Creating a Color Palette
app.uxcel.com/courses/color-psychology-for-designers/creating-a-color-palette-208
October 5, 2021
Creating a color palette that meets a product's needs is a challenging task. Colors shape the
brand identity and evoke emotions about the product. If the palette misses the mark, you risk
losing your target audience.
A basic understanding of color theory isn't enough to put together a winning color palette.
You also need practice and an eye for aesthetics. Start with simple schemes like
monochromatic or analogous, and then experiment by adjusting different colors. Keep
tweaking until you find a combination that works.
If you're struggling or new to this, look for inspiration on websites like Coolors. Study existing
palettes, paying attention to parameters like saturation and value. Use what you learn to
create your own color palette.
Exercise #1
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Imagine you've been tasked with creating an eye-catching color palette for a fun, colorful,
high-end fashion brand. The first step is to choose a base color. If the client hasn't provided
any color preferences or brand guidelines, consider these options:
Evaluate competitors: Check out the color palettes of existing brands in the fashion
industry.
Find inspiration: Browse platforms like Dribbble or Behance for fresh ideas.
Compile your ideas: Create a mood board with images and illustrations that reflect
the brand's vibe.
Consider color psychology: Think about the emotions and associations you want
users to connect with the brand.
For this project, bright purple could work as the base color since it symbolizes creativity,
luxury, individualism, and mystery. While it can have a spiritual feel, it also brings positive
and vibrant energy.[1] Ensure that the base color isn't too saturated or dark, as this might
evoke the wrong emotions or turn users away.
Exercise #2
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When creating a personal color palette, a complementary color scheme is often the first
choice. This scheme uses colors from opposite sides of the color wheel and can be
expanded by incorporating tones, tints, and shades. For example, if your base color is bright
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purple, its complement would be grass green. However, direct opposites with the same
chroma or value can sometimes feel too intense or dramatic. To soften the effect, you can
introduce transitional colors like pale purple or tender green, or explore more complex color
schemes.
A split-complementary color scheme offers a less intense alternative. Instead of using the
direct opposite hue, it uses the colors on either side of it. Triadic and tetradic schemes are
more challenging to balance but can produce striking results. Triadic harmonies consist of 3
colors equally spaced around the color wheel, like blue, yellow, and red. Tetradic schemes,
also known as double complementary, use two pairs of complementary colors.
Exercise #3
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Analogous and monochromatic schemes are among the simplest and safest options to
create. They offer less contrast than complementary harmonies. Monochromatic schemes
focus on different tones, shades, and tints of a single hue, such as various shades of blue.
An analogous scheme takes a slightly different approach by using 3 colors of similar chroma
that are placed next to each other on the color wheel, like blue, teal, and green. To enhance
visual interest, you can also incorporate various shades, tints, and tones.
In this example, the analogous color scheme is an ideal base. It's vibrant, bright, and eye-
catching, and with a few adjustments, it can perfectly align with the color palette needs of a
high-end fashion brand.
Exercise #4
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To add more interest to this example, you'll need to tweak the current analogous color
scheme. By adjusting the saturation (how pale or pure the hue is) and brightness, you can
make the palette more dynamic. For instance, you may replace the rather intense maroon
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with a more cheerful and vibrant pink. Instead of the dreamy purple, you can opt for a darker
shade to emphasize luxury and style. These changes introduce more variety and give the
color palette greater flexibility.
Exercise #5
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While browns, tans, and off-whites can create a warm and cozy feel, they aren't ideal for a
luxury fashion brand. Instead, blacks, grays, and whites bring a sophisticated, refined, and
minimalistic touch.
When paired with purple and pink, black enhances the elegance and sophistication of the
palette, while white adds a refreshing and crisp contrast.
Exercise #6
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As a project grows, maintaining color consistency across the product becomes more
challenging. A brand style guide is essential for helping graphic designers, marketers, web
developers, and other team members stay aligned and present a unified brand identity to the
public.[2]
Key elements of the brand style guide include the logo, typography, imagery guidelines,
brand voice, and, of course, the color palette. Define the primary, secondary, and
tertiary/accent colors to guide their use in different contexts. Be sure to include CMYK, HEX,
and RGB color codes to ensure consistent use across digital and printed materials.
Exercise #7
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Once your color palette is set, it's time to apply it to your designs. To achieve a balanced
composition, many designers rely on the 60-30-10 rule. This rule suggests that the primary
color should cover 60% of the design area, the secondary color 30%, and the tertiary/accent
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color the remaining 10%.
Accents are typically applied to elements that need to stand out, such as CTA buttons. The
primary and secondary colors should be relatively neutral to enhance readability and ensure
the design is accessible to all users.[3]
By following the 60-30-10 guideline, you can avoid visual clutter and create aesthetically
pleasing designs.
Pro Tip: Don't forget about consistency — if you use red as a warning color, don't use it for
the CTA button or elsewhere.
Complete this lesson and move one step closer to your course certificate
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