Flat design has emerged to be a hot trend this year. It is a design option that really calls attention to the content and actions on a website. Flat design is accomplished without 3D effects; beveled edges, shadows, and gradients are all absent from this type of design. This frees up the web designer to use bold graphics, bold colors, and a simplistic design that is very compelling. One of the major benefits of using this type of design is the opportunity to choose a color scheme that may look overwhelming in a traditional website design. Designers may choose to go with a bold palette or use muted shades with just a pop of color. Both of these choices work well with flat design.

2014 Color Trends

This year bold color schemes are trending. Designers are choosing two, three, and even four colors for their designs. One of the upcoming trends is to choose a very saturated color and then add white and gray to it to create different shades. These shades as well as other colors are used in the color scheme for flat design.

Another popular color trend for this year is a retro color scheme. A retro color scheme is similar to a bright one, but the colors are more muted. These shades are not pastels, but colors that have had white added to them to tone them down. Red and yellow are popular colors for a retro scheme as well as red and blue. Retro colors are usually primary colors paired with muted shades.

One of the hottest color schemes for flat design is the monotone theme. One color is used with several different shades paired with white and black for accent and text. This can be a very striking color scheme and works extremely well with flat design. Blue is the predominant color chosen by designers for a monotone theme, but gray with blue-green is also gaining popularity.

Make It Your Own

When designing a flat website you must match the color scheme to the personality of your business. For example if you sell high end men’s fashion you probably won’t incorporate a lot of bright eye popping colors, but opt for a more monotone and classic color scheme with grays and muted colors. On the other hand if you sell children’s wear then the colors you choose will be playful, bright, and pop off the page.

Color is Powerful

Psychologists have studied the effect color has on our emotions and actions. Red excites, blue calms, and orange is perceived as friendly, and yellow is considered a happy color. When you are choosing the color scheme for your website be sure to keep the psychology of color in mind. Purple for example is thought to be a creative color and green evokes peace and well-being. Gray can create balance in a design as well as white and black. Keep all of these things in mind when choosing the palette for your site.

Flat design is a web design trend that is functional and attractive. It can be simple, but with the right combination of elements and colors flat design can also be a challenge for website designers. Experiment with different colors and layouts for your website and consider using flat design for a contemporary and stunning look.

For the latest trends in web design, Bakersfield web design firm, Hybrid Media Design, is recommended for all of your web design needs. Their designers are on top of their game and have their fingers on the pulse of the latest trends.