Sure-Fire methods to choose the right color scheme for your user interface

1. What is your focal point?

The same content can look quite different on a light background and against a dark background.

When it comes to visual content, a dark interface is the more popular choice. This creates a high-contrast background for illustrations, photographs or videos. The lighter tones of the visual content 'pop' out of the background and grab the viewer's attention. Spotify uses this quite successfully to make album covers stand out.

Then there are interfaces designed with multiple tables, charts and other elements. Picture a website backend admin dashboard. Using a light background de-emphasizes the empty spaces and makes the design feel breathable.

On the other hand, a dark interface could make the layout feel cluttered. This is one of the reasons why image-heavy websites like Pinterest use a white background.

A light background is also generally preferred for text-heavy interfaces. The light screen makes it easier to concentrate on the text. More on that in the next section.

2. Legibility and Readability

If your website is text-heavy, black text on a white background is usually considered the best choice. This is primarily because of the impact colours have on how text is perceived. The contrast of black typefaces on a white background makes the text appear larger than if the order was reversed. It's one of the main reasons why online newspaper editions and academic databases use simple black text with a white background.

However, if you were to make the text a little lighter or the background a little darker, your articles may not be as easy to read. In this case, maintaining a contrast between the text and the background is key. This makes it easier to distinguish between elements. Thus, it makes the text more legible.

Having white text on a black background would maintain the same contrast. But, the effect is not the same. While the text remains legible, readability may suffer. There are multiple reasons behind this. White text stimulates all three types of the eye's colour-sensitive visual receptors thereby increasing the strain. White is also a good reflector of light. This can contribute to lowering readability.

Poor readability keeps users from being able to scan the interface for data. They may miss out on critical information. In turn, this could harm the overall user experience.

3. Visitor Demographics

When you're catering to adults, especially people over the age of 60 years, a light background is preferable. This creates a sense of familiarity. The interface also feels easier to navigate.

On the flip side, this may seem generic for a younger audience. Teenagers and young adults are drawn to darker interfaces. This is more visually appealing to them and feels more exciting.

Also, consider the amount of time people will spend on your website/ app.

A light theme is considered easier to browse through. This makes it ideal for e-commerce pages and blog posts.

But, if you're expecting people to spend a lot more time on the page, a light theme may eventually put a strain on the eyes. For example, code editors find it easier to work with a dark background.

4. The Emotional Quotient

Legibility, readability and accessibility are all practical concerns. You should also consider the emotions evoked by light and dark colour schemes.

In terms of colour psychology, white reflects hope, purity, simplicity and cleanliness. Black is associated with power, mystery, strength, elegance and boldness. The mood created by your colour scheme should complement the emotions your brand is associated with.

For example, compare the Panasonic and Havells websites. Panasonic uses a dark interface to reflect its focus on elegance and thoughtful design. Havells prioritizes functionality and goes with a white background. The impact colours have on emotional perception is evident.

5. User Environment

Along with knowing the personas using the interface, you should also know when it is being used. Is the app or website being accessed indoors or outdoors? Will people use it during the day or at night?

When you're designing an interface to be accessed during the day, or in bright light, a light colour scheme is ideal. This minimizes the glare and makes content easy to access. On the other hand, as the environment gets darker, a bright interface may cause discomfort. In such cases, a darker interface becomes easier to navigate.

Let's look at Netflix. The platform uses a dark interface based on the assumption that people look for entertainment in the evenings or at night.

6. Responsiveness

Colours have a significant impact on interface responsiveness. This refers to the ease with which users can navigate the interface across devices. A design that looks sleek on a computer monitor may look congested on a smaller screen if the colour scheme is not chosen well.

If your design has singular large elements, a light or dark background should be equally responsive. However, if you have many elements presented together, a dark background could make the interface look congested on smaller screens.

1. Define the purpose of your interface

Understanding the core purpose of your interface is the first step to defining a colour scheme.

For example, an e-commerce website must be easy to navigate in all kinds of environments. Images are prioritized over text and call-to-action buttons need to stand out clearly. It's safe to assume that site visitors won't spend more than a few minutes on each page.

On the other hand, a business portfolio will probably be visited during the day. Here too images are prioritized. However, call-to-action buttons may not be as important. Since viewers may spend more time on each page, the contrast needs to be easy on the eyes.

2. Analyse the audience

Knowing your customer makes it easier to build a user-friendly experience. Creating a user persona is ideal. Start with the basics - age, gender, occupation, etc.

According to a study on the link between colour and gender, women pay more attention to red as compared to blue. This may be why a website like Pinterest, which caters mostly to a female audience, has red as their primary colour.

Similarly, a vibrant colour scheme set against a white background may be appealing to a teenage audience.

Also consider any special needs your audience may have. For example, an older audience may have poor eyesight. They may find it easier to navigate high-contrast colour schemes.

3. Think about your brand personality

Colours are an important part of branding. Think about your brand personality and what you want visitors to feel when they visit your website. Every colour has individual symbolism. Yet, the energy they give off is influenced by how they are used with other colours.

For example, McDonald's bright yellow against a white background complements the brand image as a happy, fun place. Caterpillar uses a darker colour scheme with yellow and black to symbolize stability and their connection with construction equipment.

4. Consider compromises

A text-heavy website need not limit you to having black text on a white background. A popular compromise is to keep a dark overall interface and use white tabs for text.

You could also create alternative interfaces. For example, platforms used throughout the day like Google Maps and Twitter offer a time-sensitive light and dark interface. This is user-friendly but creates additional work for you.

5. Test it out

A/B testing is a good way to see how your brand colours interact with different backgrounds. Test out the colour schemes on screens of varying sizes and resolutions and in different environmental conditions. Let a sample of your target audience interact with it and consider their feedback.