Trends come and go in all aspects of the design industry, as do the colour trends that go along with them. So far, this year has been all about vibrant colours. Hues like red, orange, pink and bright green, blue and purple have become a focal point and designers are pairing these bright colours in a way that was taboo a not long ago.

Colour trends from fashion and interior design

Vibrant colours in website designs seem to be taking its cues from fashion and interior design; neons, bold prints and contrasts of black and white with colour accents are making their way online.

As described in Web Design for the Human Eye, “the goal of all design is to connect with the user – the more relatable the presentation, the likelier (and stronger) the emotional connection.”

Flat colour trends

Flat design is playing a strong role with the use of vibrant colour because of high definition technology.

With more PPI (pixels per inch) on screens, the digital rainbow has greatly expanded to suit our evolving tastes in design aesthetics. From desktops to smartphones, screens can now render all the colour options designers use today. And because of this, designers no longer need to worry about only the 216 web safe colours. In fact, a W3Schools survey from 2014 found that more than 98% of users had devices capable of displaying millions of colours, removing technology as a barrier to the creativity of colour trends.

Back to flat design; one of the key components of this trend is the abundance of bright colour. While not everyone likes the trend’s simplicity, the colour trends and users emotional interactions with them were highly desirable.

Monotone colour schemes

Monotone colour trends are one of the easiest and most effective ways to use lots of colour without it clashing. Monotone colour palettes use a single colour with a mixture of tints and tones to create a unified—yet nuanced—visual design. Vibrance lends itself to monotone palettes because it allows designers to use a bold, even unconventional colour, without having to match it with other colours.

These types of colour trends also allows a company/product to use colours in ways that might live outside its traditional branding, without worry of matching or issues with readability.

High contrast colour trends

High contrast refers to any colour that is very different from the background. When creating a minimalist design against a black, white or grey canvas, points of great colour contrast can become the visual centre of the design. This will tell users where to look at and what to do.

Bold colours works well because it’s a complete opposite to the starkness of minimalist design. However, applying too much, too strong, and your design immediately becomes loud and overbearing.

Common colour associations

When it comes to bold colour trends, it’s important to consider more than just aesthetics; you need to think about meanings and cultural associations that are connected to certain hues. To help, here are some common associations:

• Pink: Romance, youth, confidence, sensitivity
• Red: Love, passion, danger, urgency
• Yellow: Fun, optimism, happiness, caution
• Orange: Warmth, ambition, enthusiasm, creativity
• Green: Nature, luck, growth, safety
• Blue: Harmony, tranquility, trust, honour
• Purple: Wealth, power, spirituality, calmness

Source: http://www.creativebloq.com/web-design/colour-trends-2015-71515992