Color

Week 10Color

A man sits in a room filled with bright green cats. 
The bright green color of the felines effectively draws attention. Sandy Skoglund, American, born 1946. (1980). Radioactive Cats. Links to an external site.
Color can combined with the C-R-A-P principles that we have been using. Selecting a color palette may seem like a daunting task, but there are tools that can help: Adobe Color CC Links to an external site. allows you to choose different types of palettes and ColorExplorer Links to an external site. lets you analyze the colors in an image. Both are free and are pretty easy to use.

Colors have different meanings, so they can serve as a shortcut to communicate an idea.  Color meanings are generally cultural. This highlights the importance of knowing your audience!

According to the National Eye Institute, as many as 8% of men and .5% of women of Northern European descent have red-green color blindness, which is the most common type. There is also blue-yellow and complete color blindness. The WebAIM Color Contrast Checker Links to an external site. will help you evaluate your text color to ensure readability.

1.Purpose

Goal #1: Evaluate and critique visual communication. (Knowledge)

  • Identify color palettes to support communication needs.

Goal #2: Design effective visual messaging. (Skills)

  • Evaluate the effectiveness of a given color palette.

Goal #3: Use digital tools to create graphic elements. (Skills)

  • Identify tools that can assist with color selection.

2.Readings

3.Video

LinkedIn Learning: Navigating the color wheel (4:01)

This course provides practical guidance in selecting colors for your designs.

LinkedIn Learning

The three components of color (4:18) Links to an external site.

Finding the perfect color (3:59) Links to an external site.

Pairing hues (4:07) Links to an external site.

Watch these videos from the Color for Design and Art course. If you have time, view some of the others.

4.Project 1

Submit Project 1, your ad redesign, by 11:59 p.m. on the date listed in the Syllabus.

5.Class

This week, Project 1 is due.

Online students: You'll find the link to the Zoom session for today in the Zoom Conferences link in the menu to the left.

Onsite students: You may join the Zoom session if you like, however, your microphone will be turned off in order to avoid audio feedback. Only the front of the room will be video recorded.

Asynchronous students: Please view the lecture recording via the Zoom Conferences link in the menu to the left. Post your Questions, Comments, or Cool Stuff on the discussion board.