The impact of colours on UX
When we design interfaces, color plays a key role in communication. Depending on the colors we use, we can convey different moods, which in turn can influence people’s behavior and how they interact with our products.
Moreover, the visual appearance is always what creates the first impression of a product, and depending on how it looks, users may feel more or less inclined to use it.
Designers can apply color theory to create effective color combinations and choose the most appropriate mix for the product they’re designing. Color theory is a science, and UX designers need to understand its impact on users in order to make the best choices for each design.
What do colors convey?
A UX designer’s decision on which colors to use in a user interface can even impact conversion rates. There’s no magical color that works perfectly in every context — the success of a color choice will depend on the specific context in which it’s applied.
In our context, colours have certain general meanings associated with them:
- Red conveys energy, confidence, and strength, and usually draws attention.
- Blue has a calming effect, promoting trust and loyalty — that’s why it’s widely used by large companies like Twitter and Facebook.
- Green symbolizes nature and environmental awareness, among other things. Like blue, different shades and tones evoke different emotions.
- Yellow represents joy and is highly attention-grabbing. It also conveys energy, but can be too aggressive if overused — it’s better suited for attention-grabbing elements like CTAs, rather than as a primary color.
- Orange expresses creativity and originality, and like yellow, can be used to attract attention.
- Purple conveys elegance and fantasy. It’s eye-catching without being overwhelming, making it a common choice for brands in the candy and chocolate industry, such as Milka.
- White is associated with cleanliness, simplicity, and innocence. In advertising, it’s used to communicate a clear and clean message, and to create “empty” space that results in a clean look.
- Black suggests elegance, sophistication, and luxury. However, it’s a challenging color to use effectively, as we typically read dark text on a light background better than the other way around.
As mentioned earlier, color theory is both a science and an art. While certain colors are generally associated with specific emotions or moods, that doesn’t mean they can’t be used differently depending on the context.
Ultimately, the choice of color should align with the company’s goals, its values, and the brand image it wants to convey — not just with the commonly accepted meaning of colors.
The 60–30–10 rule
A widely used guideline for combining colors effectively is the 60–30–10 rule.
This rule suggests using:
- One dominant color for 60% of the design,
- A secondary color for 30%,
- And an accent color for the remaining 10% — typically used for elements like calls to action (CTAs).
In short, we need to understand color theory, but we don’t have to follow it rigidly. We can experiment and create diverse color combinations — as long as we stay focused on our ultimate goal: creating better user experiences.
This is a translation of the following article from our corporate website:
