This morning, Josh Porter tweeted about Google’s choice of link colors. Apparently on the Google.com homepage, links are #0000cc, while on the results page the links are #2200cc. I tossed together a quick screenshot of what those two colors look like:
They’re so close together that they could easily be mistaken for one another. So why have two colors at all? Well, knowing Google, this isn’t some errant design decision. I’d say it’s safe to assume that both these colors (along with a plethora of others, no doubt) were tested thoroughly and perform the best.
So why do these colors work? It’s hard to say. What’s important to note, though, is that they work for Google specifically. The reason Google uses those two shades of blue is that those shades are good for Google, not because they are the end-all-be-all choice for every web site. Anyone who lifts a color scheme without a really compelling reason (example: Google’s link colors really do test best on your own project) is doing a disservice to themselves and their client. As designers, it’s our job to do the legwork and find what works best.