When choosing colors for a website or design project, consider current trends but prioritize branding and feeling over specific hue. Trends currently favor muted earth tones with pops of bold red, orange, or blue. Keep the color palette simple with three to four colors maximum and remember that saturation and tone impact perception as much as the colors themselves. Consider colors relevant to your industry or field but make the design ultimately reflect your personal brand.

2. When choosing colors
• Look for what’s “now” (or what matches the
history)
• But don’t overlook branding (this is goal one)
• And think about feel/vibe
• Remember that saturation and tone mean as
much as actual color value
• Try to keep it to three, four colors maximum

3. Contemporary palettes

4. Or

5. Or
The current trend,
as you can see, is
relatively muted
and still
somewhat earth-
tone-y. There is a
bold red, a
surprising orange,
and a very
jazzy/stark blue

6. In interior paint…

7. Eye shadow…
Given, Kat Von D
isn’t the last word
in cosmetics, but
this is what her
marketing
research team
determined to be
the shades for
spring and
summer of ‘14

8. Eye shadow…
And here’s
summer from
Lancome.

9. As you think about your site…
• Think about the colors that match in that basic
area/field.
• If you’re making a design portfolio, this should
basically be about you.
• But remember, again, the difference that
gentle use of color and saturation can make.
• Take a look at the next several sides for my
example