5 Steps to Choosing a Color Palette
If you’ve labeled yourself “uncreative” it can be difficult to see past that and make artistic decisions for your brand and your brand identity. But I can promise you that making those decisions doesn’t have to feel like watching a 3D movie without the specialty glasses. Here I’ll hold your hand step by step to create the perfect color palette in just 5 easy steps. In the words of Bluey: “Wackadoo, let’s do this!”
1. Have a clearly defined set of brand values.
This might seem like it has nothing to do with what colors you are going to choose for your business or project but honestly, there couldn’t be anything more important. These values will inform the psychology behind which colors you’re going to choose and the overall feel of your color palette.
2. Choose one “hero” color.
Start by choosing one color- I like to refer to this as a hero color and it’s going to be your main accent color anywhere you need a pop. This should be a color that resonates with those values you defined in step 1.
3. Choose 2 high contrast colors.
These should be high contrast, lighter or darker than your hero color. We want to make sure that you will maintain the integrity of your copy and legibility. You can absolutely choose more than 2 but I recommend starting at 2 and going from there. These can and will be used for backgrounds and text while the hero color you chose should complement these to provide color for other elements.
4. Choose 2 more colors.
These can be high contrast or low contrast. To aid in choosing these you can use a color wheel like Adobe Color to help you try different combinations. I highly recommend staying away from randomly generating your other colors unless you’ve already done a dive into color psychology about why you’re choosing them. There should be nothing “random” about the color palette you’re choosing and it should instead have purpose and intention behind each color.
5. Line up all the colors and see what they look like all together.
This is the time to make final changes. If you think something should be lower or higher in contrast, if you feel like your final palette doesn’t embody those values from Step 1, or if you think you need one or two more options for backgrounds or typography; these are all reasons to go back to the drawing board. You don’t have to start over from nothing but you can go back to steps 2-4 and see if you can get closer to your ideal palette.
Still needing those 3D glasses they never handed out?
If you answered yes, having a brand designer might be the best fit for you! To learn more about how my brand services can elevate your business and showcase your passion, fill out my inquiry form and visit this page.
