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Rashmi Ravishankar

A Guide to Color Theory in UX

When we think about user experience (UX) design, we often focus on usability, navigation, and content structure. However, a frequently overlooked yet powerful aspect of UX design is color.

It speaks with our subconscious mind when it meets our eyes. Colors convey our emotions and our thoughts about the product.


Understanding Color Theory

The color theory involves a color wheel.

  • The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow.

  • The secondary colors are green, orange, and purple.

  •  The tertiary colors are combinations of primary and secondary colors.


Psychological Impact of Colors


Primary Colors

  • Red: It indicates urgency, passion, and energy. It is generally used to grab attention.

  • Blue: It indicates trust, calm, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, stability, and intelligence. It is generally used in IT jobs.

  • Yellow: It indicates joy, happiness, caution, and optimism. It attracts attention but needs to be cautious.


Secondary Colors


  • Green: It indicates nature, health, and tranquility. It is commonly used for eco-friendliness and well-being.  

  • Orange: It indicates both positive and negative. It is felt to be warmth, optimism, confidence, and enthusiasm.

  • Purple: It indicates Luxury, creativity, and wisdom. It’s often used in beauty and high-end products.





Color Harmony


  •  Analogous Colors: Colors next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and create serene designs.


 Fig 1: Analogous Colors Source Credit: Google.com

  • Complementary Colors: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel. They create high contrast and vibrant looks.

Fig 2: Complementary Colors. Source Credit: Google.com


  • Triadic Colors: Three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel. This approach offers strong visual contrast while retaining balance and richness.

Fig 3: Triadic Colors Source Credit: Google.com


Conclusion:


Color theory is a complex science that requires more than one day to learn. However, it is vital to understand the basics to create an effective design with the knowledge of what we are doing.




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