Top 2023 resources on color

Best color resource in 2023.
Learn more about color to improve your e-commerce strategy.

• 10 Digital Style Guide Examples from Famous Companies such as Apple, Google & Starbucks - If you've ever wondered how designers at Apple defined every little element in iOS as they were building it, then you're in the right place. As technology is constantly evolving, web design continues to become more formalized. Web designers and developers need to create code that can translate seamlessly from PC to mobile devices, make easy to understand site navigation, and innovate other site capabilities — these are all elements that companies standardize in digital style guides.
  Topics: apple, design, web, guides, typography, google, color, elements, examples, guide, digital, companies, style, famous, starbucks.
• 100 Add to Cart Buttons from Top eCommerce Retailers - Add to Cart buttons – they may be small, but no online retail store can do without them. Since these little, colorful clickables connect the product to the shopping cart, they are essential to the checkout process and ultimately, to your brand’s bottom line. It’s important for any ecommerce merchandiser to put some thought into their store’s Add to Cart button design.  We’ve collected and analyzed 100 Add to Cart buttons from the top online retailers of 2022, as well as from a few niche online stores to give you some design inspiration. If any button sticks out to you, be sure to click on it to visit its native page.  Before we get into the the full breakdown of Add to Cart buttons, some of the major takeaways from searching top eCommerce sites were: All-Caps buttons are going strong amongst online retailers with over half of eCommerce sites (58%) using All-Caps button text The overwhelming majority of sites (70%) use sharp buttons Only 6% of the retailers use a custom Add to Cart button icon like a shopping cart or basket Only 5% of the retailers include the checkout total of the selected item in their Add to Cart button The most popular colors for Add to Cart buttons are black (23%), followed by blue (18%) and ghost buttons (18%) More than a quarter (27%) of sites use a CSS (Custom Styling Sheets) animation upon hovering over the Add to Cart button Here is the Full Breakdown: 100 Add to Cart Buttons       How the Add To Cart Button Can Reinforce Your Branding At first the Add to Cart button may seem like a minor detail, but it has the potential to create an emotional connection with your brand. Your choice of shape, color, font and button text all affect that connection. It’s common for brands to use this kind of intentional design to create personability with the shopping experience, which is why we took note of a few things we noticed from some of our favorite brands that you might want to keep in mind. While best practice indicates not to use all-caps, Promptly Journals' modern, easily consumable all-caps lettering echoes the brand's clean, simple and elegant designs of its journals. With a custom CSS animation that appears upon hovering over the button, it’s almost like Promptly is sliding one of its journals over to you as you add it to your eCommerce shopping cart. Double Under Wonder’s button has a 3D animation that appears to push in upon hovering over it, showcasing the playfulness of their jump rope designs. Old Salt Merchant’s deep navy blue button connects to the brand’s nautical theme origins. Mac Daddy Music Store’s simple, highly functional button emphasizes the functional dependability and product design of its various guitar pedals, pickups and accessories.      Need Further Guidance on Differentiating Your Brand's Customer Experience? Get in Contact with One of Our Experts Contact Elastic Path Add to Cart Button Design and Usability Button Text Web copywriting emphasizes scannability -- perhaps the golden rule of web copywriting is don’t use 5 words when three will do. "Buy Now" may be a stronger call to action than "Add to Cart", but may subtly suggest the user is finished shopping or is making a commitment to purchase without time to review the order.  The beauty of "Add to Cart" is that it is non-committal and assumes the user is still looking around. And if you’re a good ecommerce merchandiser, you’re showing suggested products and a "continue shopping" link from the view cart page. Text Formatting General web usability guidelines recommend sans-serif fonts with high-contrast color selection (high-contrast white on black or dark blue rather than low-contrast blue-on-blue for example). Your add to cart button color should make it easy to consume.  