Introduction to
Color in Screen Displays

  
Color augments or supplements information provided by other visual elements of screen design, especially layout and visual hierarchies that make systematic use of the shapes and sizes of a document's elements. Color can provide visual order for information and improve users' performance. Because color can also be distracting, choices of colors and the functions they are to serve should be reviewed and approved during screen design reviews and usability testing.
See major topic: Layout   This section of the Web Design Guidelines
defines how color functions as information in interface design
 
  describes the three major color harmonies
 
  describes appropriate choices of color harmonies for each color function
 
  recommends color specifications for major elements of most displays
Like most semiotic systems, color codes work best when the whole system provides relatively high levels of redundancy and overlap of information.
 
Web Design Guide