Choosing colors and theming

Colors are one of the least understood and most important aspects of your user interface design. Text colors must stand out from the background colors to keep text legible, but not too much either. Color choices should follow a palette throughout the application and should reflect the application's branding, but should also help convey meaning to the user. Choosing the right mix of colors will maximize the usability of your application, while helping reduce the user's cognitive load. The wrong color combinations will make text more difficult to read, cause eye strain, and increase the user's levels of cognitive fatigue.

When you apply custom colors to your application, it's important to ensure that you don't have too many colors, and that they are applied consistently within the application. Color conveys meaning; it can be used to tell the user that the new button is the opposite of the delete button. These styles should be defined as resources and applied consistently...