Colors need to be selected and used carefully. A limited color palette throughout the site helps the colors to be more effective (Holzschlag 134). (7.8) The selected colors should not compete against each other-when two strong colors are placed in close proximity they often fight for dominance, distracting the user. Some colors, for example red, carry emotional connotations such as anger, passion, and danger. Confusion will result if the emotional message of the color scheme conflicts with the content of the site.

Controlling the background colors of the page can add important contextual location information-color can be an effective way to give a site visual continuity (Andres 33). For instance, each level of the hierarchy can have a different thematic color. When a designer plans a background a primary concern is to assure that pattern or color does not conflict with or inhibit readability. (7.9) A successful site will offer the user an easy, transparent reading environment.

At all times, the design elements must enhance the content and be transparent-users should concentrate on the content, rather than focus on the site's colors or typefaces. The design of the site plays an aesthetic role; it influences how the user will react to the site. But the design also plays a pragmatic role; it determines how easy it will be for users to locate and understand the content. Thus, the design should reflect the primary message of the web site-whether it be one of scholarship or entertainment: "The visual design chosen determines the style and communicates meaning and metaphor of the web site to the user" (Sano 141). Matching the overall visual language and page structure appropriately to the information presented is a primary goal for applying visual design to the web.