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Communicating with color
Want to come across as professional, warm, intelligent, fun, expert,
and competent? That's a lot to communicate with just one logo! Designers
use logo components (typeface, graphic, type treatment, and color)
to send a variety of messages at once. When the elements harmonize,
people respond to the messages you're trying to send.
Color is a design fundamental. Most people know that hot colors
(red, orange, yellow) "approach" and cool colors (blue
and purple) "recede." If businesses are trying to make
a splash, they may choose bright yellow or screaming magenta to
grab people's attention. The problem is that few people want to
be screamed at!
Black and white are the first colors our eyes distinguish. After
that comes red. All cultures have names for black, white, and red.
(Not all cultures have names for green, for instance—it's
more difficult to distinguish and may not be part of that culture's
surroundings). Consequently, the combination of black, white, and
red is a power trio, getting attention and striking deep emotional
chords.
Not everyone wants to be that grabby, though! Blues communicate
stability and trust, and are often used by financial management
companies. Purples are associated with spirituality and power (relics
of the Roman empire). Greens are associated with (surprise) vegetation
and are often used by environmental organizations. Oranges are friendly
and approachable, but too hot for widespread use. They're most often
used for food products. And yellows are associated with the sun:
bright, cheerful, and simple. They're often used by businesses trying
to reach kids.
Good color choice is affected by your target market. In general,
the broader your market, the more pure the color. Mass market color
schemes favor primary colors. Color schemes for kids amp up primaries
to flourescents and other high-intensity hues. Upscale markets respond
to muted palettes that have subtlety. Starting with the basic ROYGBIV
color spectrum, designers use tints, saturation, and combinations
to communicate with your target market.
Top 3 web scams
Your website is a vital business asset. Don't lose it by falling
prey to the 3 top scams:
• "Your domain is about to expire"
If you receive this message by postal mail, it's a scam. The goal
is to get control of your domain name, charge exorbitant fees, and
(in some cases) to hold your domain "hostage" for thousands
of dollars. Your domain registrar sends out expiration notices only
via email. Make sure your email address is up-to-date with your
registrar and recycle those paper "reminders."
• "We'll submit your site to 1,000s of search
engines" Whether this offer is free or fee-based,
it's a scam. The goal is to get your email address confirmed so
the scammer can sell it to spammers. Almost 100% of search engine
traffic goes through Google, MSN, Yahoo!, and a handful of others.
You don't need to be on thousands more.
• "We guarantee #1 search engine rankings"
Nobody can guarantee this without using extremely dodgy tactics
that will cost you a lot of money and/or get your site banned from
the major search engines. Steer clear.
On the web, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Check
with your web consultant before responding to any solicitations
that claim to improve your web presence.
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