Red, white, blue: eight rules for choosing a color palette that everyone should know. What wallpaper visually enlarges the room? The combination of colors in clothes for thin people

Today we will return to Bulgakov and his age-old housing problem. True, we will have several of them: how to visually make the apartment larger? How to transform a space without drastic changes? And most importantly - what colors hide the flaws of the room? Let's try to figure it out.

Design thought is always tricky. Sometimes it seems that she is able to break the laws of physics and logic. However, the point here is rather in professionalism and a clear understanding of the task. How to increase the size of the room without resorting to its cardinal change? Designers have an answer - color.

True, working with any shade of the palette is a jeweler's business: an incorrectly chosen tone can destroy your cozy nest overnight, turning it into a dark cellar. However, he can also turn a tiny room into a very spacious hall. The main thing is to know a few secrets.

YES

Let's start with what needs to be done - that is, with those colors that are the best suited for visually expanding the space. Obviously, this is the whole palette of calm and light colors.

White, pale pink, soft yellow, pale blue and further down the list, which, if you don’t know, then perhaps everyone feels. However, the secret is not how bright they are, but what effect they have on our perception.

For example, a soft blue color creates a certain feeling of distance between objects from each other. This means that, willy-nilly, but the space begins to expand, increasing in the gaps between the elements of the interior.

Orange, in contrast, brings objects together, so even its muted shades will not give the desired effect. Of course, the white color was considered and will be considered ideal in use, because it is it that is the cleanest and brightest area. However, you should not limit yourself to them alone: ​​the lightest shades of blue, pink and gray colors. Having painted the walls with them, you can visually expand the space up to several square meters.

As for the drawing of the walls, all the same tricks work here as in women's wardrobe. The transverse strip "fills", which in our case indicates not only the expansion of the walls, but also the visual overhang of the ceiling. For small spaces with poor lighting, this can play a cruel joke. vertical stripe“Slimming”, that is, it raises the ceiling, but narrows the walls - this is also not the most ideal option. The compromise is in a monotonous scale or gradient, highlighted in the upper part. So you can visually increase the volume of the room a little, and in addition, raise the ceiling (of course, if the latter is not painted in a contrasting color).

NO

Now let's get down to the most interesting thing - what cannot be done, is categorically impossible or simply undesirable. Let's leave aside the question of the psycho-emotional perception of color (this is the topic for our new article). Today we’ll talk about which moves radically narrow the room.

Firstly, these are, of course, all dark shades - it is they who take the much-needed light from the space. In this case, we are talking not only about the range of colors close to black, but also about such very warm and beautiful colors as rich purple or deep lilac. By the way, they are one of the most insidious - by painting a room with them, you can "eat" a few of such precious square meters. Juicy and bright shades are also fraught with the "slimness" of the apartment. Our gaze clings to their activity and gets tired very quickly - for this reason, after just a few hours or even minutes, space can begin to "press" on you.

Another taboo in small interior considered a large figure. He draws all attention to himself, being a kind of art object. It turns out that the space looks like a picture frame, and this significantly reduces its size for those present.

The final "miss" is the curb. The one in the upper part of the walls divides the space in half, and often into a dark lower and light upper parts. Such a move is remotely similar to the gradient described above, but only in part. His mistake lies precisely in such a clear boundary, as if dividing space into “before” and “after”. For spacious rooms flooded with light, this is quite appropriate, but not in our case.

Our life is what we see every day, what surrounds us. First of all, this is our home. Therefore, it is so important to live in a beautiful and properly arranged space. Interior designers are well aware of this. However, this knowledge is increasingly becoming public knowledge. Today, with the help of specialists from the Architectural Design Studio of the Theater of Lines, we will talk about some rules for interior design.

Style and color in the interior

First of all, determine for yourself the functional needs of your family, and then try to conditionally divide the apartment into zones where you will sleep, work, cook and eat, take a bath. Think about which style is closer to you, for this look through interior magazines. Something is sure to please the eye and seem achievable.

It is very important to understand which color scheme will be the most comfortable and pleasing to the eye for you. To do this, you should listen to your inner state. Think about what color is really yours.

