Web design & Pretty colours...

[blaze182]

Hey all! =D
(I asked this on a gaming forum.. what answers do you think I got?? LOL Hoping for some actually helpful ones here)

What do you guys think of colours on a website?

i.e.
- Black & White both represent death in two different cultures, and ironically both represent marriage in their respective cultures.
- Red is passion, aggression... also communism, repression and war.
- Purple is magical, mysterious, royalty... and the national colour for gays.
- Brown, green and blue are about the only safe colours left from what I can tell.


So my question is, how would you interpret a bridal website that had purple text, a black background and images of white bridal gowns?

Serious question, maybe a bit of a retarded example, but you get what I'm asking.

Would you think OMFG colour implies such wrong things! (i.e. purple text = gay marriage) or would you not care?

Do you think other people would be offended also?

Not speaking strictly within the bridal example either - it goes for all sites, I just think that gets accross a pretty good concept of a controversial website =]

[stephen8512]

To be honest, if its a website based on selling something on the internet, the people setting up the site (or the person who is paid to make the website) is thinking things like how to attract the customers attention. I think thinking about the meanings behind different colours is one of the last things they think about?

thats just my logic though.....I doubt many people read too much into colours. as long as it looks nice and looks professional, and as long as the colours are too "strong" to contradict whatever it is theyre selling (e.g in your example, as long as they dont have, like, fluro yellow or hot pink with wedding gowns), i wouldnt read too much into it.

its more a marketing thing than thinking about which colour means what to what culture.

But it depends what the site is advertising/selling or what the site is about. If the site is about a photographer promoting his skills to the public and he has black and white photos everywhere and to go with that theme, he has a black and white website, that doesnt necessarily mean that after he shoots your photos, he's gonna kill you (since black/white mean death in a certain culture). If the website is about something specific, like for e.g gay pride? then yeah you can expect those colours which reflect gay people to be on the website.

[blaze182]

Thanks for the response Stephen =]

That would be my thoughts too - if the site is appealing, I seriously doubt the colours would affect the impression the site makes unless its an obvious negative elation between the subject.

i.e. Pink and yellow website to promote people to join the army.. just doesn't send the right impression.

So its fair to say if the colours chosen don't directly affect the product/service offered, their effects shouldn't really be thought of too much?

Suga, I think I read somewhere you were/are a designer or something?? If you are, I'd like to hear your opinion on this also =]

[Justin Fox]

Colours are a personal thing. Full stop!

[blaze182]

Haha, thanks man. True that!

I think I'm just going to go with my guy and not worry about any of this colour meaning bs - to me anyway. Its just I had a 'professional' try and caution me on it.. to me it really doesn't seem like anything the average person cares about, lol.