Is it a bad idea to change a single - major - element in isolation?

Question

Our team just had a rather strong argument over an issue. The issue: Some team members want to "update" one of our websites by changing the colors of the left navigation bar, and maybe also the colors of links. They feel this will indicate change and freshness. In response some of us said no, let's not do this. We should not consider changing an element in isolation. The color of the menu and the links should work with the other site colors - it's possible to change something in isolation but it would be better to consider broader changes - I described this as taking a more holistic approach to site design. Is the response fair? Can you select a single element of your site - like the navigation - and change its look and feel, or should you always consider the broader site design? Are we - I was on the side of the no-change - being pedantic/overly cautious? Note: We DO NOT have a graphic designer on the team.

Answer 1

You always want your website to be uniform and thats including its color scheme. Though, if the color compliments the rest of the website it would be ok.