Your mood and well-being will depend on the main color and accents in the interior in the future. And if the accents can be quickly changed, it will be more difficult to do this with the color of the walls. That is why many prefer light, beige tones. A number of features in the choice of color are individual for different psychotypes. For example, it is known that the color red excites. But if a choleric person for a long stay in a red living room can lead to overstrain, then this can have a positive “invigorating” effect on a relaxed melancholic.

With regard to coloristic experiments with the floor, designers warn: the blue color and all its shades underfoot do not favor a long stay in the room, although at the same time it seems large and spacious, and yellow makes the home free and sunny, but visually does not give a sense of reliable support.

Expanding space

Pay attention to the configuration of housing, its problem areas. Mirror and glossy surfaces, light colors, or vice versa, contrasting dark ones will help to visually increase the space. It all depends on the dosage and combination.

The classic techniques for creating optical illusions include, for example, creating a false ceiling and using lights in the upper zone of the room - this helps to visually increase the height of the room. The same effect can be achieved by painting the floor in a rich color or varnishing it, as well as by pasting wallpaper with a large pattern that contrasts with the main background.

You can visually push the walls apart with the help of color contrasting vertical and horizontal enclosing planes, as well as by “colliding” contrasting textures. The feeling of more spaciousness in a small room will arise if you use light cool colors in the decoration - shades of gray-blue, pearl, pale green. If the room, on the contrary, is very spacious, then pastel or rich colors of warm colors will suit it.

The texture of finishing materials and interior items also contributes greatly to the change in the perception of space. For example, horizontal stripes visually stretch the room, creating the effect of increasing the area, but with a simultaneous decrease in its height. Vertical, on the contrary, visually compress the space horizontally, increasing it in height.

Playing with space

Here are a few tricks to help you visually enlarge the space. Suppose there is an elongated narrow room. You can turn it into a square with the help of mirrors. Along a long wall with a certain interval (step) we place mirrors to the full height, from floor to ceiling. So it will seem that there is something else behind the wall of a narrow room. "Through the Looking Glass" will visually increase the width of the room.

Another trick: we conditionally divide the room into two zones and place mirrors, elongated, vertical, opposite each other, mounting them on long walls on the border of the transition of one zone to another, thereby breaking the visual space. So we get two zones square shape, and we can turn one of them in the opposite direction, since the mirrors will give us the effect of infinity. In general, any objects with a mirror or glossy surface will also create the effect of increasing space due to reflective surfaces.

To visually increase the height of the ceiling, you can apply a graphic move - for example, using a vertical strip on the wallpaper, or paint it with a color according to the pattern, saturated and contrasting with the background main tone. Or you can create a window effect by decorating narrow vertical niches. frosted glass from floor to ceiling, behind which we hide the backlight. Such vertical light "windows" will stretch our room visually in height, and if you use glossy floor or ceiling coverings, this effect will be enhanced by reflection on adjacent surfaces. Any graphic vertical, lamp, narrow and high, will also help to solve this problem.

Hidden reserves

Often, the inhabitants of the house want more "air" in the interior. But on the other hand, you need to put things somewhere. Fortunately, for a professional designer, these two tasks are not mutually exclusive. Today, hidden placement of objects and equipment is relevant. Thus, the purity of the lines is preserved, there is a feeling of free space. This is achieved with the help of niches and built-in wardrobes, wardrobes. Storage systems can be completely hidden from prying eyes by designing the doors of the built-in storages in the same way as the rest of the wall surface. In some cases, on the contrary, door leaf deliberately isolated, turning into an additional accessory or even into a work of art, for example, with the help of frescoes.

If you decide to expand the space of your apartment, then sometimes it is simply impossible to break or move the walls. In addition to the physical methods of changing the boundaries of a house, there are design decisions that can change the perception of visual space. Thus, it is possible to "expand" the walls without destroying them - for example, with the help of optical illusions.

The room can be visually deepened, narrowed, expanded, raised or lowered. The space can be changed with the help of color and the main elements of the interior, as well as the distribution of lamps and taking into account the direction of the light.

color illusion

Color and color combinations are an extremely effective and versatile tool that allows you to visually change the space in all three dimensions.

For example, you can "expand" the walls with the help of cold tones - gray-blue, pearl, pale green. If the room is too big, then pastels and deep warm colors are good for it.

