friendship, love, joy, tranquility, patience, intuition, and loyalty, island waters, youth, fun, paradise, and water.

Tints of turquoise color have a sweet feminine feel. Darker shades of turquoise, such as teal have a more sophisticated feel. Variations of turquoise, which often is used to represent water, also is referred to as aqua and aquamarine.

Choosing a the right turquoise for your site

Turquoise is considered a cool color. However, every color has different variations in hue. You can cool down a color by adding a hint of a cool color like blue, or heat it up using a warm color like red. Create a chart with your color and make slight adjusts to the hue and place them side-by-side. Then choose the hue you like best and use that as your principal or ‘key’ color.

Don’t look at your chart and choose the prettiest color. Consider what you are trying to communicate to your visitors. Is it a corporate message where you want the visitor to be slightly detached and calm? Or a portfolio site that you want excite the visitor and ‘blow their minds?’ Is your target audience female (use a light turquoise) or male (use a dark turquoise)?

Look at Other Websites for Inspiration

A screenshot of I primi dieci http://www.iprimidieci.com/

I primi dieci’s website is a wonderful example of using turquoise. Notice how the darker turquoise has an androgynous appeal. The colors are youthful and bright, yet toned with gray and white so it’s legible and easy to look at. The graphics play a huge role in making the site’s design exceptional. Even though the graphics seem to use a lot of colors, the greens used are the same, as with the blues, reds, grays and so on. The site structure is mostly monochromatic (one color). This simple color scheme helps the designer add more elements and accents, without making the site look cluttered and unreadable.

Conclusion

Turquoise is a fun, youthful color that can add freshness to a website. It can be found in clothes, accessories, stationary and other trendy items. Turquoise is the perfect color if you want to appeal to a younger crowd and create a fun atmosphere. However, using turquoise on a website because ‘it’s your favorite color’ won’t necessarily promote the appropriate message. If you do decide that turquoise is the right color, play with the tones, values, shades, and tints until you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Works Cited

“I primi dieci – le più belle classifiche di tutti i tempi.” I primi dieci – le più belle classifiche di tutti i tempi. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2011. .
“Meaning of The Color Turquoise | Bourn Creative.” Custom WordPress Themes | Branding | Sacramento Web Design | Bourn Creative. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2011.