After functionality, color is the second most critical factor in creating an effective business app. Besides affecting its looks, color plays an important role in influencing how users interact with your app.
Plus the right color scheme can affect how people see and interpret the content as well as encourage certain decisions or behavior when using the app. There are endless possibilities when it comes to color schemes. Here are a few color schemes you may want to consider.
Neutrals and contrasting colors
Use of highly contrasting colors creates a bold statement which can make your app more visually pleasing to the eye. Bright reds, pinks, royal blues and greens are commonly used in designing apps. Be cautious when choosing which colors to combine. Some colors can clash when they are used together.
If you are unsure on how to work with bright colors, try using a color scheme consisting of neutrals with one bright color. The neutral colors in the background can make the bright hue stand out more.
Pastels
Use of muted colors and pastels are not just limited to apps designed for women. Over the years, a growing number of businesses are opting to use pastels in their apps. The muted hues creates a pleasant background while still giving a balanced look.
Subtle shadows
No need to fill your app with color. With this design tip, you can use shadows to create a delicate effect that is pleasing to the eye. A combination of muted complimentary colors and white space creates a faint distinction between elements in the foreground and background.
Gradients
In the past, apps featured gradients using a color in different tones. With newer apps, you may see more designers experimenting with gradients containing a variety of contrasting colors. The combination of two contrasting colors results in a gradient with a rich deep hue.
Adding images and patterns to the gradient creates an artistic backdrop for your interface, menu or other elements in your app.
Grays
Another way of adding color (or lack of it) involves using different shades of gray. You may also use black and white for a wider range of hues. Whether it is solid colors or gradients, you can use white, black and grays to bring focus to certain elements of your app without hurting the eye.
How to pick your color scheme
Colors can affect people in different ways. Factors such as a person’s background and previous experiences can influence his perception of colors. As such, there is no such thing as the perfect color for converting leads to customers.
However, you can still use colors to improve your conversion rates and make your app more user-friendly. Here are a few tips:
- When choosing the colors for your app, think about your target market. Consider your audience’s age, gender and location among others.
- Think about your brand’s identity and message. Colors can affect the way people see your app. For instance, blues can make your app look cool. On the other hand, mixing blues with purples can give your app a more trendy feel. Colors can also indicate your brand’s industry. Are you running a health brand? If so then consider using greens in your app to symbolize health and nature.
- Play with gradients, contrasts and highlights. This will help make certain elements of your app pop out.
- Do not forget about the white space in your app. Effective use of white space keeps your app looking clean.
- Experiment and take notes. Make minor color changes to the color scheme to see how it affects your users. For instance, changing the color of the button from white to red could elicit more people to click on it.
Once you have an idea of the color scheme and the features of your app, hire professional app developers to bring it all together and have your business app developed. App designers and developers can provide you with additional advice and tips on what color scheme you can use on your app that coincides with your brand’s image and enhance the user experience.
AUTHOR BIO
Ayham Gorani
Director, Alpha-Apps FZ LLC
Fueled by the firm belief that the Arab World has great potential and great content, Ayham founded AlphaApps in 2011 in Abu Dhabi. His goal is to bring the Arabic apps industry and content forward to an international and competitive level. He is also a start-up mentor, helping entrepreneurs launch successful app projects and investing in app companies in the region.
