Colors are non-verbal forms of communication. As you design brochures, logos, and Web sites, it is helpful to keep in mind how the eye and the mind perceive certain colors and the color meanings we associate with each color. Sometimes colors create a physical reaction red has been shown to raise blood pressure Other times it is a cultural reaction U.S. white is for weddings Some Eastern cultures, white is the color for mourning and funerals COLOR!

COLOR RELATIONSHIPS Adjacent or harmonizing colors appear next to each other on the color wheel. Two or more adjacent colors harmonize with one another. They work well together usually but not always. Some harmonizing colors may appear washed out (yellow/green) or too dark and similar (blue/purple) to work well together A harmonizing trio could be something like blue, light blue, and cyan or perhaps red, orange, and yellow

Contrasting colors appear in different segments of the color wheel. The further apart from one another in hue, saturation, or value, the more contrast. EX: Red and Blue, Red and Green Contrast is often needed to provide optimum readability (such as high contrast between background and text) Complementary colors are on opposite sides of the color wheel -- they are each half of a pair of contrasting colors. EX: blue is a complementary color to yellow. Green is complementary to purple and magenta. A pair of complementary colors printed side by side can sometimes cause visual vibration (clash) making them a less than desirable combination.

COOL COLORS Cool colors tend to have a calming effect BUT: They can come across as cold and impersonal colors Blue, green, and the neutrals white, gray, and silver are examples of cool colors. Cool colors appear smaller than warm colors and they visually recede on the page so red can visually overpower and stand out over blue even if used in equal amounts.

WARM COLORS Warm colors rev us up and get us going. The warmth of red, yellow, or orange can create excitement or even anger. Warm colors convey emotions from simple optimism to strong violence. The neutrals of black and brown also carry warm attributes Warm colors appear larger than cool colors

NEAUTRAL COLORS The neutral colors: black white silver gray brown make good backgrounds, serve to unify diverse color palettes, and also often stand alone as the only or primary focus of a design Neutral colors help to put the focus on other colors or serve to tone down colors that might otherwise be overpowering on their own

LINE A line refers to a continuous mark, made on a surface, by a moving point. It can define a space, create an outline or pattern, imply movement or texture and allude to mass or volume. Lines can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, straight or curved, thick or thin. They lead your eye around the composition and can communicate information through their character and direction. Horizontal lines suggest a feeling of rest or repose because objects parallel to the earth are at rest. Vertical lines often communicate a sense of height because they are perpendicular to the earth, extending upwards toward the sky

Horizontal and vertical lines used in combination communicate stability and solidity. Rectilinear forms with 90-degree angles are structurally stable. This stability suggests permanence and reliability. Diagonal lines convey a feeling of movement. Objects in a diagonal position are unstable. Because they are neither vertical nor horizontal, they are either about to fall or are already in motion. The curve of a line can convey energy. Soft, shallow curves recall the curves of the human body and often have a pleasing, sensual quality and a softening effect on the composition. Sharply curved or twisted lines can convey turmoil, chaos, and even violence.

SPACE Space refers to the use of the area within the picture plane. The area around the primary objects in a work is known as negative space, while the space occupied by the primary objects is known as positive space. When creating websites and other public documents you want to think about how you are dividing space.