Traditionally, dark colors make the room smaller and the ceilings lower, while light colors visually expand the space and the room seems wider, the ceilings are higher.

Colors that visually expand the space: white, beige-orange, yellow, cold blue, blue, cold blue-green.

Colors that create the effect of reducing space: black, dark brown, blue-green, blue-violet, intense red, yellow-red, orange-red, warm reds.

There are also neutral colors that do not change the perception of space: gray, purple-red, green.

The overall color scheme of the living room, kitchen and dining room can visually expand the space. The color of floors and walls should be the same as the main color of the room. For more space, the main rooms should be in light and warm colors. In addition, the effect of greater height is achieved by painting the floor with saturated colors. Red and all its shades effectively delimit horizontal lines and planes. Blue and all its shades on the floor do not have a long stay in the room, but make it bigger and wider. Yellow and all its shades on the floor will make the room sunny, but the light color does not visually give stable footing.

texture illusion

Another point that also contributes to the change in space is texture. finishing materials and interior items.

For example, horizontal lines visually stretch the space, creating the effect of increasing, but at the same time lowering it. Vertical lines, on the contrary, narrow the space, visually increasing its height.

Small decorative elements visually make the room wider, one large one makes it smaller. Also, large drawings reduce, and small ones increase space.

white items on dark background visually make the space larger, expanding and lengthening it. Checkered, striped, or pattern-filled areas appear larger than plain, equal-sized areas.

The effect of greater height is achieved by finishing materials with high-gloss polish, as well as floors with a large pattern in a contrasting color.

light illusion

When using optical illusions for visual correction of space, a significant effect is achieved due to correct use light (changes in the brightness of individual sections of the room).

The effect of visually increasing the height of the room is produced by decorating the ceiling with built-in lights. Also, you can do it using suspended ceilings, plate glass, upstairs lighting, or by creating a shiny surface.

In general, if your ceiling is low, it is better to give up massive chandeliers, giving preference to small ones.

You can evenly illuminate the walls and lower corners of the room with small lamps. In this case, it will be visually wider. If the space must be narrowed, it is necessary to illuminate the upper corners.

To make the width of a rectangular room seem larger, you need to evenly illuminate three walls, and darken the farthest fourth wall.

mirror illusion

A mirror is a great way to expand the space of a room. This effect is created thanks to optical reflection and room decor elements.

Experiments with mirrors and mirror surfaces are justified in small rooms. A mirror can pull walls apart, break straight lines, and make you forget about actual proportions. Lightness is also created glass surfaces furniture - this visually makes it lighter and "dissolves". Mirrored ceilings are the best way to expand the space, infinitely increasing the height. Large mirrors make any room look bigger.

1. Color

When choosing colors for the interior, do not forget about the ability of white and pastel shades to increase space, and reduce bright and contrasting ones. At the same time, cold colors give depth, while warm ones, on the contrary, bring them closer.

2. Light

Pay attention to the light. Well-lit rooms visually always seem more spacious. You can control this effect by adjusting the intensity. The most pleasant is sunlight, so rooms with large quantity windows always look better.

3 things

Remember - things always limit space. Strive to minimize the presence of unnecessary items in your room, you will see how the room expands. Avoid using large items in small rooms - a big sofa or closet absorb space.

4. Gloss

It is important to observe the harmony of color on the ceiling, walls and field. Experiment with the look of the decorative finish, rather than the shade, opting for light colors. For example, a glossy rather than matte floor finish makes a small room look bigger, as does mother-of-pearl and gloss on the ceiling.

5. Mirrors

Mirrors greatly expand the space. If you hang a mirror plate on the wall, your room will double in size. You can also use normal large mirror. Placed at the right angle, it will reflect not only interior items, but also light and color.

6. Pictures

Many underestimate the help of properly selected paintings in expanding space. One large image makes the room more spacious, and many small ones do the opposite. The light, deep tones of the picture and the plot itself are very important. For example, in a room where there is little natural light, you can lead the image of a well-lit window.