Despite all-caps being generally discouraged in web copywriting, we found 58% of "Add to Cart'' buttons using the text style. Mixed case tends to be the easiest to read, although all lower case is also easy. For example, Ikea slaps small text on a disproportionately wide button forcing some users to squint. Stacking Text Stacking text is not a good idea for links or navigation buttons, and the same goes for "Add to Cart" buttons. Users have come to expect some form of rectangular shape, and when quickly scanning a page, it may take longer to distinguish buttons from decoration, and may even become frustrating. No need to reinvent the wheel, stick to the convention. Button Placement If you offer helpful features on your product pages like wishlists, enlarged photos, color switching, alternate product views, email to friend, size chart, view cart or check out buttons, make sure the "Add to Cart" button is obvious, bright and prominent in comparison. Less important functions can be lighter colored buttons or simple text links. Use Movement and Customization  Using responsive buttons that move or change color helps engage the shopper as they browse and hover over the Add to Cart  button. If you are in a niche market, consider adding definitive icons to represent your brand; such as a dog bone or collar image within your add to cart button, or if you sell baby clothes and accessories using a rattle with animation. These simple touches add connection and an emotional touch to reflect the endearment of new babies and pets.  Track, Analyze, Repeat As I mentioned before, always be testing this critical function. Using any number of analytics functions such as Google, you can track and analyze how your Add to Cart button is performing. You’ll be able to drill down to clicks and conversion rates, and make improvements as necessary to increase those numbers.   What if You Use A Button From a Template? Even if you don't use a custom designed "Add to Cart" button for your shopping cart, choose a button that compliments your site's theme (compliments does not infer it must be the exact same color). And make sure you pick one design and stick with it. Ecommerce thrives on trust, and random buttons erode customer confidence.
  Topics: button, sites, retailers, cart, shopping, color, brands, ecommerce, text, add, buttons.
• 12 Great Examples of Brand Guidelines (And Tips to Make Your Own) - When it comes to building a memorable brand, consistency is everything. Just look at the world’s most recognizable companies and how fast you recognize them. A glimpse of the swoosh and you know it’s Nike. The golden arches represent McDonald’s. Same goes for Apple’s half-munched apple. These companies are practically […]
  Topics: visual, brand, guidelines, color, create, companys, great, company, logo, examples, tips, companies.
• 13 Graphic Design Trends to Use in 2021 — and Two to Avoid - 2020 was — in a word — unprecedented. 
  Topics: trends, values, avoid, graphic, trend, design, elements, color, brands.
• 14 Unforgettable Color Palettes to Help You Design Your Own - It's a well-known fact that colors can influence mood -- consider how you feel differently when you enter a bright orange room, versus a muted gray.
  Topics: materials, ensure, design, palettes, palette, colors, using, online, unforgettable, help, color, feel.
• 17 Free Tools for Color, Code, SEO, UI, More - Rarely do small-to-midsize merchants need to spend a lot of money to improve the appearance and performance of their ecommerce sites. Here are handy, free tools for color, code, SEO, much more.
  Topics: free, search, snippets, ui, tools, web, seo, tool, code, icons, color, lets, user.
• 17 Instagram Accounts for Design, Color, Illustration, More - Here is a list of Instagram feeds to follow for all aspects of web design, including color, illustration, animation, photography, typography, and storytelling. The accounts are from independent designers and artists, design studios, and creative ad agencies.
  Topics: art, accounts, color, illustration, designer, account, work, instagram, studio, modern, images, design, artist.
• 20 Chrome Extensions for Web Design - Here is a list of Chrome extensions for design. There are tools to find the right font, develop color palettes, discover and create inspirational images, customize graphics, measure elements, and analyze your pages as well as your competitors'.
  Topics: web, text, chrome, editor, features, website, extensions, font, css, page, design, color, tool.
• 20 Free Color Design Tools and Tutorials - Choosing colors is among the most important design decisions for a logo, brand, or website. People decide whether to buy a product or service mainly by what they see. Fortunately, there are free tools to help pick the right colors for your business. Here is a list of tools and tutorials on color design.
  Topics: color, free, palettes, learn, rgb, design, tools, create, palette, colors, theory, tutorials, values.
