Color in Design

Don Sean Arvie V. Buencamino

Instructor I
Aurora State College of Technology

3 VD100 - 2020
• Just as we are surrounded by graphic design, a similar
statement holds true for the following discussion of color.
Colors have the ability to influence moods and emotions, take
on cultural and personal meanings, and attract attention. As
designers, our challenge is to balance these complex roles that
color plays in order to produce an effective design.
• Colors have the ability to communicate; we receive
information from the language of color. The colors on a
stoplight have meaning: go, caution, stop. The colors (and
patterns) of awareness ribbons are used to promote specific
causes and thus have meaning

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• When creating a color palette, a group of colors used in a
single project, the designer needs to be aware of color
symbolism in relation to the design’s context and its
intended audience(s).
• As part of any conversation about color and audience, it is
important to mention that 8% of the male population and
0.5% of the female population have some sort of color
blindness (van Beveren 2012).
• Color blindness affects a person’s ability to clearly distinguish
between different colors; instead colors are seen in a limited
range. An awareness of color contrast and avoiding certain
combinations can help members of this audience experience
the visual hierarchy of a design as intended.

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The Color Wheel
• The color wheel is a useful
tool for painters and
designers; it helps in the
understanding of
relationships among colors
and how colors can be mixed.
Mixing colors on the color
wheel can be likened to
mixing finger paints.

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The Color Wheel
• Colors on the color wheel are grouped into three levels: primary colors (red,
yellow and blue), secondary colors, and tertiary colors .
• When the primary colors are mixed, red and yellow, yellow and blue, blue and
red, three secondary colors are created, orange, green and violet, respectively.
• Similarly, when the primary and secondary colors are mixed, six tertiary colors
are created; these colors include red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green,
blue-green, blue-violet and redviolet.

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The Color Wheel
• The 12 colors on the color wheel provide the basis for the broader
spectrum of colors with which we will be working. To expand this
palette of available colors, varying amounts of white and black can
be added to the original hues to create tints and shades. Also,
properties such as saturation and value can be used. Hue: Hue is
synonymous with “color” or the name of a color.
• Traditionally, hue refers to one of the 12 colors on the color wheel.
• Tint: A tint is a hue lightened with white.
• Shade: A shade is a hue darkened with black.
• Saturation: Saturation refers to the intensity or purity of a color. Each primary,
secondary and tertiary hue is at a level of full saturation, which means that no
white or black has been added. The closer a hue approaches to gray, the more
desaturated it is.
• Value: Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. Brightness is a
synonym for value.

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The Color Pyramid
• The color at the top of the
pyramid is the fully saturated
hue from the color wheel.
• As black and white are added
to this original color, the
saturation of the resulting
shades and tints decreases
along the vertical axis of the
pyramid. The colors’ values
span from the darkest shade
to the lightest tint along the
horizontal axis of the pyramid.

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Color Temperature
• Color temperature refers to the
perceived warmth or coolness of
a color.
• Warm colors include red, orange
and yellow, and variations of
these colors. These are the
colors of fire, fall leaves, sunsets
and sunrises, and they are
generally considered energizing
and positive. Warm colors are
used in design to represent
passion, happiness and energy.

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Color Temperature
• Cool colors include green, blue and
purple; these colors are often more
subdued than warm colors. They are
the colors of night, water and nature,
and they are considered calming,
relaxing and somewhat reserved.
• Cool colors are often used in design to
provide a sense of calm or
professionalism.
• Note: White, gray and black are
considered neutral colors that take on
the properties of the surrounding
colors.

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Color Schemes
• The visible color spectrum contains millions of colors, so
selecting a color palette for a project can feel like a daunting
task.
• To alleviate some of the pressure, let’s review the classic
palettes based on the color wheel that could be used to
create balanced and visually pleasing or high-contrast and
striking images.
• These color palettes or color harmonies consist of two or
more colors with a fixed relationship on the color wheel.

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Complimentary
• A complementary color scheme
features opposites on the color
wheel, such as red/green or
blue/orange .
• Complementary colors are high-
contrast and high-intensity colors,
but they can be difficult to apply
in a balanced, harmonious way
(especially in their purest form,
when they can easily clash in a
design).

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Analogous
• An analogous color scheme relies
on hues that are side-by-side on
the color wheel, or close to it.
• This type of color scheme is
versatile and easy to apply.

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Triadic
• A triadic color scheme uses any
three colors that are evenly
spaced on the color wheel.
• This scheme features trios of the
primary, secondary or tertiary
colors.

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Split-Complimentary
• A split-complementary color
scheme is a variation of the
complementary color scheme.
• In addition to the main color,
split-complementary uses the
two colors adjacent to the main
color’s complement .
• This scheme still has strong visual
contrast but is less jarring than a
complementary color
combination.

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Tetradic
• The tetradic or rectangular
color scheme uses four colors
arranged into two
complementary pairs,
meaning the four hues are not
equally placed around the
color wheel.
• This scheme works best if one
color is dominant.

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Square
• The square color scheme is similar
to the tetradic (rectangle) color
scheme; however, for the square,
the four colors are evenly spaced
around the color wheel.

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Monochromatic and Achromatic
• A monochromatic color
scheme uses various tints or
shades of one color, for
example, a range of blues
varying from light to dark .
This type of color scheme can
be considered subtle and
conservative.
• Achromatic: An achromatic
color scheme relies on only
blacks, whites and shades of
gray

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• Color schemes can also be based on a particular color
quality, such as temperature: warm or cool colors;
saturation: vivid colors often look youthful, while faded ones
look vintage; mood: bright and fun, dark and serious; or
theme: location, season, holiday.
• CYMK
• RGB

• A color model is a system for creating a range of colors from

a small set of primary colors.
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The 60-30-10 Rule
• Typically, a color scheme will need to be split into a dominant
color and one or more accent colors.
• A color would be considered dominant based on either how
much of it appears in a design, or how it stands out in
comparison to the other colors.
• When using a three-color palette (e.g., triadic or split-
complementary color scheme), the 60-30-10 Rule can be a
useful guide.
• According to this guideline, the dominant color should account
for 60% of the color in the design and the two accent colors
the remaining 30% and 10%.

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Color Symbolism
• The meaning and symbolism associated with colors are
influenced by the cultural and societal groups with which we
identify. Let’s take a look at some common meanings
associated with colors in Western culture.
• Red: Red is a color that can communicate many different ideas
depending on its context. Because red is associated with fire,
it can represent warmth or danger. Red is also the color of
blood, so it is considered an energetic, lively color. It is also
associated with matters of the heart, and sometimes violence.
• In branding: Red often communicates strength, confidence and power;
it is a highly visible color.

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Color Symbolism
• Orange: Orange is also a fiery color, combining the warmth of
red with the cheerfulness of yellow for a hue that communicates
activity, energy and optimism. It is also associated with the
autumn season.
• In branding: Orange often represents youthfulness and creativity.

• Yellow: As the color of sunshine, yellow often communicates

happiness and cheerfulness. It can also signal warning or caution
in certain contexts. Gold, which is a type of orange or yellow
depending on its hue, is a symbol of luxury or high quality.
• In branding: Bright yellow easily attracts attention. However, it can be hard
to see if not used carefully; avoid placing yellow text against a white
background or vice versa due to the lack of contrast between the colors.

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Color Symbolism
• Green: Green is the color of nature, plant life and growth. As such, it
often communicates health, freshness or an “all-natural” quality. Dark
green can represent money, wealth or stability.
• In branding: Companies or brands that want to be perceived as “green,” in the
sense of natural, environmentally friendly, healthy or organic, often use nature-
inspired colors such as green and brown.

• Blue: The color of the sea and sky, blue often communicates peaceful,
clean qualities. As opposed to more energetic, warmer coolers, blue is
seen as calming. In some contexts, blue can represent sadness or
depression. Dark blue is a popular choice for corporate contexts; it is
perceived to have serious, conservative and professional qualities.
• In branding: Blue is widely used and one of the most versatile colors. It is
generally used to communicate trustworthiness, security and stability.

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Color Symbolism
• Violet/purple: Purple is traditionally associated with royalty. It
can also have spiritual, mystical or religious connotations.
• In branding: Darker shades of purple symbolize luxury or opulence, while
brighter shades can come across as childish.

• Black: Like red, black has many and sometimes opposing

meanings. It can represent power, sophistication and exclusivity.
In other instances, black can symbolize death or mystery.
• In branding: Black is so widely used that it is almost a neutral, though it
can still communicate the previously mentioned meanings depending on
context. Colors look brighter and more intense against black. Some
designs are presented in black and white or grayscale, based either on
designer preference or a decision made to reduce printing costs.

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Color Symbolism
• White: As the color of snow and light, white regularly
represents purity, innocence or goodness; however, it can
also come across as stark or sterile.
• In branding: White often communicates simplicity or a clean, modern
quality. Designers seeking a minimalist aesthetic will frequently use a
lot of white in their work.

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Looking Ahead
• This introduction to color, its meaning and symbolism
highlights the importance of knowing your audience and the
context of your design. These are the topics that we explore
in the next chapter along with the stages of production.

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 End of Chapter 3

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