If you read our post on how to find the best colour scheme for your e-commerce then you already understand the influence colour has on a brand's image. Colour is one of the most important factors when it comes to design. It's crucial to carefully study the kind of the colour you choose and the impression it will transmit to your audience. That's why we're going to dive deeper into how to choose a powerful colour for your web design.

When a client brings us a corporate identity project, one of the first things we do is analyse which colour is most appropriate to transmit their core values and to impact their potential clients. We're going to walk you through the options you should consider when deciding on the colour for your brand or online shop.

How to choose a powerful colour for your web design

When you begin to design your site it's important to pick the right colours from the beginning. To do this you can use a very useful and simple tool, a colour wheel. Just start by picking two or three contrasting colours.

Monochromatic combination

If you choose a monochromatic combination of colours you'll select one colour and use different variations of saturation to achieve different tones. The end result is a relatively low contrast. It's good for a very subtle, soft effect.

Complementary combination

If you want something with a high contrast select complimentary colours. These would be colours that are on opposite sides of the colour wheel, such as red and green or blue and yellow. It creates a vibrant image, although it's best not to over do it as it can be overbearing. It's best when used to highlight something.

Triadic colour combination

A triadic colour combo is achieved by picking colours that form a triangle on the colour wheel, such as red, yellow and blue. The effect is also very strong, like with the complementary colour combination. It's important to select one dominant colour and two others that will highlight certain elements. This way you'll achieve more balance.

Tetrad colour combination

Use colours that create a rectangle over the colour wheel. Here you'll have four colours, consisting of complementary pairs, such as blue and purple or green and yellow. There are so many possibilities, but again, it's best to pick just one colour as the dominant colour and the rest should be complimentary.

Analogue colour combination

Analogue colours are a combination or two colours that are side by side on the colour wheel. The combination transmits serenity, harmony and comfort. That said, it can be difficult to achieve contrast, so it's best to use one dominant colour, a secondary colour as a support, and a third colour combined with grey or black to contrast with other elements.

Split complementary colour combination

A variation on analogue colours are the split complementary colours. You pick one base colour and two adjacent colours from the opposite side of the colour wheel. This combination offers a harmonious balance with the elements you want to highlight in your web design.

Examples of the use of colours in web design

Each colour transmits a certain vibe or feeling. You've probably heard that yellow, the colour of light, transmits happiness and optimism and red symbolises passion, danger, sex and energy. And when combined to create orange, it emits a young, creative, spontaneous vibe. To help you understand how to choose a powerful colour for your web design we're sharing a few examples of how colour has been used in successful web design.

Blue

You've seen this colour used by many tech and social network businesses, such as IBM, Microsoft, Facebook, an Twitter. Blue is associated with progress, protection and tranquility. All are ideal attributes any company would want to emit.

More examples of the use of blue in websites →

Green

As you can imagine, green is the perfect colour if you want to associate your business with the environment, as is the case with Iberdrola. It's also a colour associated with freedom, one of the reasons Google chose green for Android, an open-source operating system.

More examples of the use of green in websites →

Black

Black is incredibly versatile, symbolising death, but also elegance, nighttime, authority, sobriety, distinction and respect. Netflix is a great example of web design dominated by black. Amsterdam Dance Event, a site dedicated to the nocturnal world also went for black.

More examples of the use of black in websites →

White

White like the snow and the clouds. This colour symbolises purity and simplicity, as well as perfection. So it's no wonder Apple went for white when designing its website. This colour is also associated with truth, another reason many online news sites use this minimalist colour.

More examples of the use of white in websites →

I hope this post is useful in helping you understand how to choose a powerful colour for your web design. Until next time!