Color is a powerful web design tool, and it should be harnessed wisely or your website may lose potential customers. Color can talk to your readers before your content has a chance to speak. What is it saying?

• Find the meaning. Colors hold certain meanings and emotions. Look at how your culture, state, community, etc. uses and thinks of color. Use this for your own means and incorporate them through your color palette.


• Use color intentionally. At first glance your webpage should convey your brand clearly and not create confusion as if you landed on your page by accident. Well-known brands use color very well, and people remember color combinations. Consciously applying color through all of your marketing campaigns can achieve similar results.


• Be different. It is tough to be successful in a competitive marketplace. Color can be an effective mode of creative differentiation — think purple window cleaner in a sea of blue products.


• Functionality reigns supreme. Above all, color should be functional, plain and simple. It is an important visual cue for visitors — it signifies headers and sub-headers, navigation bars, links, and more — so use it clearly. Also, be ADA compliant. Keep a high contrast between the background and foreground, limit the overlapping of red and green colors for colorblind individuals, and keep readability high.

So whenever making a web site, the goal is to create a dynamic, functional, and brand-appropriate design. What sites do you think rock at color — or should just stick to black and white?

Labels: bad branding, branding with color, color theory, web site design

Everyone needs a brand. Super villains decidedly stand out as brand identity czars. Identities are created that are memorable and recognizable in various formats.

As a basic handbook, you can't beat Neil Zawacki's manual, "The Villain's Guide to Better Living." It covers such important topics as how to choose an appropriate lair, how to motivate your minions, and even resume writing tips. Aside from the obviously practical advice in this book, many of the topics help define the villain's personal brand by building on every aspect of their image.

When proper planning isn't done, you can end up more like the aptly named Mystery Men - unclear on who they are, and what they do.

Last year during the writer's strike, Joss Whedon seized the down-time (anyone have any down-time right now?) to write a personal pet-project of his own, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog". We see Dr. Horrible work on his evil laugh, and try to get respect from not only the evil community itself, but from his potential love-interest.


It's interesting that even though Dr. Horrible is a "bad guy", he is branded with "good guy" colors (all white). And the hero Dr. Hammer, who turns out to be arrogant and selfish, wears all black. (Other good villain colors are red, and sometimes neon green).

The design of a villain's costume, logo, and calling card must all be truly evil and impressive. Memorable icons and graphics, contrasting colors, and occasional flair are key to create a powerful brand. Additionally, allies such as business partners and organizations will help give your own brand additional power.

Help your brand to take over the world by:
1) Defining your brand identity
2) Applying your brand to your marketing strategy (evil or not)
3) Listening to your audience and respond to their reaction

PS. Who's your favorite or most feared super villain?

Labels: boston brand agency, branding stretegies, branding with color, dr. horrible, joss whedon, villain's guide to better living