So with looking at many websites here and there, I am curious why so many are blue? Mainly forums, but is there a secret for having blue? Easier on the eyes? Something?

Thanks

The color blue is usually related to things like fortune, peace, freedom, etc. You may find this color chart useful for understanding why some designers choose different colors .

I mention a guide for colors here:
http://www.webmaster-talk.com/websit...eb-design.html

The choice of color is one of the most subjective decisions in the world of design. Most sites have blue colors because blue is a universal color.

Originally Posted by pow-wow

The choice of color is one of the most subjective decisions in the world of design. Most sites have blue colors because blue is a universal color.

what do you mean by a universal colour??!

He's put it in the wrong context.

Blue is an amazing colour on screen. It's peaceful and its degrees harmonize extremely well with almost every other colour. It's easy on the eyes (mostly) and allows white to stand out well enough to be readable.

There was an XHTML talk website being developed (then suddenly disappeared without a trace) that utilised Orange and Blue. I don't know how the designer made it work, but he did. I was shocked and happy at the same time.

Well colours can affect people's mood to a certain degree, if that is true blue has a calming effect on people. The reason it's used on webpages is that if people are calm and relaxed when browsing a webpage it may even outshine other elements such as bad design or badly written content. Above all it keeps a visistor relaxed and interested in what they are seeing on the screen.

I have made sites in the past and have have featured grey as a key part of the colour scheme and I've been told that my design looks too boring or bland and as such some people wouldn't visit the site frequently or at all because of that.

Anyone got any other colour related design stories?

also remember that colour can have significantly different meanings in different cultures:

for example "White would be an inappropriate color for a wedding in China. It is the color of mourning. If a bride chooses a white wedding gown, her parents would probably not allow her to get married." (from http://www.colormatters.com/culturematters.html )


blue is also generally associated with trustworthiness (think banking etc) and authority.

Blue could be really a good combinations with a lighter color... Also, it is good in the eyes than black of course...

Never thought about that before. Actually I recognized more orange pages than blue.

Blue is also good for your monitor too, ever wondered why your DVD & video player turn to a blue screen when you are in a menu or loading screen?
It reduces screen burn & gives you a calming effect so you take a little longer before you start smacking the remote to death.