Facebook's Color Scheme
Facebook's background is white, which complements the various shades of blue that are used for text. Facebookâs text box backgrounds are a light gray, which is a "neutral and less saturated" (Eisman 151). According to Eisman, the use of grayed-down tones offers visual relief (151). Facebook uses gray so that the white doesn't seem blinding. The white is a contrast to the darker and lighter blue's that are used in Facebook's color scheme (Eisman 151). Eisman explains that colors evoke us to feel certain emotions (147).
Eisman uses word associations to describe the feelings that certain colors give off by claiming that blue is "associated with sea, water, clean, calm, and the temperature will be perceived as cool" (Eisman 147). Facebook's use of blue complements its over all theme of community and entertainment. The word "sky" is associated with color blue (Eisman 147). The is associated with the sky being the limit as to who you can find and what you can do on this site. Facebook is a private website, which is associated with the calm aspect of the use of blue by creating a sense of security. Unless you are a part of someone's network you cannot access another person's profile until you are approved as a friend. This is the calm aspect. The clean aspect is that you do not have to worry about your privacy being violated. Myspace, by contrast, has the option for profiles to be public or private.
Fallon Guess
CMS 3710
Updated: 12 November 2008