7. Furniture

When designing your interior, keep compact furniture in mind - a folding table, built-in wardrobes and beds, as well as glass and glass furniture. mirror effect reflecting light. Furniture with open shelving always expands the space, and blind doors limit it. It is important not to overload the shelves with decorative trifles. Give preference to low furniture (ottomans, stools) that do not “eat up” the perspective and wall area.

8. Details

A bunch of bright details- not for small rooms. They divide the room into separate zones, crushing attention. The exception is one bright object (vase, flower, floor lamp), placed in the furthest from front door corner of the room.

9. Geometry

Arranging furniture in the center of the room always reduces it, and along the walls increases it. If this seems boring to you, occupy the corners with furniture, then a free and open space will form in the center of your room.

10. Curtains

An important detail of a properly selected interior for small rooms are light curtains. Heavy curtains of dark tones invariably narrow the area. Large patterns have the same effect, but light fabrics and fabrics with small patterns expand the room.

Remember these simple tips - with their help, any room can be made more spacious and comfortable.

Do you want to make your home more spacious and at the same time not “break through the window” and break the walls? Then you need to know what color visually enlarges the space!

There are many signs, rituals, traditions associated with our homes. We love our homes, we try to bring comfort and warmth to them. And very often we face the question of what is best for us and our loved ones. Most often, we face the problem of arrangement and future comfort on the eve of repair. It is rare to find a person who has a desire to live in a small or cluttered room. Almost everyone loves space and light. If you take into account new trends in choosing colors for design, then you can not only create the right psychological mood for you and all other family members.

The first rule for creating a light and airy space is, of course, the preference for light colors. White, cream, peach, pale pink. All these colors will create an atmosphere of purity and lightness. For example, blue shades in the interior they will add depth, but juicy blotches of yellow or orange will slightly hide the visual effect. The height of the ceiling in your house is not unimportant, it is she who creates a feeling of spaciousness. And if you're unlucky and your home has standard height, it is necessary to make it as light as possible. The dark color of the ceiling will visually put pressure on you, and look even lower. In order to more clearly imagine what you expect from the color of the ceiling, look at the sky. When it is azure blue, it has no end and edge, and how strikingly different is the stormy gloomy sky, ready to visually fall on our heads. A prerequisite in choosing the color of the ceiling is its harmonious interweaving with the color of your floor or floor covering.

The next step in expanding the space with color is lighting. The ideal option, of course, there will be large and bright windows. But, alas, not all of us can have such an option. And then they come to our rescue lighting. cozy floor lamps, wall sconces, additional illumination in the form LED light bulbs wall cabinets located along the edge will greatly increase the space, and it will become very comfortable to be in it. The light coming from the bulbs is preferable to choose yellow, in contrast to the cold white color, it does not irritate the eyes and creates a sunny effect.

And, of course, a mirror! A large one located in front of a window or surrounded by additional light will be a stunning visual space solution. Play with details such as paintings. One large picture will significantly increase the effect of space, but a scattering of small pictures is only permissible in spacious rooms.

Everything left in the landfill!

Conglomeration large furniture, bulky wardrobe, greatly reduces space. If you are the owner of a small room, bet on medium-sized furniture. It will be easy for you to rearrange it, thereby sometimes introducing variety into your life. The arrangement of furniture in the room will play a significant role. If you arrange the furniture in the corners, then free the center of the room, and this is an important fact. The height of the furniture itself also matters. So, for example, low ottomans and not deep sofas create space in the room.

Bright interior with an abundance of both natural and artificial light visually enlarges the space

How to visually enlarge a room is what every third inhabitant of our country thought about. Everyone dreams of having their own corner, not a rented apartment. And if you are lucky enough to have own apartment, no matter what size and parameters it is. AT modern world correct any planning errors possible with the help minimal cost, simply by correctly applying certain means of decor.

How to visually enlarge a room? Actually, it's not that difficult. In order to expand, lengthen or extend the room, you need a very small amount of funds and their reasonable use. Of course, you can expand the space in the room by removing partitions, but these are drastic measures. We will advise you how to do it more humanely. The basic principles of creating visual space in the decor include:

• Color play and optical illusions.
• and other prints on the walls can visually both lengthen and narrow the room.
• Mirrors or glossy surfaces greatly expand, if necessary, the space. But their use should be approached very responsibly and carefully. After all, it is important not to overdo it. An abundance of reflective materials can create discomfort for people present in the room.
• The play of light and shadow.
• Furniture and its correct location.
• Decor elements.

