What is a Color Picker and How to Use it in UI UX Design?

A color picker is an essential tool for any designer. It allows the user to select and adjust a color value by entering the HEX/RGB color value from a certain string of colors. The first thing we see when we look at any UI design is its colors. Whether it’s a website design, a mobile app design, or even the screen of an ATM one thing is clear: colors will always be the first ones that pop out.  

Believe it or not, 93% of us are influenced by these UI/UX design visual factors when deciding to purchase any product. As users, we are so accustomed to seeing them that we often underestimate their power and influence over how we perceive things. But good UI UX designers will never fall into this trap because color is one of the first aspects they must consider during the design process. To make their job more efficient, they often choose to follow a set of predefined rules. 

Colors are what makes a design special. Colors are recognizable and make a design step out. We can all agree that we can pick the Coca-Cola logo or the McDonald's colors at any time. Colors help create a brand identity and with a color picker, you can be sure to fit the perfect color in your design.  

Color pickers help the users customize their color pallets and choose the perfect accent and primary colors. This element gives the user the ability to choose a specific color from a predefined color palette or to pick a custom color with the help of an HSB selection interface. 

Countless psychology studies attest that each color invokes a distinct feeling inside the viewers. It is essential to remember that the symbolism and meaning of colors can vary based on which cultures we choose to analyze. Therefore, when we are designing a website or creating an app design, we have to research our target audience.

Sometimes, factors such as age, occupation, and gender can vastly influence how a user interprets a certain color scheme. However, there are a few general traits that can be attributed to each color that we should be aware of:

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1. Red 

This bold color instantly captures the attention of the viewer. It is the brightest and hottest hue in the color wheel. While it is great for making an impact, we have to be careful to not abuse it when creating the user interface. Shades of red can become easily tiring to the eye. Red may be a great choice for a CTA button but a disastrous one for the background of a page. As far as symbolism goes, it evokes feelings of passion and energy but can also emulate anger. News outlets use this color quite a lot.

2. Green

One of UI design’s greatest cliches is the use of green for subjects related to nature. It also inspires peace, safety, prosperity, and overall positive attributes. If you want to convey that your brand is environmentally conscious, green would be the safest pick.Green is among the colors that have a calming effect - it could be of great use for somebody who wants to develop a wellness-related website or app. Put simply, 9 out of 10 times, people will associate green with nature.

3. Blue

This is the color of trust. Hence, many UI UX designers choose shades of blue for companies related to banking and user data protection. Blue is also a calming color and a great alternative for medical service providers' website design. Depending on the tint of blue, it can be monotonous or communicate the feeling of sadness and longing to the users.

4. Yellow

The color of happiness - yellow is striking and sets a positive tone for the design. One of its main associations is with the concept of youthfulness, making it appropriate for apps and websites targeted toward children. As a tip, we should avoid overusing yellow because it can easily become obnoxious due to its brightness.

5. Purple

The most widespread symbolism of purple is creativity and luxury. Throughout history, purple was associated with royalty because purple dye was very inaccessible. The connotation of imaginativeness sends the message that a page will fall into the artsy side when its main theme is a shade of purple. Hence, this hue is a great pick for the UI UX design of websites related to arts, beauty, and fashion. On the other hand, a sports app would not benefit from purple-dominant visuals.

• The color picker can be used when beginning a new project that requires its own color palette. It gives the user the possibility to customize and find the perfect colors to represent the design while using the ROYGBIV color spectrum.
• The color picker can also be used to remember recent colors used and keep consistency more easily. 
• A color picker is an essential tool in any project as it helps designers modify transparency which can be very helpful when creating a gradient. This feature gives the user the ability to use and define multiple colors along the gradient.
• Color pickers also use an eyedropper tool, which can help match the colors of any existing elements in the design.
• This design component can also be used to provide predefined colors to incorporate into your design.
• A color picker can be used to define the colors while having the ability to enter the color value or the HEX code and receive the specific color.

We at uinkits understand the importance of great user experiences and creating amazing UI designs. That’s why we’ve developed a Figma UI Kit with design components that include these essential UI elements that enable you to design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces effortlessly.

“You press the button, we do the rest.” – Kodak.

Inspired by this iconic tagline from Kodak, we believe in simplifying the design process for you. Our Figma UI Kit, uinkits, is a complete design system with UI components that allows you, as a UI UX designer, to create your products as quickly as pressing a button.

Our design system includes UI components, icons, variables, cards, buttons and everything you need for your design process. All you have to do is take your UI design component needed, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!