• 20 Free Courses to Advance Your Design Skills - Here is a list of free, online design courses. There are courses on design thinking, web design, graphic design, user experience design, logo design, color theory, and more. Some of the courses are multi-class programs, while others are short tutorials.
  Topics: graphic, advance, free, learn, explore, fundamentals, skills, color, course, responsive, courses, web, design.
• 20 Free Web Design Tools from Summer 2021 - Here is a list of new web tools and design elements that can enhance an ecommerce site. There are page builders, design collaboration tools, gradient generators, video apps, coding tools, fonts, and more. All are free, though some also offer premium versions as well.
  Topics: tools, free, web, video, color, font, create, design, share, tool, waves, summer.
• 20 Free Web Design Tools from Winter 2019 - Add value to your website by utilizing free resources from the design community. Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from winter 2019. There are designer and developer apps, coding resources, color tools, fonts, and more. All of these are free.
  Topics: winter, resources, color, userinterface, mobile, tools, tool, design, web, apps, free.
• 21 Brand Style Guide Examples for Visual Inspiration - When it comes to building a memorable brand, it's all about consistency. Like when you're shopping for your favorite cereal or coffee at the grocery store, you want to be able to spot it from a mile away.
  Topics: company, examples, content, palette, visual, brand, inspiration, logo, hereimage, color, guidelines, guide, style.
• 21 of the Best Landing Page Design Examples You Need to See in 2022 - How do you convince visitors your website is worth their time? There are so many elements that a top-notch landing page needs, and making those elements the "best" they can be often depends on what your landing page goals are.
  Topics: simple, examples, need, design, visitors, pages, form, customers, best, information, page, landing, great, color.
• 22 Free Web Design Tools from Fall 2021 - Improving the design of an ecommerce site doesn't have to cost money. There are many free resources from the design community. Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from fall 2021. There are color and gradient generators, image editors, coding tools, design collaboration tools, fonts, and more.
  Topics: tool, free, design, product, tools, web, svg, color, display, fall, text, serif.
• 22 Free Web Design Tools from Winter 2020 - Resources from the design community can add value to your ecommerce site. Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from winter 2020. There are designer and developer apps, coding resources, color tools, fonts, and more. All of these tools are free, though some also offer premium versions.
  Topics: free, web, winter, serif, color, tool, font, logos, display, sans, design, tools.
• 24 Stunning Instagram Themes (& How to Borrow Them for Your Own Feed) - Nowadays, Instagram is often someone's initial contact with a brand, and nearly half of its users shop on the platform each week. If it's the entryway for half of your potential sales, don't you want your profile to display a sleek Instagram theme?
  Topics: color, post, posts, create, look, feed, borrow, instagram, colors, themes, choose, theme, stunning.
• 25+ Web Design Statistics that Are Essential to Know in 2021 - In 2010, there were over 2 billion internet users worldwide. In 2021, there were over 4.6 billion. 
  Topics: statistics, businesses, websites, consumers, color, small, essential, know, mobile, website, web, design, designers.
• 27 Free Resume Templates for Microsoft Word (& How to Make Your Own) - No matter what industry you work in (or your experience level in that industry), a plain, black-and-white resume written in Times New Roman font just doesn't quite cut it anymore.
  Topics: skills, work, resume, free, color, microsoft, information, experience, template, templatedownload, word, templates.
• 48 Call-to-Action Examples You Can't Help But Click - Think about all the times you've signed up for things in your life. Did you once download Evernote? Dropbox? Spotify? Maybe you've even taken a class on General Assembly.
  Topics: users, sign, click, ctas, free, using, help, replicate, button, examples, cta, color, calltoaction, visitors, cant.
• Books and Big Dreams: Inside the Mind of a 19-Year-Old Founder - Simone Hufana admits she’s pretty bad at time management. But give her a break—she’s only 19. She’s currently taking the semester off college to dive full-time into her business, Color Herstory. Simone created her brand out of a desire to see more representation of women of color in the world. Her coloring books introduce young girls to the amazing women that inspired her to love herself.More
  Topics: business, really, dreams, books, right, kind, book, mind, work, women, big, 19yearold, doing, color, inside, founder, im.