To achieve the desired goal, you can use any of these methods separately or combine them with each other.

Wallpapers and prints for rooms

Wallpaper is perhaps one of the most affordable ways to expand the space of a room. But not everyone knows how visually correct. The first thing you should pay attention to is the drawing. He can play a cruel joke if you do not know how to choose it correctly. It is important to remember a few rules:

• A strip or other pattern is characterized by its thickness, diameter, and also the distance between them. Very thick lines can cause the opposite effect of what you wanted to achieve. Thin lines will not only help to make the room look taller, but if used correctly, they will visually push the walls apart. Too large drawings can significantly reduce the space.

Repair in the house is always an event, because refreshing the atmosphere and re-pasting the wallpaper is a joy for each of us. But sometimes we encounter some problems that we do not always know how to solve. For example, how to choose the right wallpaper for a small room? Now we learn a few secrets on this issue.

Wallpaper in a small room

How to choose wallpaper for a small room?

It is stereotypically believed that the choice of wallpaper for a small room should be limited to the usual light version without a pattern. But still, sometimes you want something bright and cheerful.

Wallpaper in the interior

In the selection process, certain difficulties arise that stand in the way of one or another option:

• Too big patterns on the wallpaper.
• High frequency lines or pattern.
• Too thin lines.
• Very dark wallpaper.

And yet there are some rules that should be followed when buying wallpaper in a small room.

Wallpaper in the home interior

Wallpaper classification in small rooms

Undoubtedly, the choice is great not only in terms of colors, but also in terms of wallpaper characteristics. They are of the following types:

All this information can be found on the label before purchase. If you have additional questions, you can consult with sellers or consultants in the store.

Also, the type of wallpaper will be indicated on the label, which is also important when choosing. There are:

• Acrylic.
• Paper.
• Structural wallpaper, which is taken for painting.
• Textile.
• Glass wallpaper.
• Vinyl (embossed, flat, foamed).

For small rooms, in principle, each of the options is suitable, here it will already depend on the pricing policy and personal priorities.

What wallpaper color to choose for small rooms?

And yet we again return to the color palette of wallpaper. As mentioned earlier, it is best to choose light colors that visually make our space larger. The most successful shades are: blue, gray, sand, peach, yellow, cream, pink, beige.

Design tricks to increase space with wallpaper

A solution to the problem with a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room can be found, the main thing is to have a desire for this. In this task, we can turn to designers, or the so-called design approaches, for help.

These are not all the secrets that can be used indoors when it is not as big as we would like. But these options are the most popular and at the same time simple to implement.

Summing up, we can draw the following conclusions.

Most of the population of our country lives in small apartments and suffers from tiny rooms. This has an extremely negative effect on the psyche, and makes one wonder how to visually enlarge a small room. After all, a thoughtlessly planned interior can provoke the opposite effect.

What colors visually enlarge the room?

From what color the room is decorated directly depends on it. visual perception. Therefore, when finishing walls, ceilings and even floors in small room it is necessary to proceed from certain color properties:

• each light shade creates the illusion of space;
• any dark shade visually brings the surface closer;
• contrasting color combinations “eat up” part of the space.

But the future atmosphere of the room also depends on the choice of interior colors. Therefore, one should not forget that when you need to create a warm and cozy environment do not resort to "cold" shades.

What wallpaper visually enlarges the room?

The effect of choice right color wall decor for small room can be completely destroyed by the wrong choice of finishing materials. So when choosing wallpaper, their pattern and texture are essential. Rough texture combined with a large pattern will make the room even smaller. And small patterns on the smooth surface of the wallpaper will bring a feeling of spaciousness into the room. Also effective in small spaces is the use of finishing materials for walls with horizontal stripes.

How to visually increase the size of a room with lighting?

An unlit room at night will look gloomy, dull and even smaller. But especially important proper organization in areas such as the hallway and bathroom due to the lack of windows. For small rooms, the following lighting solutions are applicable:

• visually increase the space will help maximize the lighting of the entire room;
• stronger effect visual magnification space gives light bottom corners rooms;
• light directed to the opposite wall will make the room wider;
• around the perimeter of the room will make it bigger.

