I was about to write a detailed post on picking colours for web design, but I am not sure that I have things under control yet in that department. The several dozens of tabs open in my browser mirror the state of my brain – chaos reigns. I miss the days when the only answer expected of me to the question “Why did you pick these colours?” was “Because they look nice.”
This week, I am drafting the proposal for a digital learning resource – a small website showing users of all ages and backgrounds how to spot fake profiles and contents on social media. This is a multi-layered challenge and one of these layers is picking colours while ensuring accessibility.
Of course, we have studied colour theory and accessibility issues in the programme, but putting it all into practice is another matter. Having trouble putting theory into practice might become a recurring theme on this blog. Unlocking my inner designer is taking more time, dedication, and support than any of my previous endeavours. This is why I am glad I enrolled in this MA instead of trying to self-teach. I got detailed feedback on my summer project two days ago. Being able to discuss with my supervisor some design details that have been bothering me has been a great help.
But back to the colours. Even though the same colour and accessibility theories apply to my summer project and this week’s proposal, I have had to change my colour-picking strategy.
For my summer project, I chose a colour palette that is linked to my topic and to a geographical area and its traditions, in order to convince the most reluctant members of my audience, who are likely to be attached to that area. This sentimental colour palette seemed the obvious choice.
The current proposal is different. The objective of this small website is purely factual and instructional. It needs to be as objective and neutral as possible in order not to alienate part of the audience. I want to use three distinct colours to differentiate my three main topics/cards. But I want to avoid matching the colours of the three social networks I am fact-checking (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). And I need to ensure accessibility. For now, I am set on dark blue, green and dark yellow. The colours passed the contrast checks, but I am still testing other colours. I can’t help but think that something is missing. I am playing around with greys and muted colours for the navigation bar and background. I already have three very different colours for the cards, so my choices are limited. Uncoloured black-and-white cards would give me more freedom, but the colours are useful for the user to locate information instantly. Also, older children and teenagers are part of the audience, so a colourful user experience could help reach my instructional objective.
“Remember, sometimes the colors you like best are not necessarily the colors you need the most!” While looking for colour inspiration, I came across this quote after I took Lori Weitzner’s Ode to Color Analysis quiz. Though Weitzner’s focus is on interior design, her quote certainly applies to web design as well!
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