Color Your World

by Heather Champ

Color as a Web topic is very dear to my heart. In a previous life, one long before I discovered the Web or even before its existence, I studied color theory while working toward my bachelors degree with a specialization in studio fine arts.

The first introductory semester was a core requirement of the program, but I have to admit that I fell in love with the smell of gouache, colors named "cyan" and "magenta" (not the red and blue of my youth) and the tough love of Nancy Keehn, color theorist par extraordinaire. I still have my two bibles of color theory: Interaction of Color by Josef Albers and The Elements of Color--A Treatise on the Color System of Johannes Itten, based on his book, The Art of Color. The corners may be slightly dog-eared and the pages yellowed with age, but they remain on my bookshelf through what seems like a never-ending series of moves.

In the development of Web-related resources and assists both on- and offline, there has been a seemingly natural progression of applications and books from resources that would enable a designer/developer to create Web sites and pages (e.g., The HTML Sourcebook, BBedit), resources that would aid in making these sites and pages "better" (Lynda Weinman's Designing Web Graphics, David Seigel's Creating Killer Websites, NetObject's Fusion), and most recently and more specifically resources that enable the best uses of color. This is not the only evolutionary path from the HTML tree, but an interesting example of how far specificity in resources have developed.

Coloring Web Graphics: The Definitive Resource for Color on the Web, by Linda Weinman (the design diva of the Web) and Bruce Heavin, New Riders, 1996, is the third in a series of glorious, glossy publications. Coloring Web graphics covers all the areas that a designer/developer must consider while working with color. It would be a fine addition to anyone's library from "newbie" to experienced designer. The first few chapters introduce the key concepts of color in design and implementation for the Web. Half of the book is dedicated to a large number of color family examples. The authors created a sample template of text in HTML code that was then used to generated examples of possible color variations. It's interesting to flip through the book and see how color can change the mood of the template document.

The introduction of Hybrid Color for background tiles is very interesting. Designers and developers typically chomp at the bit when given the possible limitations of 216 colors. Hybrid color tiles are created by creating very small tiles of analogous color; the users' eye will see these two colors as a new, third color. I've not yet had the opportunity to play with this concept, but it's definitely on the top of my list for my next session of play time.

If you are using an application that accesses the apple color picker such as BBedit, Adobe Page Mill, or Claris Homepage, ColorWeb Pantone's ColorWeb will prove to be an invaluable asset in ensuring that your color choices are "Internet safe" or rather one of the 216 colors that should display properly across a variety of platforms and browsers. I also find it a useful tool while incorporating client artwork into a site's development. You can select any color with the eye dropper in Adobe Photoshop and ColorWeb will specify the closest Internet-safe color.

The package also includes a Pantone Internet Color System™ Guide that is similar to Pantone's traditional print color swatchbooks. I was rather skeptical at first. How can one print color that is in the end projected light? But with the RGB, CMYK, and Hex equivalents listed alongside each of the 216 colors, it's a very handy tool to have on hand while working within a graphics application or while coding documents. The only downside to Pantone ColorWeb is that it's currently only available for the Mac platform.

FYI: Did you know that America's favorite color is blue? Just a wee bit of trivia discovered while noodling through Pantone's site. So when Alex Trebek comes knocking on your door for that ever-important Double Jeopardy question, you'll know the answer.

I have to admit that I'm a sucker for sites that investigate and play with HTML as a medium and not just as a means to display existing two-dimensional information. Jodi is a site that has long been on the list of many a Web designer for its inventiveness and playful strategies. Nothing is ever what it seems, and you have to do a little digging to find all the Easter eggs.

Vivian Selbo's recently launched Watching or Looking? continues this exploration of the nature of HTML. "He who hesitates is lost" would be an ideal statement for this site. Watching or Looking? leads the user through a series of Web tableau's in which "traditional" HTML scenarios are turned upside down, ensuring that we think twice about our choices.

All four of these sites are about as far away as one can get from the commercial mainstream of mass media that now seems to have a grip on the Web's life force. Having said that I'm sure that I will immediately stumble on another gem that will cause a spark of hope and be a welcome addition to my bookmarks.

Within every Web site there are lessons to be learned, of both good and bad. >From the seemingly avant garde it's possible to trickle down ideas that will further enrich both commercial and personal sites.

Past installments of Design Diary