Chicago Web Design & SEO Company

Monday Web Design Links & News: The Color(ful) Edition

08.18.2008

Here is this week’s round-up of our web design company’s favorite links and web design articles and blog posts, with a particular focus on color schemes and selection and how those affect your website’s design and usability.

This SitePoint article entitled Color For Coders is several years old but still incredibly relevant (besides offering valuable tips for web designers and covers, this evergreen piece by Jason Beaird is a great example of creating authority content).

Another evergreen article, this time on Veerle’s Blog, covers how to choose color combinations and how color theory relates to web design.

Still excited about the Olympics?  ColourLovers has a nice post that discusses Olympic design and branding through the years (hint: there is more to it than just the five rings).

2 Create a Website has a nice piece about Color Psychology and Online Marketing.

In case you are still wondering why color matters, check out this article on exactly that: why color matters.

Last but not least, check out and get inspired by these real life examples at wefunction: thirty-two websites with a brave color scheme.

Have an excellent week, everyone!

Color, Usability, and Your Web Design

08.15.2008

The color selection process for your logo and website is one of the most important aspects of web design and branding; after all, colors provoke subjective and even emotional responses and deciding what hues work best for your purposes (and in what combinations) is not always easy.  Furthermore, if you work with a professional web design company, they will likely advise you on how color and usability are related. 

First of all, color and usability are related to readability.  It is difficult to read text if there is not enough contrast between the type and the background, of course, and any flashy graphics or animation can also be tough on the eyes if you have a content-heavy website.  Color also matters greatly when it comes to your company’s brand and how people perceive your business, so check back next week for a series of posts on color, web design, and branding.

It Is Not About You: Does Your Company’s Website Send The Wrong Message?

08.13.2008

Your customers and your potential customers do not really care about you.

In fact, when people are looking to purchase goods or services, they are looking for two things: a solution to their problems and some positive feelings about the companies or brands they are dealing with.  Therefore, it is important that your website (which is a key component of your overall marketing plan) is created with that in mind; a good web design company with business web development experience should understand this concept.

It is important to be aware of one simple fact: your brand is not just what you say on your about page or even your company blog - your real brand is how others feel about you, your company, and your products or services; it is the level of trust you’ve built and the emotional response you create.  Essentially, your brand is how you are perceived by others and it is absolutely necessary that your website reflect that - it should be about your clients and their needs, not about you.

So how exactly is this related to web design?  First of all, your website needs to clearly deliver your message and show everything your business has to offer right up front - after all, difficult navigation and other common usability errors do not help to build trust or credibility.  Same goes for broken links or missing pages, because when visitors arrive at your website (especially search engine traffic) they are probably looking for a solution to their problems and they are not going to spend all their time hunting around for it - they will just leave your site and look elsewhere to satisfy their needs.

Second, your website needs to create a positive atmosphere and user experience.  This is related to usability, of course, but it also needs to be visually pleasing and reinforce your brand’s message through design.  A well-designed website also helps to build trust in your brand - it shows attention to detail and a commitment to providing quality customer service besides simply representing your company well online.

It all boils down to this :when you are developing your company’s web presence, it is key to remember that your brand - and therefore your website - isn’t just about you, it is about your clients and potential clients perception of you and your business.