Effective Color Use in Your Design Layouts

Learning Objectives

• Apply colour contrast techniques to improve readability and visual hierarchy
• Use brand colours consistently across different design elements
• Select and place accent colours to guide attention and highlight key information

Introduction

Colour shapes how people experience your designs. It can make text easier to read, help viewers find important information, and create the right mood for your message. This chapter covers practical techniques for using colour in your layouts, whether you're designing a website, poster, or social media graphic.

Lessons

Lesson 1: Working with Colour Contrast

Colour contrast determines how easily people can read your text and distinguish between different elements. High contrast combinations work well for headlines and body text, while low contrast helps create subtle background elements that don't compete for attention.

Step 1: Pick your main colour based on your design's purpose or brand requirements.

Step 2: Find a contrasting colour by looking at the opposite side of the colour wheel.

Step 3: Test your colour combination with actual text to check readability.

Step 4: Adjust the lightness or darkness of either colour if the contrast isn't strong enough.

Lesson 2: Applying Brand Colours Consistently

Brand colours help people recognise your work and build trust. Using them consistently across all your designs creates a professional appearance and strengthens your visual identity.

Step 1: List your brand's primary and secondary colours with their exact hex codes.

Step 2: Use the primary colour for your most important elements like logos and main headings.

Step 3: Apply secondary colours to supporting elements like subheadings or borders.

Step 4: Save your colour palette as swatches in your design software for easy access.

Lesson 3: Choosing and Using Accent Colours

Accent colours draw attention to specific elements like buttons, links, or important information. They should stand out from your main colours but still feel like part of the same family.

Step 1: Choose an accent colour that complements your main palette without clashing.

Step 2: Use this colour only for elements you want people to notice first.

Step 3: Limit yourself to one or two accent colours to avoid visual confusion.

Step 4: Test different placements to see where the accent colour has the most impact.

Practice

Find three websites or designs you use regularly. Look at how they handle colour contrast, brand consistency, and accent colours. Note what works well and what doesn't. Pick one design and sketch how you might improve its colour use based on what you've learned.

FAQs

What's the difference between colour contrast and colour harmony?
Colour contrast is about how different two colours appear when placed together. Colour harmony is about how well colours work together visually. You need both for effective designs.

How many colours should I use in one design?
Start with 2-3 main colours plus one accent colour. You can always add more later, but it's easier to begin with fewer colours and get those working well first.

Can I use the same accent colour for everything important?
It's better to be selective. If everything uses the accent colour, nothing will stand out. Choose the most important elements and use your accent colour sparingly.

How do I know if my colour contrast is good enough?
Test your design by printing it in black and white or using a contrast checker tool. If you can still read everything clearly, your contrast is probably strong enough.

Jargon Buster

Colour Contrast: How different two colours look when placed next to each other, measured by the difference in their lightness and darkness.

Brand Colours: The specific colours chosen to represent a company or project, used consistently across all materials.

Accent Colour: A colour used in small amounts to highlight important elements and create visual interest.

Hex Code: A six-digit code that defines exact colours for digital use, like #FF0000 for red.

Colour Wheel: A circular diagram showing relationships between colours, useful for finding contrasting or complementary colours.

Wrap-up

Good colour choices make your designs easier to use and more memorable. Start with strong contrast for readability, keep your brand colours consistent, and use accent colours strategically to guide attention. Practice these techniques in your next project and notice how much more effective your designs become.

Ready to put these colour techniques into practice? Join our community of designers at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership