How can you create timeless designs with color?

2 The color wheel

The color wheel is a basic tool that can help you understand and create color schemes. It consists of three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue), three secondary colors (green, orange, and purple), and six tertiary colors (mixtures of primary and secondary colors). The color wheel can help you identify different types of color relationships, such as complementary, analogous, triadic, and tetradic. These relationships can help you create harmony, contrast, and balance in your design.

3 The color properties

Color has three main properties: hue, saturation, and value. Hue is the name of the color, such as red, green, or purple. Saturation is the intensity or purity of the color, from dull to vivid. Value is the lightness or darkness of the color, from white to black. By adjusting these properties, you can create different effects and moods in your design. For example, you can use low saturation and high value to create a soft and elegant look, or high saturation and low value to create a bold and dramatic look.

4 The color temperature

Color temperature is another aspect that can affect the perception and emotion of your design. It refers to how warm or cool a color is, based on its position on the color wheel. Warm colors, such as red, orange, and yellow, tend to be associated with energy, excitement, and warmth. Cool colors, such as blue, green, and purple, tend to be associated with calmness, relaxation, and freshness. You can use color temperature to create contrast, emphasis, and depth in your design. For example, you can use warm colors to draw attention to important elements, or cool colors to create a sense of distance and perspective.

5 The color accessibility

Color accessibility is an important factor that can affect the usability and inclusivity of your design. It refers to how easy or difficult it is for people with different visual impairments or preferences to see and understand your design. For example, some people may have color blindness, low vision, or dyslexia, which can affect how they perceive and process color information. Therefore, you should ensure that your design has enough color contrast, legibility, and clarity for different audiences. You can use tools such as WebAIM Color Contrast Checker or Color Safe to test and improve your color accessibility.

6 The color trends

Color trends are the changes and patterns that occur in the use and preference of color over time. They can be influenced by various factors, such as culture, technology, fashion, and social issues. For example, in 2020, some of the color trends were influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as soothing and optimistic colors, or earthy and natural colors. While it is good to be aware of and inspired by color trends, you should not follow them blindly or sacrifice your design identity and consistency. Instead, you should use color trends as a source of inspiration and innovation, and adapt them to your own design vision and goals.