MM 332:
Electronic Design
and Layout

Lectures/Color

• Overview

• Color Basics

• Color Systems & Methods

• Color & Contrast

• Itten's Contrast

• After Images

• Color Combinations

• Contrast & Dominance

• Implementing Color
  

When creating a composition you should ask what the dominant tone of the composition is going to be. How eyecatching should your design be? If you are designing a rave poster you may want to design with vibrant and exciting colors. If you are designing for an insurance company you may want to communicate a more laid back and conservative look. The level of contrast for each of these design objectives will be different.

What we are talking about here are the dominant factors of your design. Dominant elements of your design can be described as value dominant or contrast dominant.

• Value dominant: measured on a scale of light to dark

• Contrast dominance: measured on a scale of high to low

Examples of Value Dominance
As the hues become darker they reflect less white.

light value	medium value	dark value
Examples of Contrast Dominance These colors start out desaturated. As they become more pure, their contrast goes up.
low contrast	medium contrast	high contrast

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