Cyan Blue

Modern • Digital • Innovative • Refreshing

Hex Code
#189BCC
RGB
24, 155, 204
HSL
196°, 79%, 45%

Color Psychology & Meaning

Psychological Impact

Cyan blue (#189BCC) evokes feelings of innovation and digital sophistication. This vibrant shade combines the trustworthiness of blue with the energy of cyan, creating a modern color that represents technological advancement, clarity of thought, and forward-thinking mindset. It stimulates mental clarity and promotes creative problem-solving.

Emotional Response

This color triggers feelings of refreshment and renewal. Users experience a sense of cleanliness, efficiency, and modernity when exposed to this shade. It creates an atmosphere of professionalism while maintaining approachability, making it ideal for tech brands and digital platforms seeking to appear both competent and user-friendly.

Cultural Significance

In Western cultures, cyan blue represents technology and digital innovation. It's strongly associated with social media platforms, tech startups, and digital services. In Eastern cultures, this shade symbolizes healing and tranquility. The color has become synonymous with the digital age and cloud computing.

Brand Personality

Brands using cyan blue project a modern, tech-savvy personality. This color communicates innovation, reliability, and forward-thinking values. It's perfect for companies wanting to appear cutting-edge while maintaining trustworthiness. The shade appeals to younger, digitally-native audiences and tech enthusiasts.

Comprehensive Color Conversions

Hexadecimal

#189BCC

Standard web color format used in CSS, HTML, and design tools. Click to copy.

RGB

rgb(24, 155, 204)

Red: 24, Green: 155, Blue: 204. Used in digital displays and screen-based design.

HSL

hsl(196, 79%, 45%)

Hue: 196°, Saturation: 79%, Lightness: 45%. Intuitive for color adjustments.

CMYK

cmyk(88%, 24%, 0%, 20%)

Cyan: 88%, Magenta: 24%, Yellow: 0%, Black: 20%. For print production.

HSV/HSB

hsv(196, 88%, 80%)

Hue: 196°, Saturation: 88%, Value: 80%. Used in design software.

LAB Color

lab(61%, -20, -28)

L: 61, A: -20, B: -28. Device-independent color space for accurate reproduction.

Technical Specifications

196°
Hue Angle
79%
Saturation
45%
Lightness
80%
Brightness
88%
HSV Saturation
Cool
Temperature

Color Harmony Schemes

Complementary

Creates maximum contrast and visual impact. Perfect for call-to-action buttons and important UI elements.

Analogous

Harmonious color combination that creates a cohesive, professional appearance. Ideal for gradients and backgrounds.

Triadic

Balanced and vibrant color scheme. Excellent for creating dynamic, energetic designs with visual interest.

Split Complementary

Softer than complementary while maintaining strong contrast. Great for sophisticated, balanced designs.

Tetradic

Rich color palette with multiple accent options. Perfect for complex interfaces requiring variety.

Monochromatic

Elegant and cohesive single-hue palette. Ideal for minimalist, professional designs with subtle depth.

Shades, Tints & Tones

Shades (Adding Black)

Darker variations created by adding black. Perfect for hover states, shadows, and depth effects.

Tints (Adding White)

Lighter variations created by adding white. Ideal for backgrounds, subtle accents, and disabled states.

Tones (Adding Gray)

Muted variations created by adding gray. Excellent for sophisticated, professional color palettes.

Industry Applications & Use Cases

Technology & Software

Cyan blue is the quintessential tech color, widely used by social media platforms, SaaS companies, and cloud service providers. It communicates digital innovation, reliability, and modern functionality. Perfect for dashboards, app interfaces, and tech product branding.

  • Social media platforms and networking apps
  • Cloud computing and storage services
  • Software as a Service (SaaS) products
  • Mobile app interfaces and UI elements

Healthcare & Wellness

In healthcare, this shade represents cleanliness and trust. It's commonly used in medical apps, telemedicine platforms, and health tracking software. The color conveys professionalism while remaining approachable and calming for patients.

  • Telemedicine and virtual health platforms
  • Health tracking and fitness applications
  • Medical device interfaces
  • Healthcare provider websites

Finance & Banking

Financial institutions use cyan blue to project modern trustworthiness. It's particularly popular with fintech startups and digital banking platforms that want to appear innovative while maintaining the reliability expected in financial services.

  • Digital banking and fintech apps
  • Investment and trading platforms
  • Payment processing services
  • Financial management tools

Education & E-Learning

Educational platforms leverage cyan blue to create engaging learning environments. The color promotes focus and clarity while maintaining a friendly, accessible feel that encourages student participation and engagement.

  • Online learning platforms and MOOCs
  • Educational apps and games
  • Virtual classroom software
  • Student management systems

Design Best Practices

Typography Pairing

Cyan blue works exceptionally well with modern sans-serif typefaces. Pair with fonts like Inter, Roboto, or SF Pro for digital interfaces. For headings, use bold weights (700-800) to create strong hierarchy. Body text should be dark gray (#333333) or black for optimal readability.

Inter Roboto SF Pro Poppins Montserrat

UI Component Usage

Use cyan blue for primary actions and interactive elements. It's perfect for buttons, links, active states, and progress indicators. Avoid using it for error messages or warnings. Reserve it for positive, forward-moving actions that encourage user engagement.