• Can Pantone Colors Drive Online Sales? - Adopting retail and societal trends can keep your brand fresh and relevant. Some fads are short-lived, lasting just days or months. Others might stick around for years. Here are three trends that inspire consumers to buy.
  Topics: mobile, trends, pay, colors, products, apps, drive, color, online, pantones, payment, pantone, sales.
• Color Psychology for Brands: A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Color for Branding - Color psychology affects our mood and behavior & many companies around the world use these insights to make brand decisions.
  Topics: psychology, understanding, understand, colors, beginners, different, guide, brand, way, red, color, used, audience, brands.
• Color Psychology: How Color Meanings Affect Your Brand - Color plays an important role in how your brand is perceived. Whether you’re a fashion brand trying to connect to a youthful audience or a medical supplies store trying to strengthen customer trust, you can study color meanings to help you better attract and connect to your ideal customer. Color […]
  Topics: logo, meaning, affect, meanings, brand, white, psychology, black, brands, website, background, color.
• Color Theory 101: A Complete Guide to Color Wheels & Color Schemes - While text-based content is always important when seeking answers to a question, creating visuals such as infographics, charts, graphs, animated GIFs, and other shareable images can do wonders for catching your readers' attention and enhancing your article or report. Knowing color theory and design can help you make content stand out.
  Topics: colors, complete, scheme, guide, design, theory, youre, wheels, create, contrast, color, schemes, primary.
• How to Customize WooCommerce Product Pages - Customize your WooCommerce product pages to be as unique as your business! See 10 amazing things you can do with just a few extensions and a built-in feature.
  Topics: size, code, stores, sell, add, pages, customers, customize, color, products, woocommerce, product.
• How to Design a Logo [Step-by-Step Guide] - I think most of us can agree there are generic logos in the world that we easily forget, and then there are great logos that we'll always be able to recognize (even without the brand's name attached). But what is it about a logo that makes you recognize it? What is it about the design that can elicit a memory or even a specific emotion? If you're in the process of creating a logo for your company, you're in a unique position to make a powerful impact on how consumers perceive your brand.
  Topics: color, logo, youre, words, guide, design, start, dont, business, sketch, stepbystep, company.
• How to Design a Memorable Logo (Whether You Do It Yourself or Work with a Designer) - Good logos stick. Bad ones don’t. In this guide, you'll learn how to design a memorable logo, from brainstorming concepts to getting feedback to finalizing your design. We even design our own logo from scratch.More
  Topics: good, work, brand, color, logo, logos, youre, used, fonts, green, designer, memorable, design.
• How to Establish an Instagram Aesthetic and the Brands Doing It Right - Since 2010, Instagram has garnered more than 500 million users, 4.2 billion daily likes, and more than 95 million photos and videos posted per day. Brands who take advantage of this unique social media platform often find that the level of exposure that Instagram gives them is unprecedented. But creating a successful, branded Instagram account requires more than just pretty images.
  Topics: brand, right, posts, aesthetic, content, products, feed, establish, instagram, color, brands, doing, create.
• How to Use Photoshop: The Bookmarkable Photoshop Tutorial for Beginners - When you open Adobe Photoshop for the first time, it's easy to click around in confusion for a minute and then reach for your freelancer's phone number instead. Trust us, you're not alone in this.
  Topics: tutorial, menu, beginners, layer, photoshop, select, text, bookmarkable, choose, color, brush, tool, click.
• Josh Wood, hair colorist to the stars, gets $6.5M led by Index in its latest D2C bet - In the age of Amazon, where up to 90 percent of all consumers use it to buy goods and Amazon is accounting for a rapidly-growing percentage of a consumer’s total retail spend (along with other giants like Walmart), direct-to-consumer brands — leveraging social media alongside tech-first apps — are emerging as sometimes surprising, but often effective, […]
  Topics: led, colorist, josh, color, coloring, product, women, gets, stars, wood, hair, latest, index, products, colors, d2c, working.