How to visually increase the height of the room?

There are several design techniques that visually increase the height of the ceiling:

• the glossy ceiling not only makes the ceiling higher, but also gives the room depth;
• contrary to popular belief two-level ceilings illusory add volume to the room;
• the lack of clear boundaries between the walls and the ceiling surface visually increases the space;
• vertically directed pattern on the walls makes them much higher;
• you can raise the ceiling up with the help of cornice lighting;
• mirror surface the ceiling will make it taller and the room more voluminous.

In addition to all the above methods of visually enlarging small rooms, there are several more ways:

• the reflective surface of the wall will visually double the room;
• gathered curtains light shades the entire wall will add space to the room;
• there should be little furniture, and it should be small sizes. At the same time, the most bulky objects are located in the background, and the smaller ones are closer to the entrance to the room;
• carpet covering should not be bright, and have a not very complex pattern. Optimal size– 2/3 of total area premises.

As a result, knowing how to visually increase the space of a room, you can transform the room beyond recognition. And most importantly, it is quite possible to make the smallest room beautiful, cozy and comfortable.

Human interaction with a computer relies heavily on graphical interface elements, and color plays an important role in this process. As Pierre Bonnard once said: “Color not only makes a design pleasing to the eye, but also reinforces it.”

When designing a new product, designers often find it difficult to come up with a color scheme, since there are an unlimited number of possible combinations. In this article, we will look at eight basic rules that can help you make a choice.

1. Limit the number of colors

When adding colors to a design, it is extremely important to strike a balance; and the more of them, the more difficult it becomes to achieve this. The result will be better if you stick to the “maximum three primary colors” rule when forming a palette. In a study from the University of Toronto on how people use Adobe Color CC, most respondents said they preferred simple combinations based on two or three colors.

If you need additional colors besides those already added to the palette, use different shades.

How to build a palette

But how to choose these two or three colors? This is where the color wheel comes in handy.

Such a circle of 12 colors is one of the main materials for compiling a palette.

There are a number of ready-made standard schemes that can make the process of creating a palette easier, especially for beginners:

Single color palettes

Single-color schemes leave a very pleasant impression (especially if they are made in shades of blue or green). As you can see in the Facebook example, the palette looks very neat and elegant.

Single-color palettes are the easiest to work with: they contain only one color with varying variations in hue and saturation. All shades of color blend well with each other and create a calming effect.

Palettes of related colors

Related colors are those that are next to each other on the circle.

Such scales are built on the basis of related colors: one of them becomes the reference, and the rest are used to enrich the palette. Everything here is also quite simple, but the trick is to choose the right brightness of the colors used - it will set the tone for the entire gamut. For example, Clear, a gesture-based to-do list utility, uses flashy colors to visually draw attention to the tasks the user is performing in this moment. In contrast, meditation app Calm favors the blue+green related color pair to create a sense of peace and tranquility for users.

Complementary color palettes

By using complementary (opposite) colors, you can easily visually highlight an element.

Most simple varieties of this type consist of two colors that contrast sharply with each other. This scheme allows you to attract the attention of the beholder. When using a complementary palette, you need to decide on the main color, and apply an additional one to emphasize key elements. Say, when the human eye sees some object colored in different shades green, a smear of red will stand out very strongly against its background.

Customized Palettes

Splashes of color against a gray background are a great way to grab the eye. Designed in white and gray colors with blue accents, we can see on the Dropbox website.

Creating your own palette is not as difficult as many people think. There is a very simple way that you can use to get a great option: just add bright accents to a neutral scale (that is, one that is usually called black and white). The resulting palette will look very impressive.

2. Draw inspiration from nature

The best color combinations are those that we take from the natural world. Why? Because for our eyes they look the most natural. Just looking around is enough to get ideas. If in Everyday life you will notice some particularly beautiful or eye-catching shade, try creating color scheme based on it. Just take photos of beautiful landscapes and choose colors from them for the palette.

Nature creates the best combinations colors. This photo can make a great color scheme.

