Neon is a vivid hue that can inject energy into any design. It can demand attention by creating a bold aesthetic with neon signs and strobe lights, or it can be used to highlight important data in charts and graphs. To ensure that your neon color scheme meets your design objectives, start by understanding what emotions you want to stir and identifying your target audience. This will help guide your choice of colors and how they work together.
A chemical element with atomic number 10, neon is the second noble gas discovered and named after its Greek root, neos, meaning “new.” It’s an inert, monatomic, colorless, odorless gas at standard conditions, and is only slightly lighter than air. It forms no known compounds with other elements but does form clathrates and Van der Waals molecules in extreme conditions.
It’s found in the atmosphere of Earth and other Earth-like planets at a fraction of a part per million, but is much rarer on the surface, where it can be extracted from liquid air using electrical discharge in helium-neon plasma tubes. It is also a common ingredient in high voltage indicators and is combined with helium to make helium-neon lasers.
It’s best to use neon sparingly in your designs as it can quickly fatigue the eye. Instead, try pairing it with geometric shapes to enhance its bright, artificial feel. Circles, triangles, lines, and angles are perfect for complementing neon’s futuristic style.