I am quickly learning that it is harder than it looks to develop a successful Wordpress theme design for public release. You can spend hours designing the best damn theme ever to be released in the history of web design, but if the users cannot “use it”, it won’t be successful.
Read the rest of this entry »

One of the biggest problems I often encounter as a web designer is choosing colors for my sites. I generally want something unique that will separate that particular site from the zillions of other websites on the Internet.

Here is my process:

1. “Form Follows Function” - First, I look at the content of the site I am designing. This will generally dictate the colors I will use. For example, if I am creating a professional site for a company, I usually stick to the colors of their logo (if applicable) and use no more than 2 or 3 colors. If I am designing a personal page, or one that is more creative, I will use a few more colors and depend less on the “whitespace”.

2. Whitespace - One of the most underrated pieces of web design is the amount of whitespace a layout has. It has to be just right. Too much whitespace makes the website look sparce and too little makes it look crammed. One I decide how much whitespace I want, I start to look at the actual colors.

3. The User - This part is very similar to number 1. I look at the users who will be using my site. Generally speaking, if it is a younger audience, I will use more color and graphics. If it is an older audience, I will use less colors and keep it simple.

4. Experiment - Once I have an idea of what colors I want to use, I start to experiment. I usually go through at least 4 or 5 revisions before I settle on a color. Once I have a few colors down on a page, I will tweak them to fit together.

That’s about it. It is a simple process for the most part.

If you are having trouble finding color inspiration, check out the color scheme gallery.

Stay tuned to a quick guide to choosing a layout.