How to Choose a Great Color Palette

Mar 5

Introduction:

Choosing a color palette in the design world is a very important step in making your product the best it can be. It is one of the first things that people will notice about your design and will dictate how people will feel about it. Color can provoke feelings and emotions from people subconsciously. Some colors work together, and some colors don’t, and most people can recognize that even if they don’t know why. Color theory is an important topic to understand as a designer and I will be discussing how to choose a great color palette in this blog.

What is Color Theory?:

"Color theory is the basis for the primary rules and guidelines that surround color and its use in creating aesthetically pleasing visuals. By understanding color theory basics, you can begin to parse the logical structure of color for yourself to create and use color palettes more strategically. The result means evoking a particular emotion, vibe, or aesthetic."

Different Aspects of Color:

There are many things that influence color and how it appears to the human eye. You can have cool colors, warm colors, primary colors, secondary colors, colors with different tints, colors with different shades, and colors with different tones. When looking at the color wheel you can have many different options to pick from. There are analogous color schemes, complementary color schemes, double complementary schemes, monochromatic color schemes, split complementary schemes, and triadic complementary color schemes. Most people have heard of complementary colors. Complementary colors are colors on opposite sides of the color wheel. An example of this would be purple and yellow. Analogous colors are colors located next to each other on the color wheel. An example of this would be green, blue, and purple. Many think that the color wheel is a simple and unnecessary tool to use but once you learn about all of the possibilities it can offer it can become a great and educational tool for your designs.

Rules and Tools:

A great rule to go by when designing anything is the 60-30-10 rule. The 60-30-10 rule can help establish a strong brand and stick to it. This rule describes using “a primary color 60% of the time; a secondary color 30% of the time; and an accent color 10% of the time.” This can help keep a clean design that flows effortlessly throughout your whole project.

There are also many tools at your fingertips that can help determine cohesive color palettes. One tool that I have used a lot for inspiration for color palettes is a website called Coolors. It can help randomly generate color palettes that work seamlessly together. You can lock colors in and keep generating new ones that will go with the ones you have selected. It gives you hex codes, different shades, and different color models to choose from.

What do Different Colors Mean?:

Like I said earlier, colors can provoke different feelings in people. For example, red is associated with power and energy, orange shows joy and positivity, yellow is happiness, green can mean growth, blue can be peaceful or confidence, and many more colors have different meanings. So, choosing the right colors can strongly dictate the reactions to your designs.

Conclusion:

In summary, choosing the perfect colors for a design is crucial because it's not just about making things look pretty. It helps show what a brand is all about, creates a visual hierarchy, and makes using products more enjoyable. By learning about how colors work together, trying out different combinations, and using helpful tools, designers can make designs that really catch people's attention and make them feel connected.

Hello! I’m Bridget Feldman

I am a graphic and interactive designer with an interest in public relations. I live around the Boston, Massachusetts area and would love to connect!

Bridget Feldman