• Madison Reed, which made DTC hair color a thing, is now going after larger retail footprint - Buoyed by a new $33 million investment, plans are in the works to add another 20 hair color bar locations and hire 850 new colorists by the end of the year.
  Topics: bars, color, techcrunch, going, hair, company, understood, retail, footprint, reed, larger, consumer, million, thing, errett, madison, dtc.
• Meet retail’s new sustainability strategy: Personalization - Reducing waste is key to meeting environmental milestones, and some retail firms have narrowed in on a unique approach to minimize what their customers throw away: personalization.
  Topics: strategy, color, meet, virtual, shade, tryon, waste, beauty, sustainability, mime, retails, skin, retailers, techcrunch, personalization.
• Neural Adaptation: 5 Key Ways to Boost Your Conversions Using this Psychological Principle - I have a seven-month-old male Caucasian Shepherd puppy called Fierce. When I started walking Fierce at about three months old, I noticed the all-too-familiar struggle I’ve had with pretty much every dog I’ve owned: a struggle with the leash.
  Topics: boost, psychological, stands, green, neural, cta, using, conversions, key, principle, subscription, color, red, adaptation, ways, button.
• Norwegian retailer Get Inspired sees 30% growth YoY after migrating to Magento 2 - Norwegian women’s sportwear seller started on Magento 1 a decade ago and is now one of the top e-commerce sites in Norway. In 2019, the company was looking for further growth through an increased focus on marketing and systems for seamless customer returns. It was ready to upgrade to Magento 2. Read more.
  Topics: norwegian, color, million, product, products, visma, growth, migrating, retailer, inspired, magento, ecommerce, sees, yoy, commerce.
• Photoshop Tutorials for Ecommerce: Improve Your Product Photos - Create better product photos for your ecommerce website with these photoshop tutorials that teach you how to retouch any blemishes on your products, change product colors and make your images sharper.
  Topics: product, open, blue, improve, photoshop, brush, images, image, tutorials, photos, change, color, ecommerce, different.
• Product Photography, Part 12: Color Correction and Presets - Color correction is the process of adjusting a photo to match the actual subject. It's among the most important parts of editing product photos, given the importance of an exact color match. This is the 12th installment in my series on helping ecommerce merchants create better product images.
  Topics: colors, presets, photography, images, white, photos, product, exposure, lightroom, image, contrast, color, correction.
• The 17 Best Resume Templates for Every Type of Professional - While an eye-catching resume alone probably won't land you your dream gig, it doesn't hurt to put a little extra effort into how you present yourself on paper.
  Topics: download, design, professional, best, designer, skills, resume, work, color, type, free, template, templates.
• The 23 Best Color Combinations to Incorporate Into Your Designs [Bookmarkable Guide] - We are taught complementary colors in 6th grade, but often, we don't recognize the significance of color combinations until we see it done wrong.
  Topics: pink, guide, vista, color, viking, best, bookmarkable, red, designs, raker, tan, incorporate, moon, combinations, yellow, blue.
• The Only Color Combinations Cheat Sheet You’ll Ever Need - Our lives are filled with color. Color has the ability to influence our moods, feelings, and perceptions, as well as our decision-making processes. That means your choices in color combinations are an important part of building your brand and website. Choosing the best color combination is both a science and […]
  Topics: combinations, wheel, sheet, youll, cheat, combination, need, colors, design, primary, blue, hue, color, complementary.
• What Are Brand Assets? 6 Examples to Inspire You - All companies that want to attract customers and stand out against competitors need strong brand assets. These elements help build an identity, maintain consistency, and create trust. Considering that trust is the second most important factor in buying from a new brand, it's essential for companies to design brand assets that highlight their values, strengths, offerings, and identities.
  Topics: examples, elements, assets, color, company, inspire, customers, branding, palette, logo, create, brand.
• What Are Brand Identity Elements? - Branding is tough.
  Topics: elements, example, image, branding, unique, brand, business, identity, color, scheme, materials.