Just like fashion web design has it’s yearly trends. Some stick and some go out of style quicker than your MC Hammer pants. Color trends are particularly important in design, it sets the overall tone and feeling of a site. In most instances people are going to see the color of your website before the content. That’s why it’s so important to choose your colors carefully. Sometimes a company already has a set color palette which limits the liberty you can take with the color scheme. However, a great way to introduce a new color in an already set design is to use it as an accent color. This may give more contrast to the overall site, even completely updating a companies look. In most cases it will also give the site some “POP”. But lets pretend you are building a site from the ground up. What colors are in this year?
1. BACK IN BLACK: Grayscale or black tones with a bright accent color.
Here at Myriad Core we especially like this trend because it fits with our branding. We use primarily black backgrounds with our bright green as an accent. This really showcases our work and makes our content easy to find & read. Why is this so effective for the web? You are so saturated with various color information from a variety of sources that sometimes the absence of color can make your audience stop and take notice. This looks gives a sense of sleekness & professionalism. It can also give your site a very modern and clean look. Great for restaurants, photographers and us.

2. GO GREEN: Shades of green.
With the trend of “Going Green” and being more environmentally conscious. It’s no surprise that the green color trend is one of the biggest on the web today. It gives your site a very fresh and natural look. It allows represents growth and renewal. Green has also spring boarded in the design community when Pantone announced Emerald as their color of the year. Looks awesome when paired with browns or grays. Great for businesses with a focus on the environment or companies focusing on local or handmade products.
To read more about this color and Pantone’s other color predictions for this year visit: http://www.pantone.com/pages/index.aspx?pg=21055

3. I LOVE THE 80’s. Neon or Brights.
Don’t throw away your florescent snap bracelets quite yet. Bright neon colors are making a huge comeback in 2013. It’s an easy and effective of grabbing your audiences attention. It can be paired with other neon or bright colors or paired with a more neutral color to add more impact. This can easily add a retro style to your site or convey  a sense of fun and exuberance. Great for clothing companies, individual sites and advertising agencies. (But just because your site looks like it’s from the 80’s please don’t design it to run that way.)

4. SET THE TONE: Monochromatic tones.
Using different tonal values and hues of the same color can give your site and very unique look. It can represent being fresh or very industrial. It can also instill a sense of trust with customers. Great for architects, law firms, banks and tech companies.

5. COPY & PASTEL: Pastels
Some designers hate using pastels they feel they aren’t as exciting as using bolder or brighter colors. But when used well it can give your site a very unique and often friendly look. These are very inviting colors and when added with hand-lettering can also represent a vintage or retro look. Great for agencies, publishing and companies who are re-branding.
SOME GREAT COLOR RESOURCES:
Color lovers: great source of inspiration, color schemes and palettes: http://www.colourlovers.com/
Adobe Kuler: great way to create your own color combinations and share them with fellow designers: https://kuler.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/
The Perfect Palette: it focuses mainly on home decor and weddings but has some great color combinations that work for design as well: http://www.theperfectpalette.com/