Answer the following questions...

• What colors naturally appeal to you?
• What psychological message do you want to convey? Relaxed? Energized?
• What colors will appeal to my target audience?
• Is there enough contrast so that text is easily read?
• Are my chosen colors so bright that they may cause eye fatigue?

Using and Choosing RED

••• Even though some shades of red can be too daring, many shades appear in nature without being too bold. Red as an accent color is eye-catching. Think of red shades in apples, flowers, fruits like cherries and raspberries, autumn leaves, sunsets and fire. Other red inspiration can come from terracotta, spices and peppers. Remember than the red family can range from the pinks to oranges to browns so there is plenty of variety.

Using and Choosing YELLOW

••• This happy color can range from dark yellow to very pale shades. Suggested yellow inspirations would include lemons, sunflowers, butter, daffodils and corn. Other foods such as egg yolks, yellow peppers or squash, saffron, turmeric and mustard all provide varying shades of yellow. This is an energetic color and care should be taken so it is not too harsh on the eyes online.

Using and Choosing GREEN

••• Green signifies nature to most everyone, seen as everything from leaves and mosses to minerals such as jade, malachite and emeralds. Again food serves as inspiration for shades of green in limes, mint, peas, olives, avocados, apples, pistachios and vegetables too numerous to name. Green is a very versatile color, invoking feelings of vibrancy and energy to calmness and relaxation in paler shades.

Using and Choosing BLUE

••• While blue is definitely a cool color, it doesn't always come across as cold. A blanket of blue flowers provides a variety of hues in the blue family. Some of the bluish flowers include delphiniums, wisteria, grape hyacinth, forget-me-nots, bluebells, campanulas and cornflowers. Both the sea and the sky are probably the strongest inspirations for shades of blue. You can also take inspiration from precious minerals such as lapiz, azurite and turquoise.

Using and Choosing PURPLE

••• The range of purples can spread from deep, darker purples to soft lavender and give a regal feel or soothing feel. For purple inspiration, think of fields of lavender, violets, hydrangeas, amethyst, eggplants, grapes, beets, onions, plums and berries.