Hue combinations in web design for Swedish and Thai users : Guidelines for combining color hues onscreen for Swedish and Thai users in the context of designing web sites

Abstract: Users can assess the visual appeal of a web page within 50 milliseconds and color is the first thing noticed onscreen. That directly influences user perception of the website, and choosing appealing color combinations is therefore crucial for successful web design. Recent scientific research has identified which individual colors are culturally preferred in web design in different countries but there is no similar research on hue combinations. Currently no effective, scientifically based guidelines on combining hues for web designers exist either, since recent research by Ou et al and Szabo et al, among others, proves the classic color harmonies invalid. Therefore this study aims to identify guidelines for culturally appropriate hue combination in context of web design. The study is limited to culturally appropriate combining of hues in Thai and Swedish web design.