Complementary Designs

As depicted in the diagram before, a complementary color scheme utilizes colors opposite from each other on the color wheel. For instance, if you were to select blue as your main color, it would create maximum contrast and intensity with orange.

Complementary color palettes are very common in logos and uniforms. For example, the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Vikings feature purples and yellows; the Chicago Bears and New York Mets incorporate blues and oranges. These complementary schemes provide a dramatic display of color, which can be applied to websites as well.

Complementary color schemes are popular on the web as they have high contrast in the color pairing.

They can seem clashing if complementary colors are used for large areas that are directly next to each other. However, when used strategically, they can draw attention to certain elements on the page that you want users to focus on.