Choosing My Website’s Palette with Accessibility in mind

I appreciate analog methods such as shooting film, reading physical books, and always carrying a notebook and pen. I wanted to bring this feeling to my website, which is why I started with the idea of using the color blue, the most common color of ink on paper. It felt familiar and timeless.

Choosing familiar colours

Blue reminds me of writing with a pen, which many people can relate to. It’s also a color that people connect with feelings of trust, calmness, and professionalism. I wanted my website to feel like a space that people can feel comfortable exploring. For the background, I chose a warm pearl gray, similar to the color of soft paper. This color makes the website feel warm and welcoming.

Finding Inspiration in Art

I found inspiration in the painting "The Milkmaid" by Johannes Vermeer. The colors in this painting—the soft white background, the rich blue, and the touch of orange—stood out to me. I took the orange from the painting and gave it a modern twist. I turned it into a bright, highlighter-like orange, inspired by Stabilo markers. This makes the website feel playful and fun while still being grounded and organized.

The Milkmaid, Johannes Vermeer (1657-58)

Making the Website Easy for Everyone to Use

It was important to me that the website be easy to read and use for everyone, so I made sure the colors met accessibility standards. The blue is WCAG AAA compliant, which means it’s easy to read against the warm gray background. The orange accent is also WCAG AA compliant for large text and AAA compliant for UI components. This helps visitors comfortably navigate the website.

The website has also been tested for accessibility compliance with WAVE and AxE. Heading levels and structural elements have been checked.

Website's color palette.

Balancing the Colors

The palette looks for a deliberate balance between neutrality and vibrancy. The blue atop a soft gray provides a calming foundation, while the orange is used to draw attention to important areas like calls to action or navigation links. This combination keeps the design fresh and engaging without overwhelming the user’s senses.

In the end, my goal was to create a website that’s both simple and inviting. By using colors inspired by analogue methods, I’ve created a space that feels personal, familiar, and enjoyable for a wide range of people.