Gradients
Web 2.0 design has
more gradients than the Alps.
Why gradients are so useful
Areas, which would otherwise be flat
color/tone, are softened by gradients.
You can use gradients to change a
color into a lighter or darker tone, which can facilitate in creating mood.
In page backgrounds, they may also
create an illusion of distance.
Blue-to-white is an ordinary gradient
combo. It brings to mind the effect of aerial perspective thereby
creating making people feel that the background fades away towards the
horizon.
These are frequently utilized at the
top of the page backgrounds, where they can assist in signifying the
boundary of the viewable area.
They're also an integral part of
drop-shadows, and the inner-glows and specular highlights you see on
glass- or plastic-style buttons.
Note that gradients usually work best
when juxtaposed with areas of flat colour or tone.
On the Curve2 homepage, the
gradients are more effective because each one is positioned adjacent to
a flat white or grey section.
It's common to find gradients
enhancing the base colour (using mix effects like color-burn or overlay
in Photoshop), which create subtly different hues.
Here, the highlighted green colour is
warmer and friendlier than the darker base colour. The general outcome
is not only softer but also richer.