3. Try to stick to the proportion 6/3/1

When drawing up a palette, you will also need a timeless rule from interior designers: the proportion 6/3/1 allows you to create the perfect balance of colors in any space.

Making this concept a reality is very simple: your base color should be 60% percent, your secondary color 30%, and 10% for accents. The main idea is that complementary color should serve as a support for the main one, but at the same time be easily distinguishable against its background. Per color for visual highlight individual areas accounts for 10% of the screen - you can use it for a call to action or any other element.

4. Design in black and white first

Playing with colors is fun. Not surprisingly, work on a project often begins with the choice of a palette. The temptation to make finding the perfect color scheme the first step is strong, but I would encourage you to fight yourself and design your interface in grayscale first. Make a black and white app prototype and use it as a baseline. In the absence of colors, you will be forced to focus on the distances and arrangement of the elements.

Introduce color last and very purposefully.

A bright spot on a gray background - simple and effective method direct your gaze to the desired object.

5. Avoid black

In reality, black color is almost never found. All the "black" objects that we come across in the world around us reflect some amount of light, which means that they are no longer black, but dark gray. Fresh asphalt, for example, is not black at all. And shadows too.

If you add black to your set of carefully selected colors, it will "crush" all the others. It is so striking precisely because it is not perceived as natural. Many of the apps we use on a daily basis add supposedly black colors to the interface, which are actually dark gray. For example, the most dark color in the top panel of the Asos application - not # 000000, but # 242424. So don't forget to adjust saturation.

6. Build Visual Hierarchy with Contrast

Color is a tool that directs the eye along the desired trajectory. The more you need to draw attention to the subject, the more you need to rely on contrast. Usually, high contrast is reserved for the most important information or key elements. If you want your users to notice something or click somewhere, you need to make it stand out!

Due to the contrast, one area of ​​the screen is noticeably different from the rest.

7. Use color to influence the user's emotional state

It's no secret that colors express certain ideas and can influence people's moods. These ideas will have a direct impact on how people feel about your product.

When drawing up a palette for the interface, it is not enough to think only about how everything will look - you need to take care of how it will be perceived as well. The colors you choose can both reinforce the brand image you are trying to create or contradict it. To get you started, I've put together a little guide for you with the basic associations for each color (in western culture).

Red, Orange, Yellow

Red(passion, power, danger, significance): Red is a very stimulating color. It leaves a feeling of speed and power and is associated with energy. It has already been proven that it affects us even at a physiological level, accelerating metabolism and blood circulation. This is why people even read faster and louder when they see red. It is good to use it to quickly draw the eye of users or highlight separate element demanding their attention.

Orange(naughty, peppy, attractive, cheap): Orange is warm and bright color. It creates an atmosphere of cheerfulness and evokes a feeling of warmth and comfort in users. Some researchers claim that orange expresses the idea of ​​being cheap.

Yellow(cheerful, friendly, stimulating, attracts attention): Yellow is an extremely versatile color that combines shades with different meanings. So, light yellow is associated with the sun, that is, with something positive and friendly. More saturated tones leave an impression of ancient times and monumentality. They are often used when you need to show something unshakable and wise.

Green, Blue, Purple

Green(natural, safe, fresh): Green expresses the idea of ​​merging with the outside world and closeness to nature. It is also associated in our minds with growth, as a result of which it is widely used in business. Green can also be associated with ethical attitudes.

Blue(calm, responsible, trustworthy, reliable): Blue color usually associated with feelings of peace and tranquility, as well as with strength and reliability, which in general gives a sense of professionalism and inspires confidence. Blue tells us that we are safe. For this reason, it is actively used by banks and IT companies. Many titans on the market social networks(Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) the interface also appears blue.

Violet(Luxury, Mysterious, Romantic, Spiritual): Purple has historically been considered a color associated with royalty and hints that the product is in the high-end category.

Pink, Black, White, Gray

Pink(femininity, innocence, youth): The most widely known association with pink is femininity.

Black(strong, sophisticated, mysterious, provocative): Black attracts attention faster than any other color, even red. As a rule, it is used only for text and accents.

White(purity, health, innocence, goodness): White brings out the colors that surround it well, which is why it is often chosen as a complementary color.

