What does Blend Modes mean in website design?
Blend modes, pronounced /blend mōdz/, are a powerful tool in website design that control how layers of images or colors interact with each other.
Imagine you’re painting. You might layer different colors on top of each other. Blend modes determine how those colors combine. Instead of simply covering the layer underneath, a blend mode can mix, subtract, or otherwise alter the colors based on its setting. This allows for creative effects like highlighting, shadowing, and unique color combinations that wouldn’t be possible by simply placing one image on top of another.
Understanding blend modes could be important because they dramatically impact the visual appeal and overall effectiveness of your website. Using them skillfully can enhance the look and feel of your design, making it more engaging and professional. Poorly used blend modes, however, can create a messy, unclear, and unprofessional look.
For example, a subtle blend mode could be used to subtly add a warm glow to a product image, making it more inviting. Or, a more dramatic blend mode could be used to create a striking visual effect, capturing the attention of the viewer. The key is knowing which blend mode works best for your specific design goal.
The systematic approach to incorporating blend modes involves first assessing your design goals. What effect are you trying to achieve? Next, strategize which blend modes might work best to achieve that effect. Then, execute the chosen blend mode in your design software. Finally, optimize the effect by fine-tuning the settings and ensuring the overall visual harmony of your design. This process, repeated for each element using blend modes, ensures a polished and professional result.
This systematic approach—assess, strategize, execute, optimize—is key to successful website design. It allows you to use powerful tools like blend modes effectively, without getting lost in the technical details. It’s about building a sustainable design system, not just chasing the latest trend.
For help with your website design and effective use of blend modes, give us a call at 613-777-5001.
“The Bride”. A an example of an experimental, or concept album project from 2022. Painted in acrylic. (Private collection)
Building Confidence Through Language: A Guide for the Collector
One of the biggest barriers for aspiring art collectors is not a lack of taste, but a lack of confident language. People know what they are drawn to, but they often struggle to articulate the ‘why’ behind their emotional connection. Providing them with a basic vocabulary can be transformative.
By explaining core artistic concepts, we can bridge this gap. An artist’s newsletter or a gallery brochure could break down:
- The Architecture of Composition: How lines and shapes lead the eye and create a focal point.
- The Emotional Weight of a Color Palette: Why a limited, muted palette feels different from a vibrant, high-contrast one.
- The Role of Value in Creating Depth: How the interplay of light and shadow builds a believable world.
It’s like being given a phrasebook in a foreign country; suddenly, you can navigate and connect with more assurance. Consider Edward Hopper, whose stylized realism simplifies scenes to their emotional core. Understanding this allows a collector to explain why the work feels so dreamlike and memorable. This knowledge doesn’t replace the emotional response; it validates it.
The Dialogue Between Feeling and Form
Great art speaks to us on two levels: the immediate, gut-level emotional reaction and the deeper intellectual appreciation. You might feel the perpetual warmth and light in a Monet, which immerses the viewer in the sensory experience of a moment. Conversely, you might sense the rugged, stoic soul of the landscape in a piece by Canada’s Group of Seven, which evokes a feeling of profound solitude.
These feelings are universal, but the ability to discuss why we feel them builds a stronger connection. From a marketing perspective, this education slots perfectly into the buyer’s journey. During the “comparison” phase, an artist who also educates their audience is building a relationship of trust and authority, making the final “decision” more likely.
Conclusion: A Bridge of Shared Understanding
Art, in its purest form, is an act of communication. Whether through the calculated narrative of a storyteller or the freeform expression of a poet, the artist extends an invitation to the viewer. By providing the language to understand this invitation, we empower collectors to move beyond simple preference and into the realm of true appreciation. It transforms a simple transaction into a meaningful connection, where the viewer doesn’t just own a piece of art—they become part of its ongoing story.
About the Author
Jaeson Tanner is a Marketing Thinker at Zero Noise Marketing and a narrative artist once in a blue moon. You can see his work on Instagram at @jaeson_tanner.
