Color Theory

Color can single-handedly make or break a graphic design piece. When used correctly, it can trigger certain emotions or feelings, create structure, and communicate a message without using words. When used wrong, it distracts from the purpose of the design and prevents the transmission of the intended message. Understanding how to use color is crucial to the design process. For this reason, guidelines and formulas known as color theory exist to lead a designer toward a better product. Having a proper understanding of color theory allows graphic designers to effectively use color to their advantage and avoid mistakes that will hurt the delivery of their design.

"People decide whether or not they like a product in 90 seconds or less. 90% of that decision is based solely on color." -Kris Decker

Red, blue, and yellow are the building blocks of all colors. They are known as the primary colors, and when any two are combined, they create secondary colors. Red and blue combine to make purple, blue and yellow combine to make green, and yellow and red combine to make orange. Combining the respective primary and secondary colors will finally create the tertiary colors. This process is shown visually through a color wheel. The color wheel acts as the starting point for understanding color theory. Any color on the color wheel can be adjusted to create a different more specialized one. This is achieved by changing the color’s hue, saturation, and value. Hue is simply the color that is being used, saturation describes the intensity of the color, and value is how dark or light the color is. To know which colors work together, there are a few established formulas that guide designers. A couple of examples include monochromatic, colors that are based on different hues of one base color, and complementary, colors based on opposite ends of the color wheel. The color wheel is the basis of understanding why certain colors work together.

Even though knowing how different colors are created and why certain ones work together is important, there are a few more considerations that designers need to make when creating a piece. The first is that a design needs to be easy in the eyes of the consumer. This means that the contrast between colors needs to be used in such a way that is not hard to look at, but also makes certain elements pop. Another thing that can be overwhelming to look at is when too many colors are used at once. Designers must exercise restraint and pick a few colors to make their designs concise. Finally, the amount of each color needs to be considered. After creating a color palette, a designer needs to establish which colors are primary, secondary, and accents. Primary colors should be used to most, secondary colors should be used to add details, and accent colors are used sparingly to call attention to important sections or details. In his video How to Apply a Color Palette to Your Design – Tutorial, Greg Gunn describes a 60, 30, 10 rule. This states that the primary colors should be used throughout 60% of a design, the secondary colors should be used 30%, and the accents should be used 10%. These are rough estimates which allow a designer to keep a consistent mix of colors throughout their work. Designers must have strategies for how they use color to keep a proper balance in their piece and make it more engaging.

Color theory helps designers to create the best work possible. Knowing how colors are created allows them to pick colors that work together to enhance their work, rather than hurt it. These colors can then be strategically used to make a concise piece, calling attention to the parts that need it. Knowing these principles is crucial for a designer because it prevents mistakes that could end up destroying a design entirely.