Grey(neutral, formal, sophisticated, sterile): Gray leaves a neutral feel and can take on the characteristics of both black and white. Acting as the main color, it creates an official atmosphere.

It is important to note here that the meanings of colors can vary greatly depending on the circumstances and cultural context. To learn more about this topic, read the article Symbolism Of Colors And Color Meanings Around The World.

8. Make Design Accessible

Accessibility is one of the key considerations for using color in design. These days, products should be available to anyone and everyone, regardless of physical ability.

Don't use color as the only indicator

Approximately 8% of men and 0.5% of women suffer from some form of color blindness - that is, every twelfth man and every two hundredth woman. There are different types, but the most common is red and green blindness. A person who is colorblind usually has difficulty distinguishing any shades of these two colors.

Left to right: color wheel with eyes ordinary person - Color circle through the eyes of a person with a deuteranopic type of color blindness - The color circle through the eyes of a person with a protanopic type of color blindness.

Since color blindness takes different forms(some do not distinguish between red and green, others - yellow and blue, and still someone sees everything in shades of gray), you need to use several visual markers at once to indicate the most key states in the product. To describe actions or content, in addition to color, you can also connect styles, symbols, patterns, textures, and text.

Avoid conveying information through red and green colors - this will be extremely inconvenient for people who do not distinguish between them.

Make text as contrasting as possible

Contrast is that area in color theory that has crucial for usability. When choosing a color for text, keep in mind that overlapping two colors with low contrast will make it very difficult to read.

Low contrast can be a death blow to usability.

Keep track of the contrast to make sure that the color of the text stands out sufficiently against the background color so that even a person with color blindness or very low vision can distinguish words. The contrast ratio is a mathematical expression of how different one color is from another (usually it is written like this: 1:1, 21:1). The greater the difference between the numbers, the more the colors differ in brightness. The W3C recommends the following ratios between the brightness of text and images:

• If the text is small, the ratio should be at least 4.5:1;
• For large text (i.e. 14 pt and above for bold, 18 pt and above for regular text), a ratio of 3:1 or more is optimal.

But the good news is that you don't have to check everything manually. With the help, you can calculate the coefficient in a few clicks.

Bonus: Essential Tools for a UX Designer

To make it easier for you, I also provide a list of the most useful tools for color selection.

Adobe Color CC
Adobe Color CC (formerly known as Kuler) - perfect solution to find, edit, and create palettes. You can modify each color included in the gamut, or set it as a reference in just a couple of clicks. Ready-made palettes can be saved and added to the library; in addition, in the public domain on the site is a large number of color schemes created by other members of the community.

Dribbble Search-by-color
If you want to see how other designers use a particular color in their projects, go to dribbble.com/colors and choose the shade you want.

material design
The guideline from Material Design offers a great color scheme that you can use for illustrations or choosing brand colors. All the colors that it covers are chosen so that they will be in harmony with each other in any combination.

Colorzilla
Colorzilla is an extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers that includes a whole bunch of color tools, including an eyedropper with color capture capability, a CSS gradient generator, and a palette viewer.

coolors.com
Coolors.co is a powerful tool for building a palette of multiple colors. You can just pin desired color and hit the space bar to get a new gamma. What is especially cool here is that you are not limited to a single option - you can create different palettes by changing the parameters at the start.

I especially enjoy making palettes using photographs. This tool allows you to upload a photo and build a palette of colors that are present on it.

Color blindness simulator in Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop lets you test how universally accessible your design is. Just go to the View > Proof Setup tab and select the type you are interested in (Protanopia type or Deuteranopia type).

NoCoffee Vision Simulator for Chrome
To make sure your design is accessible to everyone, it's a good idea to experience color blindness during the design process. NoCoffee Vision Simulator provides the ability to create a simulation for any interface showing how it looks to people with color blindness or low vision. For example, if you apply the "Deuteranopia" filter in the "Color Deficiency" tab, you will see the website in grayscale. This will help you adapt the interface to the needs of people with eye problems.

Color is one of the most powerful tools in a designer's arsenal, but it's not easy to master. I hope the rules I have listed will be useful for beginners to lay the foundation. The next step is practice, because the only way to get good at creating palettes is to do it as much as possible.