(6-2) Review: Color in Design

Quicklinks to all course lessons:  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15
​Lesson 6 Sections:    6-1    6-2    6-3    6-4    6-5    6-6    6-7   6-8    6-JFF    6-IDEA

Video: Color (0:48)

​"Color in design is very subjective. What evokes one reaction in one person may evoke a very different reaction in someone else. Sometimes this is due to personal preference, and other times due to cultural background. Color theory is a science in itself. Studying how colors affect different people, either individually or as a group, is something some people build their careers on. And there’s a lot to it. Something as simple as changing the exact hue or saturation of a color can evoke a completely different feeling. Cultural differences mean that something that’s happy and uplifting in one country can be depressing in another." (Source)

Color is a powerful tool in your design toolbox.  It's important to understand, and well worth some study.  In my Pinterest board on Design: Color, I lead you to several images that explain how color affects people, and how colors can mean different things to different cultures.  It will also connect to some great web-based color tools you can use.  

A few more resources on color. Go through one of these two sets of articles if you didn't watch "Foundations of Color"...

​Here are three YouTube Tutorials on the Psychology of Color:

• Color Psychology - Part 1/3
• Color Psychology - Part 2/3
• Color Psychology - Part 3/3

Here are some online articles on color:

• Color Theory for Designers, Part 1: The Meaning of Color
• Color Theory For Designers, Part 2: Understanding Concepts And Terminology
• Color Theory for Designer, Part 3: Creating Your Own Color Palettes

Video: YouTube Tutorial: The Effect of Color - PBS Off Book (7:28)

Here are a few other good color resources:

• Color Meaning - A slightly more expanded look at color associations
• ​Color Emotion Guide - How widely known corporations utilize color psychology to create their logos.
• Understand color theory with these 7 facts

​I strongly recommend you watch the optional Lynda.com "Foundations of Color" - which will provide a good background.  What is Foundations of Color about?  The site says, "Color is a fundamental element of our lives. Understanding how to use it for visual communication in a variety of contexts is essential for designers and artists. This course is about learning how to use color, not only to create more effective designs, but also to tell a story. Illustrator, professor, and author Mary Jane Begin explains how color intertwines with brand identity, how it affects the mood of a piece and directs the viewer's attention to areas of interest, and how it can connect images or create space between elements. She removes the mystery surrounding the color wheel and color relationships; shows how to layer, mix, and digitally alter color; and use light to integrate temperature, translucency, and contrast."

These lessons are applicable to a number of fields, including graphic design, photography, and illustration, and both traditional and digital media. Dive in and get a fresh look at color that is sure to revitalize your creativity and your work.

Topics include: 

• Understanding why color is essential for you as an artist, designer, or human being
• Storytelling with color
• Understanding brand identity and color language
• Reviewing the history of color usage, from print to digital
• Working with the color wheel
• Understanding value, saturation, and temperature
• Seeing through color: opaque, translucent, and transparent
• Creating contrast
• Exploring depth of field
• Seeing complementary relationships in light
• Achieving harmony and discord in a palette
• Understanding color blindness

Foundations of Color with Mary Jane Begin

Page last updated February 3, 2019