How to Select the Perfect Colour Palette

When you think about the success of a user interface, what comes to mind? 💭

While elements like attractive design, easy navigation, and usable features are crucial, there’s another aspect that significantly impacts the user experience, often unnoticed—colour.

To elevate your UI design, understanding and creating a thoughtful colour palette is therefore key.

But why exactly is a good colour palette so important for user experience?

Let’s break it down. ⬇

Why a Good Colour Palette Matters

Usability

Reading text that blends into the background or navigating through a site where buttons are hard to find would be quite difficult, right?

A well-chosen colour palette ensures that your text is readable, your CTA’s stand out, and your users can interact with your interface with no effort.

This way, users find what they need and take the actions you want them to.

Visual Hierarchy

Colours are great tools for organising content.

You can use them to highlight important features, differentiate between different types of information, and guide users through the interface.

Effective use of colour helps them understand the structure of your interface so they can navigate it intuitively.

Brand Recognition

What do you associate with the iconic red of Coca-Cola or the renowned yellow of McDonald’s?

Think about it—these colours aren’t just for decoration—they’re a key part of how users recognise and remember a brand.

Your colour choices are a big part of your brand’s identity.

A well-thought-out colour palette helps reinforce your brand’s personality and communicates your values, making your application memorable.

User Emotions

Colours can evoke emotions and set the mood for your interface.

Whether you want to create a sense of calm, excitement, or trust, the right colours can help you achieve this.

Understanding colour psychology can help you choose shades that align with the emotional responses you want your users to have.

Accessibility

Good design is inclusive design.

A well-thought-out colour palette makes sure everyone can access your application, including those with visual impairments.

Pick colours with good contrast and consider colour blindness, and you’ll create an interface that’s comfortable for all users.

Consistent Experience

A cohesive colour palette allows your design elements to work together in harmony.

Consistent use of colours helps users feel familiar with your interface, making it easier for them to interact with your application.

So, don’t just think of creating a colour palette as picking pretty colours.

Instead, see it as a calculated process that shapes how users experience your application.

Get your colour choices right, and you’ll set the stage for a successful and engaging user experience.

The Three Fundamental Colour Categories

To build a successful colour palette, you need to balance three main categories of colours:

1️⃣ Primary

These represent your brand’s core identity and set the overall tone for your design.

2️⃣ Accent

These add vibrancy and highlight key elements to guide user actions.

3️⃣ Neutral

These provide a clean backdrop and support essential UI components like text and backgrounds.

Building your own palette

👉 How to Choose Primary Colours

Your primary colours need to embody your brand’s values.

For example, a calming blue can represent trust and reliability, while a vibrant red might convey excitement and energy.

Think about what you want your brand to convey and choose colours that reflect that message.

Remember, different colours evoke different feelings.

If you want to create a serene and welcoming experience, opt for soft blues and greens.

If your goal is to energise and inspire, bright oranges and reds might be a better fit.

Understanding colour psychology can help you select hues that support your design objectives.

Don’t skip the research. Look at successful brands for inspiration; what worked well for them could work for you too.

Experiment with different palettes. Consider using tools like Adobe Colour Wheel or Coolors.

Finding the perfect palette often involves trying out multiple options before settling on the best one.

👉 How to Choose Accent Colours

Using colour theory can guide your choices when it comes to picking accent colours.

Complementary colours create contrast, while analogous ones offer harmony.

Experiment with different schemes to see which combinations enhance your design and serve your purpose.

Assign specific roles to your accent colours. One might be for buttons, another for notifications, etc. Doing so will help you create a cohesive experience.

Create a visual hierarchy by varying the brightness and saturation of your accent colours.

This will help users understand which elements are most important and which are less so.

👉 How to Choose Neutral Colours

Your neutral colours need to provide enough contrast for text and UI elements.

High contrast improves readability and accessibility.

Choose a range of shades. A variety of neutral shades gives you the flexibility to create depth and visual interest.

Also, make sure your neutral colours work well in both dark and light modes.

👉 How to Accommodate Accessibility

As UX professionals, designing with accessibility in mind is our responsibility.

You need to ensure your colour choices work for everyone.

Start off by checking that the text and background colours have enough contrast.

There are plenty of tools, such as WebAIM’s Colour Contrast Checker, that can help you verify that your colours meet accessibility standards.

Along with that, you may want to try using simulators, like Coblis, to see how your colours appear to people with different types of colour blindness.

This is important for identifying and addressing any potential issues in your design.

Always consider how your colour choices impact the overall user experience and make sure that colour is not the only way you convey important information.

If you want your UI design to not only look fantastic but also provide an excellent user experience, a well-thought-out colour palette is your foundation.

Colours shape first impressions, help users navigate tasks, and even influence how they feel about your product.

Your users need to enjoy using the interface, find it attractive and usable, and colours help with all that.

In the end, colour is a powerful design tool that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Invest the time to develop a colour strategy that complements your goals.

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