Primary Buttons Links Active States Progress Bars Icons

Background Applications

For backgrounds, use tinted versions (10-20% opacity) to create subtle, professional surfaces. Full-strength cyan blue works well for hero sections, headers, and feature highlights. Always ensure sufficient contrast with text elements for accessibility.

Hero Sections Headers Feature Cards Subtle Backgrounds

Gradient Combinations

Create modern gradients by pairing cyan blue with analogous colors or lighter tints. Popular combinations include cyan to light blue, cyan to teal, or cyan to purple. Use 135° angle for dynamic, professional gradients.

#189BCC → #1AB5E8 #189BCC → #18CCA8 #189BCC → #5B8CDB

Accessibility Guidelines

WCAG Contrast Ratios

On White Background: Contrast ratio of 3.2:1. Passes WCAG AA for large text (18pt+) but fails for normal text. Use darker shades for body text.

On Black Background: Contrast ratio of 6.5:1. Passes WCAG AA for all text sizes and AAA for large text.

Recommended Text Colors

For optimal readability on cyan blue backgrounds, use:

  • White (#FFFFFF) - 4.8:1 contrast ratio
  • Light gray (#F5F5F5) - 4.5:1 contrast ratio
  • Avoid dark gray or black on cyan blue

Color Blindness Considerations

Cyan blue remains distinguishable for most color vision deficiencies. However, avoid relying solely on color to convey information. Use icons, labels, and patterns alongside color coding.

Protanopia: Visible Deuteranopia: Visible Tritanopia: Altered

Code Examples & Implementation

CSS Button Component

.btn-primary { background: #189BCC; color: #ffffff; border: none; padding: 12px 32px; border-radius: 8px; font-weight: 600; transition: all 0.3s ease; } .btn-primary:hover { background: #1AB5E8; transform: translateY(-2px); box-shadow: 0 8px 20px rgba(24, 155, 204, 0.3); }

React Component with Tailwind

export default function CyanButton() { return ( ); }

CSS Gradient Background

Gradient Background
.gradient-bg { background: linear-gradient( 135deg, #189BCC 0%, #1AB5E8 100% ); }

SVG Icon with Cyan Fill

Marketing & Branding Insights

Target Audience Appeal

Cyan blue resonates strongly with millennials and Gen Z audiences who associate it with social media and digital innovation. It appeals to tech-savvy users, early adopters, and professionals in creative and technology fields. The color is particularly effective for products targeting urban, educated demographics aged 18-45.

Brand Positioning

Brands using cyan blue position themselves as innovative yet trustworthy. This color helps companies appear modern and forward-thinking while maintaining professional credibility. It's ideal for startups wanting to compete with established players by emphasizing their fresh, digital-first approach.

Conversion Optimization

Cyan blue performs exceptionally well in call-to-action buttons, with studies showing higher click-through rates compared to traditional blue. The color creates urgency without aggression, making it perfect for "Sign Up," "Get Started," and "Learn More" buttons. A/B tests consistently show 15-20% improvement over standard blue.

Seasonal & Trend Considerations

Cyan blue is a year-round color that doesn't carry strong seasonal associations. It remains consistently popular in tech and digital design trends. The color has maintained relevance since the rise of social media in the late 2000s and continues to represent digital innovation and connectivity.

Color Blindness Simulation

Normal Vision

Original cyan blue color as perceived by individuals with normal color vision.

Protanopia (Red-Blind)

Appears slightly more blue-green. Minimal change from original, remains highly distinguishable.

Deuteranopia (Green-Blind)

Appears slightly lighter and more blue. Still clearly visible and distinguishable.

Tritanopia (Blue-Blind)

Appears more teal/cyan-green. Most significant change but still clearly visible.

Achromatopsia (Total Color Blindness)

Appears as medium gray. Ensure sufficient contrast when color is the only differentiator.

Accessibility Recommendation

Cyan blue remains distinguishable across most color vision deficiencies. Always combine with text labels, icons, or patterns for critical information. Never rely solely on color to convey meaning or state.

Historical & Cultural Context

Digital Age Evolution

Cyan blue rose to prominence in the early 2000s with Web 2.0 design trends. Social media platforms like Twitter (now X) popularized this shade, making it synonymous with digital communication and social networking. The color became a visual shorthand for "online" and "connected."

Tech Industry Standard

By the 2010s, cyan blue had become the unofficial color of the tech industry. Major companies adopted variations of this shade for their branding, creating a visual language that users associate with innovation, reliability, and digital services. It represents the intersection of trust and modernity.

Global Perception

Across cultures, cyan blue is perceived as universally positive. In Western markets, it represents technology and progress. In Asian markets, it symbolizes healing and tranquility. In Middle Eastern cultures, it's associated with protection and spirituality. This cross-cultural appeal makes it ideal for global brands.

Future Trends

Cyan blue continues to evolve with emerging technologies. It's increasingly used in AI interfaces, blockchain platforms, and metaverse applications. The color's association with digital innovation ensures its continued relevance as technology advances into new frontiers.